You know what guys, the more I think about the future, the better this team looks.

Next year we have 2 number 1 picks. Lets play around with this scenario for a little bit, not considering any deals including McNabb or Sheppard.

QB McNabb/ Kolb

RB Westbrook/ Booker (Buck walks, we draft RB in 3rd round like always)

WR - Jackson, (We draft Crabtree), Curtis, Avant, Basket (Brown gets trade for 5th rounder)

TE Celek, (we Draft TE in 4th Round)

OL ---good shape with Andrews/ Herremans tackles, Gilles/ McGlynn guards. (we address in freeagency.

DE - I love Brian Smiths Future (Smith/Coles/ Abiamiri/ Parker/ Clemons), (Howard walks),  

DT- nice shape here

LB- Nice shape

CB - Brown/Samuel/Sheppard/ Ikeguoano

Safties - We draft Safety with 2nd First round pick, Mikel/Demps/ Considine or Dawkins (Still may be a need depending on Dawkins and Mikels) I may hope Dawkins just retires next year.

I think we draft as follows

first round (Carolina) WR or DE. (If top 5 Crabtree or Johnson) they still may go Tackle here.

First round (philly) Tackle

second round pick (Safety)

Third Round (RB or TE)

who cares after this.

We are in good shape for a title in my lifetime. Maybe its this year, if next, I'm psyched about the future.

Its that time fellas, yes, its time we make our pick. Who do you honestly is going to win this game. Give the score of the game, if you want to add a short blurb, go right ahead, make sure your comments read something like this:

------------------------------------

(header) Phi xx - STL xx

(Comment) Westbrook to have a good game, yata yata. Brown gets a pick and runs it back, yata yata.

-------------------------------------

Just make sure your predictions are clear, Afterwards we can all just look back and see whos got that pick-em mojo going all.

 Please pick a score, and give a short prediction of the game. This will show all of us if you are a true football guru.

First it was SI, now ESPN, Birds are getting mad love from the Media.

: NFC East (order of finish)

Gene's NFC East picks

1.

2.

3.

4.

Philadelphia Eagles -- Donovan McNabb hasn't played a full season since cheesesteaks were invented. He has a four-year injury streak, is 31 and just lost Kevin Curtis, one of the few decent receivers the Eagles have on the roster. Yet I figure he'll stay healthy long enough to lead the Eagles to a division title.

 

Rookie DeSean Jackson gives Philly a much-needed speed weapon in the receivers rotation, as well as a legitimate punt return threat. It might not sound like much, but the Eagles finally have a kickoff return man, too: Quintin Demps. And as long as Westbrook is an Eagles employee, life is usually good. The offensive line has age and depth issues, but I'm still rolling the bones on these guys.

Dallas Cowboys -- Last season's 13 wins weren't a fluke (OK, maybe the win at Buffalo, when Dallas overcame five interceptions of Tony Romo), but there are too many moving parts for the Cowboys to match that victory total in 2008. You remember the 12-1 start; I remember the 1-3 finish (6, 6 and 17 points in those three losses). Roy Williams isn't an every-down safety anymore, the O-line is getting AARP-ish and, just a reminder, Cowboys wide receivers not named Terrell Owens are dropping like crime bosses in the baptism scene of "The Godfather."

On paper, the Cowboys are the best team in the division. But I just can't take the full leap of faith yet.

New York Giants -- Enjoy that NFL Films commemorative Super Bowl DVD, fellas, because there will be no repeat. There might not even be a playoff spot. Generally speaking, it's not exactly a formula for success when you lose your two starting Super Bowl defensive ends before the first snap of the regular season. But that's what has happened. Michael Strahan was lost to TV and powder makeup. Osi Umenyiora was lost to an operating table. Sorry, that's a playoff deal-breaker.

Washington Redskins -- Daniel Snyder is the owner. Jim Zorn is the first-time coach. The NFC East is merciless. Gee, what could go wrong? Seven wins, tops.

40: AFC Championship

Gene's AFC title game pick

New England vs. Indianapolis*.

 

All I ask is that we're not subjected once again to that Salvador Dali-like cell phone commercial with Manning, the one in which he's frantically running around some hotel or apartment hallway, sees Marvin Harrison surrounded by Philly cops, I mean, dolphins, and then some kid appears and says, "Clark." What the kid ought to say is, "Beat the Chargers at home this time, will you?"

(*If Manning's knee isn't right this season, San Diego plays the Pats.)

 

41: NFC Championship

Gene's NFC title game pick

Philadelphia vs. Green Bay.

 

Rodgers isn't Favre -- and he doesn't have to be to get the Packers this far. He just can't get hurt or go all Eli Manning (by that I mean Manning circa Nov. 25, 2008, to Dec. 23, 2008, when Eli might have been one of the five worst quarterbacks on the planet). I have more faith in the Packers as a whole than I do in Rodgers, but I have more faith in Rodgers than I do in DeSean Jackson.

And, no, I've got nothing against the Cowboys, but I do think Dallas could struggle more than you -- or Jerry Jones -- expect. I know the chalk says go with Dallas, but I'm taking the educated flier on the Eagles.

 

42: NFC Championship -- Part II

Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Who ends up with the Lombardi trophy? Brady and the Patriots.

If the Buccaneers win the NFC -- and it's not out of the question -- they would become the first team to play a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

 

I'm just looking out for you, come bar bet time.

 

43: Super Bowl XLIII

Philadelphia vs. New England.

 

None of this matters if McNabb is McHurt, or if Brady's mysterious foot injury forces him out of the lineup for any extended period of time (say, longer than a minute), or if David Tyree is traded to the Eagles.

The Patriots have some soft spots, but they also have talent, motivation and the easiest schedule in the league. History and undefeated seasons are wonderful, but all they really want is to get their hands back on the Lombardi trophy.

They will.

This is what bothers me the most about McDougle. Eagles knew that McDougles has been beating Thomas in practice during preseason, but still cut him. Now he will help those stinking Giants beat Thomas. You know that man can beat you, you know that NY is waiting to see what you cut, and you cut a player that can help them.

We should have cut Clemons, he is least likely to hurt us. McDougle can hurt us. I hope he doen't this year.

Below are some articles spelling out the McDougle situation.

http://www.gcobb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1804&Itemid=1

McDougle has shown improvement as a pass rusher by beating Tra Thomas every now and then, but he never does anything during the regular season.  He does just enough to get by

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast

Breaking down the Eagles' practice squad

September 1, 2008 5:53 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Daily News beat writer Les Bowen does a nice job breaking down the Eagles' practice squad -- if you're into that sort of thing. Kudos to Les for banging the drum on this Jerome McDougle-to-New York scenario for the past couple of weeks. It came to fruition Sunday, and I think the Eagles will regret the move.

Why would you ever want to help an NFC East rival? They had to know the Giants would be waiting for McDougle.

I do think the Eagles were pleased that cornerback

I was talking to my budy about possible future moves, and during my conversation I realized that next years draft will be very interesting.

I know its early, but just for fun, what are the possible moves you would make to upgrade this team for 2009, consider the McNabb/ Kolb situation. Consider the possible emergence of Jackson, and Browns bad contract.  Also consider Lito Sheppards situation and the fact that we have 2 first round picks. We will have an interesting offseason next year. Who stays and who goes, is Dunlap and Justice your future? ( I gotta give props to Justice, he played well vs NE).

Please don't take this post too seriously, its just for fun. I know that die hards do like to look to the future. I just figured I would get this out there before I forget. What do you think we will do as far as cutting, signing Free agents, drafting etc. You are the GM, whats your move?

First off, let me preface my statement by saying, I hope we can figure something out on WR. But there are a few issues that prevent us from obtaining a WR.

There are other factors that are in play right now: Look at our 53 Man roster so far.

 3 QB    McNabb, Kolb, Feeley

 3 RB    Westbrook, Buckhalter, Booker

1 FB    Hunt (or Davis/Lawton/Collins)

5 WR   Curtis, R Brown, Basket, Jackson, Avant,

***Where do we fit Lewis**To keep him, somebody is gonna get cut***

3 TE    LJ Smith, Celek, Schoebel

2 C      J Jackson, N Cole

4 G      Herremans, Andrews, Jean-Gilles, McGlynn

4 T       Thomas, Runyan, Dunlap, Justice

5 DE    T Cole, Parker, McDougle, Abiamiri, B Smith,

*** Where do we fit Clemons*** To keep him, somebody else is getting cut.***

5 DT     Bunkley, Patterson, Laws, Klecko, Howard (Howard is playing more DT than this year, I saw him line up w/ 2nd team DT in Camp)

6 LB    Gocong, Bradley, Gaithers, Mays, Jordan, Studebaker (or Boiman)

4 CB    S Brown, Samuel, Sheppard, Hanson (or Arrington)

2 SS    Mikel, Considine

3 FS    Dawkins, Reed, Demps

1 LS    Dorenbos

1 P      Rocca

1 K      Akers

****At this point, you don't even have enough space for Lewis, or Clemons. You need Lewis now that Curtis is out*** Unless you cut from another spot (DE, LB, FS), somebody may get IRd (Curtis/Brown/Abiamiri), just to allow Lewis and or Clemons to make the team.  

You are already short 2 spot to start the year, if you bring in another WR, You will need to cut or IR another play, unless you trade a current member of your roster to make the trade happen (Possibly Sheppard), Arizona doesn't want Sheppard, they have Rogers-Cromarti, Hood, and are Happy at CB. They want our pick, but we must include a player in the deal to free up roster space.  

Also, your WR depth chart will be Boldin, Curtis, Brown, Jackson, Avant, Basket. After you re do Boldins deal, you basically be killing Jackons chances to play in the future. You will have Boldin, Curtis, Both under long term contracts,---Jackson gets screwed, and you still have Brown under a long term contract. And you be paying Brown a ton to be your 3rd or 4th receiver.

You probrably think, well we can trade Brown next year. First off, now body wants him. Then you may say, well we can cut him. He has a 8 mil cap hit this year, and 5 mil for next year. You take a monster hit on a cut, or trade. When ever you trade a player w/ that kinda of number left on cap, you obsorb the remaining prorate of the signing bonus all in one year. Brown is stuck on this team for 3 more years, guaranteed. His contract is killing this team.  

No Boldin, No nothing this year. You need someone expendable, maybe Horn, and I hate Horn   

Jessica Simpson: Tony Isn't Calling Carrie!

By Us MagazineAugust 21, 2008, 6:53 am PDT

via l.yimg.com

Us Magazine Jessica Simpson insists her beau Tony Romo isn't calling his ex Carrie Underwood.

"I looked at his call log," she said Wednesday in an interview with a Nashville radio station.

Of Romo, Underwood tells September's Allure: "The phone will ring and it'll be him, and I'll maybe not answer."

"Tony and I both laughed at that," Simpson said. "We got a chuckle out of it."

Look back at Jessica Simpson's sexy (and scary!) style over the years.

Simpson and Romo seem to be going strong.

"Most of the guys I dated were captivated by my heart but they had different ways of trying to get to me," Simpson says in September's Elle. "Tony understands me.

"He appreciates my talent," she adds. "He's the first person I've spiritually connected with.

See what a body language expert had to say about Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo.

Romo has been supporting Simpson while she works on her country album, Do You Know, due September 9.

"It's the cutest thing," she says.

Simpson dedicated the tune "You're My Sunday" while performing at a country music festival in Wisconsin on Sunday.

Before the song, she told the crowd Romo "is my better tomorrow."

How does this moran do it, you lose 2 playoff games, and get 2 superhot girlsfriends for it.

This is my favorite part:

Of Romo, Underwood tells September's Allure: "The phone will ring and it'll be him, and I'll maybe not answer."

Somebodies gotta spoof this, you got to.

I know this isn't an Eagles story, but Upshaw was an important part of the NFL. Sad to se him go.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

A report citing unnamed sources from Clear Channel online indicates that Hall of Fame offensive lineman Gene Upshaw, the long-time Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, has died at the age of 63.

Per the report, Upshaw had been fighting pancreatic cancer.

Upshaw’s condition not been publicly known, and it’s unclear whether others at the NFLPA were aware of the illness, which is one of the most serious forms of cancer. 

It’s also unknown whether the disease had developed recently, or whether Upshaw became afflicated with it months ago.

It’s a shocking development, to say the least.  In recent months, Upshaw had indicated a desire to stay on the job through the completion of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, which became a focal point for the league and the union in May of this year, when owners voted to end the current CBA two years early.

Upshaw also has been criticized for his refusal to allow the NFLPA to identify his successor, out of fears that the league would then undermine him by working directly with the successor as to key terms of the CBA. 

But now the NFLPA by all appearances will be thrust into disarray, with a power vacuum only two weeks from the start of

Shocking News

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/20/panthers-cut-ian-scott/

PANTHERS CUT IAN SCOTT

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 20, 2008, 3:42 p.m. EDT

The Carolina Panthers announced today that they have released defensive tackle Ian Scott, the latest setback for a player who just a few years ago looked like one of the best young defensive linemen in football.

"He did everything right. He was a kid we liked and it was very unfortunate," coach John Fox said. "The way it worked out there’s a chance when he gets healthy that we can bring him back later in the season. We felt like we dealt with him fairly and he did a fantastic job for us."

With the Bears in 2005, Scott was a starter on the best defense in the NFL. But he lost his starting job in 2006 and was out of Chicago after the season. Last year he signed with the Eagles but was put on injured reserve before the season, and this year Scott suffered a knee injury early in training camp. Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com reports that the Panthers reached an injury settlement with Scott, and because of that settlement, can’t re-sign him until after the ninth game of the season.

The Panthers will start Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis at defensive tackle, with Darwin Walker as the third man in the rotation and rookie Nick Hayden as the No. 4.

The team signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Sean Bailey to fill Scott’s roster spot

I like this part most:

with Darwin Walker as the third man in the rotation and rookie Nick Hayden as the No. 4.

He sucks man. He isn't even starting.

I have found myself thinking about this teams future. I and notice a few interesting senerios.

First, We have the Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb situation. Some feel that the Eagles drafted Kolb as a pure value pick with the hope of trading him in the future. My only concern with this is that if you trade Kolb, he would demand exactly what you paid for him (he is probrably only worth a 2nd rounder), and you would only trade him if you felt that you can draft a QB in 2 or 3 years that you like, and you are truley commited to Donovan McNabb.

I think the most likely scenario is that McNabb has a fantastic year, and is traded. My question is what do you get for Donovan? if Shockey was worth 2nd and 3rd round picks (and he sucks at TE), and Jayson Taylor (only has 1 year of football left in him) is worth 2nd and 3rd round picks. And Favre is either 1st - 4th round pick (for 1 year). Than Donovan after a probowl year is worth a 1rst and a 3rd round (possibly 2nd round) pick. Also by trading McNabb, you free up a ton of cash in your cap. Likely a high pick being that its from a bad team looking for a QB)

Now lets review the Lito situation, he is will not be here next year. But If I were the Eagles, I would redo his deal to pay him 4 or 5 a year (bearing in mind that McNabb is gone) for the term of his contract, I would ask him to play nickel and be happy at it. But we know this is unlikely, so we will likely trade him as well. Eagles will trade him for nothing less than a 2nd round pick. If he has a solid healthy year, he is worth it to a team looking for a corner. Heck we got a 2 for an unproven AJ Feely and an unproven Al Harris in the past. Lito will get a second if he has a good year.

Now we have the perfect storm. Yes 3 first round picks ( 2 high Carolina & McNabb trade, and 1 low -Eagles pick) and you'll have 2 second round picks.

Also consider the cash you free up in the trading of McNabb and Sheppard. You can rebuild in 1 year if you like. And still have Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Patterson, Bunkley, Laws, Gocong, Bradley, Gaithers, Curtis, Andrews, and DeSean Jackson as your core. All young players. This team will win for year.