Eagles Draft Breakdown

Although it’s rather pointless to assign draft grades less than 48 hours after it ends, let’s face it – it’s fun.

Eagles Breakdown
Much to the fans' chagrin, the Eagles once again traded out of the first round. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Not only did they get Carolina’s first round pick in 2009, which, with Jake Delhomme still under center, should be a good one, but they also were able to pick up two players – Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackcon – who should make an impact in 2008.

Outside of Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis, no other DT could fit Jim Johnson’s scheme better than Laws. Will he start? No. But the Eagles’ front four won’t be suffering as much when they have to rotate out Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley.

Jackson is the most exciting addition. He won’t be the weapon Donovan McNabb craved on offense (at least this year), but just the mere fact we won’t be forced to watch Reno Mahe return punts or Correll Buckhalter take kick returns to the 21-yard line again and again makes this pick special. Obviously Andy Reid’s proclamation that they wouldn’t spend a pick based on a guy’s return ability is dubious.

Third rounder Bryan Smith goes hand-in-hand with Reid’s love for tiny defensive ends. Where he fits in with Philly’s already large crop of smallish pass rushers Trent Cole, Chris Clemons, Chris Gocong and Juqua (Thomas) Parker remains to be seen.

Cocky to a fault safety Quintin Demps is going to make his mark on special teams. He will need to keep his mouth closed and his ears open to have a chance of ever making his mark on defense.

The offensive line additions – Mike McGlynn, Mike Gibson and King Dunlap – are versatile, but only McGlynn will make this team.

It would be a wonderful story if linebacker Andy Studebaker could make the roster out of tiny, Division III Wheaton College. But Studebaker is among a stacked group of small pass rushers and will have to excel on special teams to earn a roster spot.

Overall, the Eagles found a dangerous returner, DT depth, more bullets for Johnson’s blitz gun, and some bodies for the offensive line – along with another first-round pick that could come in handy if that weapon Donovan McNabb wants shakes loose before training camp.

Grade: B

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Early Thoughts On Draft

Saturday proved full of surprises in the NFL Draft. The first two rounds were held and numerous trades were done. The Eagles were part of three of them. First they traded their #19 to the Carolina Panthers for their 2nd round pick, 4th round pick and next years 1st round pick. It might have been alot for the Panthers to give up but it was a great deal for the Eagles.

Next we traded our 2nd round pick to the Lions for another 4th round and Detroits 2nd. With that pick we selected DT Trevor Laws from Notre Dame. He was a team mate of DE Victor Abriami. Next pick was WR DeSean Jackson from Cal. I love this move. It was too early to take him in the first but perfect for the second. This guy might be small but he has great hands and speed. He will help our return game right away.

We then traded a 4th rounder to Miami for RB Lorenzo Booker. He is a player in the Westbrook mold. He didn't play much last year, but should get plying time here as a 3rd down specialist. Look for different screens and draws for him.

We still have many picks available today. Another day full of surprises.

Lito is still an Eagle for now. Will he traded today? Who knows. I personally wouldn't trade him unless it was for a WR like Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin or Chad Johnson. With two 1st rounders next year, I think a deal could be done. Maybe add in Reggie Brown as bait and then draft another WR today.

Some players still available I would like the Eagles to select are:

Safeties Josh Barrett, Reggie Smith or DeJuan Morgan.

WR's Marcus Monk or Adarius Bowman

CB's Justin King, Charles Godfrey or Chevis Jackson

OL Anthony Collins or Carl Nicks

LB Dan Conner

Why Conner? He's a player. Could provide valuable depth to this team and make plays on ST.

So far I like what we have done. I hope today brings us all the players we need to make a run at the SB.

Darft Day Is Here

FINALLY! After an offseason of speculation, the best day of the football offseason is here. The NFL Draft. As of right now the Eagles have 11 picks in seven rounds. Numerous questions need to be asked:

1) Will we trade Lito Sheppard? And if we do, who will it be to and for what?

2) Will we make a play for a BIG WR like Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin or Roy Williams?

3) Who will the Eagles select with their first pick? An OL or a CB? Maybe a WR?

4) Will the Eagles move up in the first to get a player they covet?

5) How will different trades affect what the Eagles do?

6) Will losing a couple minutes this year hinder the draft process? Instead of looking for the best offer will teams just take a chance on certain players or trades?

7) Will the Eagles draft a Special Teams Returner?

8) Will any other players other than Lito get traded? The past couple years we traded 1-2 role players to move up.

All this will be answered in a few short hours. Draft begins at 3:00. Three hours later than usual. Both ESPN and NFL Network will have coverage.

Drafting Long and Short Term

When time comes for the Eagles to draft on Saturday and Sunday (yeaa! It's finally here!), the goal is to take the best players. Sounds like a pretty easy-to-define stratagem. The best player. Go get him. Go get them. Bring in the best players. That's the idea. But what constitutes the best player. Is it someone who steps right into the starting lineup and provides the most bang in year one? Or is it the player who projects as the best player in two or three seasons?

This is something every team weighs. The Eagles grade players based on what they showed in college and how they project in this system right now and, of course, years down the line. If the rookies are good enough to play right away, they play. Fortunately, the Eagles have been able to stock up enough in the Andy Reid era so that they haven't needed rookies to fill glaring needs. In some cases, the rooks have come up big. Corey Simon was an immediate starter. So was Shawn Andrews, who then lost his season during the opening game due to injury. Mike Patterson played a lot and headlined a rookie class that saw a lot of action, due to many issues in that 2005 season.

This year, naturally, the call from many corners is to draft players who can step in and play from the jump. And yeah, if it happens, well, it helps. I'm not sure there is an immediate starter in the offing, but I never thought Andrews would walk right into the starting lineup back in 2004. He was just that good, and Andrews has certainly built upon that rookie promise.

The Eagles want to take players who can help now. They have a solid team, a good team, one that should contend right now, as is. Can any of these upcoming draft picks help this year? Absolutely. Bring in a return man who can make the special teams move explosive and that's a big plus. Draft somebody who can put the ball in the end zone and help the offense. Great. Add a couple of kids who can provide some energy and impact in special teams coverage and the Eagles are improved.

But find a draft pick who is going to be one of the starting 22? I don't know much about the draft, but it doesn't seem like there are a whole lot of players like that on the board.

However, the Eagles can have a wonderful draft for now and the future by selecting players who will help now and will help more in the seasons to come. Maybe, in the parlance of draft wizardry, there is no such thing as a player who adds help right now but doesn't have much upside after that. I think players generally getting better and better in each of their four or five seasons to begin their NFL careers.

In any event, the Eagles want to take players to help them right now, and also become part of the core in the years to come. Last year was an exception when the team drafted quarterback Kevin Kolb. The Eagles simply had Kolb rated so highly they couldn't pass up the opportunity to secure the quarterback position for years to come. In general, it's about now. And it's about later.

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Examining Some Scenario's

From PE.com:

If the possibilities for the Eagles in next weekend's NFL draft are, indeed, virtually endless, then it's time to discuss some of them. What makes sense for a football team that believes it is again ready to compete at the very top of the league's food chain? Should the Eagles be aggressive and package draft picks and try to get one or two "guys" they think are difference makers? Should the team stand relatively pat and draft from the pool of players that fall to their 11 slots? Should the Eagles deal players and draft picks this year for favorable draft selections in the future?

I've been obsessed with the draft since the major portion of free agency concluded. The Eagles have an elaborate plan that they have worked to execute since the 2007 season was over. So they went into free agency and went right for the jugular on the first weekend, signing cornerback Asante Samuel and defensive end Chris Clemons.

The remainder of free agency was spent adding niche pieces – competition on the roster at fullback (Dan Klecko), linebacker (Rocky Boiman) and tight end (Kris Wilson), keeping in mind that those players can help on special teams, too. Along the way the Eagles released veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes and made sure to lock up tight end L.J. Smith.

Now what? Here are some scenarios to consider …

STAY AT 19

If the Eagles stay at 19, what kinds of players are on the board? If the mock drafts are to be believed, the Eagles would have the choice of the fourth or fifth offensive tackle, the third or fourth defensive end, the third or fourth defensive tackle, probably the fourth cornerback, the first or second safety, maybe the second or third wide receiver and likely the third or fourth running back.

Would the Ealges be drafting, then, a "special" player? Maybe. That remains to be seen. The point is, they won't be drafting the player who is deemed "the best" player at that position in this draft.

So you have to consider the kind of player the Eagles are going to get at 19. They've gone through their board many, many times, and have assigned value to each of the players in this draft. They have starred the "first-round-worthy" players and know that, in their minds, exactly how many players on which they would use a first-round pick in this draft.

Maybe the Eagles think there are only 15 players worthy of a first-round pick in the draft and are planning to move up and draft one. Maybe the Eagles think there are 25 players worthy, and will either move back in the first round or stay put or go get a special one or even deal some of those extra draft picks for two selections in round one.

But we're talking about 19. The mock drafts have been all over the place on this one. It could be an offensive lineman. It could be a safety. It could be a defensive end. It could be a wide receiver. It could be just about anything, but I'd be willing to say with strong conviction that the Eagles won't take a quarterback or a linebacker in this first round.

Then again, Andy Reid often is as unpredictable as any coach in the NFL when it comes to the draft.

PACKAGE PICKS AND MOVE UP

Reid has never been shy about taking this approach, but to do so would cost the Eagles their first-round pick, a second-round pick and probably a fourth-rounder. Or, as many fans have suggested, the Eagles could send a player and the 19th pick to a team in the top 10-13 and draft … who, exactly?

I'm not enough of a draft aficionado to offer a suggestion on the "must-have" player. I will say that if the Eagles put together a package and go up in the first round, they expect the draft pick to step in and contribute right away in the 2008 season. Maybe not as an immediate starter, but certainly as a player who can help win as a rookie.

If the Eagles are willing to pay a steep price to go up and get one of the top 10 picks who is "falling," or to go get the player they must have, it is reasonable to think he can play as a rookie.

LOAD UP ON DAY ONE?

It isn't just the first round to think about here. While the draft's first day is limited to two round, the Eagles may be able to get up into the second round for an extra pick and then come away with three selections in the first day. With a couple of fourth-round picks – that the Eagles can trade (one is a compensatory pick and cannot be dealt) – and four sixth-round picks – two of which the Eagles can trade (two are compensatory picks) – Reid and Co. are in a position of power through the middle rounds.

What it means to you is that you can't go to sleep after the first round or even the first day. I expect Reid to look to be as aggressive as possible from the start through the finish of this draft. I expect moves to be made.

FOCUS ON OFFENSE

Could it be that the Eagles made their power moves in free agency to aid the defense and are planning to use the draft to impact the offense? Surely, the offense needs to be much better than last year, and while the team has made some moves to get better there – retaining Smith, getting Donovan McNabb another year healthier, adding Klecko and Wilson – there are legitimate questions as to whether those moves – in the case of McNabb, expectations rather than moves – are enough.

Would the Eagles, for example, make a play for a wide receiver in the draft? The mock drafts suggest that Michigan State's Devin Thomas is the cream of the crop and a possible draft pick to Buffalo at No. 11 in the first round. Behind Thomas are players like Texas' Limas Sweed, Cal's DeSean Jackson, Indiana's James Hardy, Oklahoma's Malcolm Kelly and then a whole group that will probably be off the board between the time Thomas goes and the end of the third round.

Look, if you are considering every option, you have to think about making some kind of deal for a veteran wide receiver. In theory, just about every player's name who is even remotely available has been discussed at a high level among a lot of teams, so why not think about it here?

If you were to address needs for this offense, you would have to keep wide receiver near the top of the list. The Eagles need to put the ball in the end zone more than they did last season. They have to look at every scenario and, I know, they are doing just that.

So, go ahead and dream big. This is the time to do so. The draft is a week away. The Eagles are hammering away at the final, final, final preparations. It's time to get very excited about the week ahead. The phone lines are humming and the next moves are extraordinarily important for this franchise.

The plan the Eagles laid out long ago is nearly at its final chapter. So far, the Eagles have played a strong game in the offseason. But they still have some missing pieces and they still have moves and deals that need to get done. It all happens right in front of our eyes in the next week.

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Eagles Schedule

Six nationally-televised games, including a Thanksgiving night showdown against the Arizona Cardinals, are on the 2008 slate. And how about this for the end of the season - three of the final four games are against the NFC East. The season finale? A showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will be a team to watch in 2008.

Sept 7 - Eagles vs Rams (Home)
Sept 15 - Eagles vs Cowboys (Away)
Sept 21 - Eagles vs Steelers (Home)
Sept 28 - Eagles vs Bears (Away)
Oct 5 - Eagles vs Redskins (Home)
Oct 12 - Eagles vs 49ers (Away)
Oct 19 - BYE
Oct 26 - Eagles vs Falcons (Home)
Nov 2 - Eagles vs Seahawks (Away)
Nov 9 - Eagles vs Giants (Home)
Nov 16 - Eagles vs Bengals (Away)
Nov 23 - Eagles vs Ravens (Away)
Nov 27 - Eagles vs Cardinals (Home) Thanksgiving Day
Dec 7 - Eagles vs Giants (Away)
Dec 15 - Eagles vs Browns (Home)
Dec 21 - Eagles vs Redskins (Away)
Dec 28 - Eagles vs Cowboys (Home)

Moats Ready To Compete

Running back Ryan Moats remembers the sequence of events quite vividly.

He had a run up the middle for five yards and thought to himself, "Okay, this is a good start."

Moats was called upon to help in pass protection and did just fine. Run routes. The same result.

But on his second carry of the game, the Eagles' preseason opener in Baltimore last August, everything changed for Moats. In the gamebook, it simply says "R. Moats right tackle to PHI 20 for -3 yards (P. Burgess)."

In reality, Moats fractured his ankle fibula when he was dragged down by Ravens rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess. He was placed on Injured Reserve and his season was over. After what he called his best training camp, Moats was forced to start from scratch.

"It's hard, man, you know. It's heartbreaking to do something like that when you're doing so well," said Moats after a recent workout at the NovaCare Complex. "I felt comfortable in the offense. I knew everything and on the field at the time I was doing really well."

The Eagles' third-round pick in 2005 got some playing time late in his rookie year and finished with 278 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came on electrifying runs of 40 yards or more.

In 2006, it appeared as if Moats would be the perfect complement to Brian Westbrook. Moats could spell Westbrook, but the Eagles would still have a big-play threat that could score on any given play.

It didn't happen.

Moats never reached the end zone. In fact, he barely got the ball. In only eight games, Moats had 24 touches - 22 carries and a pair of kickoff returns. He doesn't know why he fell out of favor, but he admits that the pressure to change everything about his game from the way he carried the ball to his running style had an adverse effect on his play. Now, Moats is comfortable mixing what he's learned in the pros with the improvisational style that earned him WAC player of the year honors when he rushed for 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year at Louisiana Tech.

"I think my style from college was very loose and it was all about instinct, just feeling it," said Moats. "When I got here I stopped feeling it because so much stuff was coming at me at one time, and I didn't know what to do. I was a young guy, but now I trust myself as a runner. If I make a mistake, I make a mistake. When you get here you feel like nobody makes mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Even all the starters make mistakes. Once I realized that you can make a mistake and you'll be alright you can just keep going."

The Eagles piled on the pressure by using their third-round pick in 2007 on Penn State bulldozer Tony Hunt. However, Hunt didn't get on the field much as Correll Buckhalter was a more-than-capable backup to Westbrook.

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away. The Eagles have a deep and talented corps of running backs, but Buckhalter and Moats are entering their contract year. Hunt has to make strides in his second season. Confident and in fantastic shape, tipping the scales at 210 pounds, Moats has realized that he can't control what decisions are made or how others perform. He can only go out there and compete. And he's ready to do just that.

"I don't know what's going to happen," said Moats. "All I can do is control what I put out. I'm just going to play football. I'm not worrying about who, or if I'm here or wherever. I'm just going to play and let my play do the talking. They drafted Tony Hunt (last year). What can I do about that? I went to training camp and I came to play. It's competition, and you can't be afraid of competition."

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Has Offense Improved Enough?

They've retained tight end L.J. Smith. They have added competition at fullback (Dan Klecko) and tight end (Kris Wilson). Otherwise, the Eagles have left well enough alone offensively, taking the approach that what they have is better than the players who were available in free agency. Fine. I agree with the principle. Going out and adding wide receivers in free agency or ripping apart the offensive line or trading away quarterback Donovan McNabb just wasn't the right philosophy. The Eagles were frustrating to gauge last year, largely dinking and dunking from one 20-yard line to the other and then struggling mightily for consistency in the red zone. They didn't score enough points. They didn't put the ball in the end zone as many times as they needed. They lacked explosive plays. And they have kept things pretty much the same for 2008. Why? Why not tear it all apart and blow things up and start from the ground up? Clearly, the Eagles believe they underperformed last season. As they conducted post-year meetings and prepared for this free agency, there was the option to target specific players in free agency and make significant changes. They could have taken a flier on a wide receiver, for example, and used a sizable amount of their salary-cap space overhauling that position. They could have been players in the sweepstakes for one or two of the big-name offensive linemen on the market. They could have jumped right in and made a splash in the free-agent pool on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles didn't do that, instead focusing on defense in the early stages of free agency. Clearly, then, the conclusion is that Andy Reid and Co. have faith that the offense, which played so much better down the stretch of 2007, will improve enough internally to make a difference in 2008. We obviously won't know the answer to the question that you ask for many months: Was it the right thing to do? I know there will be players added in the draft, and the trade route is always a possibility. I'm not naive to think that the Eagles are going to go into the season with this exact roster offensively. There will be some changes. But I'm also prepared to venture into the season with the group right here -- the offensive line as we know it, with the competition expected at left guard; the wide receivers named Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown starting; with Brian Westbrook as the go-to piece in the attack; with McNabb calling the signals, with Smith healthy and a big part of things at tight end. That is the reality. Most Eagles fans still expect, I sense, even if it's in the back of their minds, something dramatic to happen to this football team from a personnel standpoint. I hear some people say, "The Eagles have to go out and get a No. 1 receiver." As if by willing it so loudly will make it happen. Well, what happens if it doesn't happen? What happens if the Eagles begin the season with this nearly-exact group offensively? Are they good enough? The answer, if you ask a coach in this league, comes back the same: We have to be good enough. Now, that may not be convincing to some people. And, yeah, I believe, deep down in my heart, that the Eagles are going to be aggressive addressing the offense, as they have been in every phase of the offseason. I still think there are plenty of moves coming between now and late July or even late August. A No. 1 receiver? I'm not going to guess there and I'm not going to get my hopes up. I think the Eagles are going to consider every option to upgrade across the board. But yeah, I think the offense has improved. I think Smith's return is huge. Tight end is a position of strength, whereas a few months ago I would have suggested it was a position to question. Smith was a pending free agent. Most speculated that he would leave in free agency. Had that happened, the Eagles would have had to turn to second-year man Brent Celek and would have had to fill a hole created by Smith's absence. I think Celek can start and play well in this league at some point, but it feels a whole lot better with Smith as the starter and with Celek as the second tight end right now. I like that 1-2 combination. I think fullback will be a stronger position this season. Thomas Tapeh clearly did not impress the Eagles enough -- the evidence is the lack of effort the team made to sign him back once his contract expired -- and now the Eagles have a really interesting situation heading into the draft. They have a player who has been in the system for a couple of years, Jason Davis. He is ready to blossom. They have competition in Klecko, who is a physical, aggressive guy who adds a bruiser dimension to the picture. They have some versatility for both tight end and fullback in Wilson, who I see as someone who has some packages created for his many talents. He can line up in a lot of different positions and, yes, maybe there is some H-back in the immediate future for this offense. The offense in the red zone is better with Smith on the field and with McNabb healthy from day one. Where the Eagles haven't necessarily improved is in the big-play, explosive passing-game department, and that is something to discuss. Are the Eagles good enough to get the ball down the field in big chunks of yardage? I can't tell you yes or no on that one. If the offensive line blocks well -- and I'm of the belief that this is a group that needs to be better than it was last season -- then McNabb has time and the receivers will find openings. Then it's just pitch and catch. Certainly, defenses had too much success blitzing the Eagles last year, reaching the quarterback and shutting down the big plays and the easy scores in the passing game. Guys and gals, this is just food for thought on this day that is one step closer to the April 26-27 NFL draft. How much have the Eagles improved the offense already? And how much more do they have to go to get where they want to be? If the efforts to improve the defense work, the offense should be better. If the blueprint comes true, the Eagles will have more takeaways and will set up the offense in better field position and should even score here and there, unlike last year. That's an improvement. I know I'm rambling on, but I'm taking a perspective here, pausing to consider what the Eagles have done, what they could have done, what they might do in the weeks ahead. The choices were to do what the Eagles did and continue on with the core of the offense, or to make drastic changes and maybe rip it all up and start again. I like the approach so far. Going out adding a Bernard Berrian or a D.J. Hackett or a Bryant Johnson ... would that have helped the offense? Would those moves have been positive for McNabb and for the passing game? Time is the king here. I think the Eagles can find help in the draft for their offense -- whether it is a young lineman to challenge for playing time right away, or a player who can be a threat in the return game, or a receiver who can come in and boost a personnel package and create a good matchup at a key point in the game. There are more ways to improve than by adding the "star" receiver that so many are fixated on adding. The Eagles are exploring every option and asking themselves the same question every day: Is what we have on the roster right now enough to win the Super Bowl?

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Football Aids Reids Family Crisis

Andy Reid walked among his peers this week here at the NFL Annual Meeting offering the kind of self-effacing confidence and concrete pride that have marked his nine seasons as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the first time Reid had been in their midst since his drug-related travails with his sons Garrett and Britt. His peers reached out to him with compassion. He accepted it. He is equipped, he said, for another Eagles draft, another Eagles training camp, another Eagles season. The fact so many here wanted him back meant much to Reid.

But there is a more crucial endorsement that keeps him pressing on in the NFL.

"One thing both Garrett and Britt have been adamant about is telling me to keep coaching," Reid said softly, squinting under the brimming sunshine. "They said, 'Dad, keep doing it. Keep doing it your way. Don’t let things slide because of us.' That gave me a nice kick."

So, he will coach. He will persevere. He will fight. He will pursue that next championship, that next ring that each NFL coach craves.

But for how long?

"When that day comes," said Reid, "when it is time, I will acknowledge it and make that change. I’m fortunate that I get a say in when it is coming. I’m fortunate I get a say in when I decide I’m leaving."

He will take it a play at a time. A game at a time. A season.

He continues to build the Eagles. And bolster his family.

He knows that many people believe he cannot and should not serve both. Not now. Not with healing ongoing. He knows that people are watching him as a father, as a man, as much as they are watching him as a coach. He senses the incessant probing eyes on him.

"We’re all as coaches teachers, whether it is our kids or players," said Reid, who turned 50 on March 19. "I keep in perspective what I am trying to do with both. You get to the point in this kind of situation where you just don’t care about the outside opinions. You get to the point where you have to do the right thing, what your heart tells you to do. It is probably one of the most pure feelings you can have. Everybody has their own problems to deal with regardless of profession. I am no different from anyone –- we all deal with it as best we can."

Reid’s private, family road has been taxing. He and his wife, Tammy, have five children. Garrett, 24, and Britt, 22, were each sentenced last Nov. 1 for up to 23 months in prison on drug and gun-related charges. The court proceedings revealed both had long-term drug-related dependencies.

"Britt has been out for seven weeks," Reid said. "He is working. He is taking classes. It is a day-by-day process. It’s going well. Garrett is still in. We don’t know when he will be released. I have made sure our focus is on each kid in an even way. Each one is different, special. I took that six weeks off last year to spend very important time with them. I was able to go through the rehab process with them. I learned some things. I learned I wasn’t an expert on it.

"We put everything in our communication out on the table. You do that in low points in your life. And when you do that, the door to the heart opens up. When you talk like that, obviously, there are things you learn you did not know. There are a few 'wows' that go on. When you open your heart like that, you get a few 'wows' from them; it’s a two-way street there. Your eyes open. You grow together."

Montgomery County judge Stephen T. O’Neil in a Norristown, Pa., courthouse scolded the Reids as parents during the sentencing. He called their home a "drug emporium" referring to several prescription drugs found in it. He labeled them "a family in crisis."

Reid felt the sting.

"I always thought the judge’s heart was in the right place," Reid said. "I’m not saying I liked what he said and that it didn't hurt that day in court. Had I wished he not said it? Yeah. But it happened. The people closest to us know that is not true. He had a lot of pressure on him. I knew that. I deal with that kind of pressure every day as a coach. It brought even more media attention to it. We’ve worked through it.

"People have stepped to the plate for us in unbelievable ways. The support I heard was from Tom Lasorda to Bill Cosby to my neighbors and beyond. I tried to write back hand-written letters to so many for their support. All of their expressions, their feelings. There were so many, I couldn’t do them all. And Jeffrey (Lurie) was the best. I don’t think I could have done it, survived it, without him."

Lurie, the Eagles owner, hired Reid in 1999. It was a clear-cut choice, Lurie said. Reid was big enough, strong enough, said Lurie, to not be swayed by the intense opinions and critics of "the big-city market and passions" of Philadelphia fans.

Lurie’s affection for his coach is deep.

"He has had a family issue that any one of us could have," Lurie said. "I tried to be the best possible support system for him without being invasive. I root for him. I cannot tell you how much respect I have for him as a family man and as a person. And I would feel that way if I met him and got to know him and he was a truck driver in Nebraska. This is a very hard-working football and family man who is dedicated. He still has a voracious desire to win and succeed in both. The way I see it, we are ready for another run."

Reid led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC Championship Games from 2001 through 2004, has won five division titles and reached Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005 that resulted in a 24-21 loss to New England. He is 96-62 overall as Eagles coach. Of the 73 first-time head coaches hired since 1990, he is one of only six coaches to remain with their original team for eight or more years. Among active coaches, his .608 winning percentage ranks only behind Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy (.637) and New England coach Bill Belichick (.627).

The Eagles have been active this offseason, their chief acquisition being free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel from New England. Quarterback Donovan McNabb seeks a healthy return from an injury-marred, 8-8 Eagles output last season.

Reid bristles and his glare is zealous when he talks about the toll of losing and his hunger for winning. He recognizes that Philadelphia is a "real" city with "real" fans who expect him to balance his family with his job and make the Eagles champions.

"Every year is a new year, a different thing in our game and you can’t rest on things you’ve done in the past," Reid said. "I fight against that. It gets you in trouble.

"I’ve tried to be myself. I’ve tried to be real about everything. I am not trying to hide."

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Head Games A Serious Deal

The information on the screen in the Bedford High School auditorium was as jarring to Alex Starr as the hits he had taken on the football field months earlier.

Starr, a sophomore at Bedford High, was in the audience earlier this week listening to a presentation about sports head injuries. The featured speaker was Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard University football player and World Wrestling Entertainment performer who has suffered at least six concussions. He eventually retired from wrestling because of the lasting effects of his head injuries.

Nowinksi is the author of the book Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis. He's also the president of the Sports Legacy Institute, which studies the effects of concussions and other sports-related brain injuries.

And on this night in Bedford, Nowinski wanted to impart a lesson to the athletes in the audience: Concussions can be a serious issue, and if they aren't properly treated with rest, they can lead to long-term problems such as headaches, memory loss and depression. In severe cases, he said, citing studies done by doctors, multiple

concussions have been linked to death.

But, he reminded the crowd repeatedly, with enough rest and medical guidance, athletes can get back on the playing fields after a head injury without fearing further risk to their health. Athletes, however, have to know the symptoms and be honest enough to report them to coaches, trainers or parents.

"Take ownership of your health," Nowinski said.

The message was an eye-opener for Starr. This past fall, he suffered three concussions while playing running back for Bedford's varsity team. As someone who has had multiple concussions, he was familiar with the term "second-impact syndrome." Yet he didn't know the extent of its dangers.

"Before this," he said, "I never knew that anybody could be killed from second-impact syndrome."

Devastating consequences

After Nowinski was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire from WWE at age 24 in 2003, he began researching head injuries. He found research linking multiple concussions with serious long-term neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, memory impairment and depression.

In 2006, his book Head Games was published. In 2007, he helped found the Sports Legacy Institute along with Dr. Robert Cantu, the chief of neurosurgery service and director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass.

Early last year, Nowinski heard about the suicide of former Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals safety Andre Waters. Suspecting that Waters's history of concussions may have been linked to depression, Nowinski asked Waters's family for a sample of his brain tissue.

Bennet Omalu, a Pittsburgh neuropathologist, analyzed the tissue and found that it resembled that of an 85-year-old man and showed early indications of Alzheimer's. Omalu has also analyzed the brain tissue of three deceased former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen who all suffered from head injuries - Mike Webster, Terry Long and Justin Strzelczyk. Webster died of a heart attack amid significant psychological problems in 2002, Strzelczyk died following a high-speed chase with the police after suffering from an apparent mental breakdown in 2004, and Long committed suicide in 2005.

Omalu found that all four of those ex-NFL players had a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He says each of their deaths followed a similar pattern: concussions, which led to brain damage, which led to depression.

The Sports Legacy Institute also played a role in the examination of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and child before committing suicide last June. His brain also showed extensive signs of CTE.

During his presentation in Bedford this week, Nowinski talked about those deaths and the medical findings linking them to head injuries. And he also provided information that hit closer to home - to the high school athletes, parents and coaches in the audience. According to a 2007 New York Times article, since 1997, at least 50 high school-aged or younger football players have been killed or have suffered serious head injuries on the field.

Dr. John Pettinato of Concord Hospital Neurology Associates said those statistics shouldn't frighten athletes and their parents, but they should make them take notice of the dangers of concussions.

"You have to take those kind of statistics with a little bit of caution because you don't know exactly what caused the death," he said. "However, I still think there's probably a lot more head injuries in high school (kids) and younger (kids) that we are probably not paying attention to.

"I don't think it's alarmist," Pettinato continued, "but we should pay attention. We should pay attention when kids get knocked around. When they lose consciousness it's straight-forward, but when they get dazed, we're a little more lax. I don't think we should be alarmed about it, but we should be vigilant."

Changing times

When Starr suffered his first concussion last year in the season opener, he ended up in the hospital that night and eventually sat out four weeks before he was cleared for contact. He was hurt again in his first practice back and missed an additional few weeks. He finally got back into a game in the season finale, and promptly suffered another concussion.

Throughout the season, his condition was carefully monitored by the Bedford medical staff, according to Bedford Athletic Administrator Thor Nilsen.

"Trying to keep him contained was sometimes difficult," Nilsen said. "He was one of those kids, he didn't want to displease the coach, didn't want to lose his position. He wanted to (play). But the medical staff was totally on board with all of this."

Starr acknowledged that he felt peer pressure to get back because the team was struggling.

"Some of my friends' parents (said), 'Alex you gotta get back. Come on, we need you,' " he said.

Yet Starr sat until he was cleared by the trainers.

Indeed, the culture surrounding head injuries appears to be changing.

"It's too early for any great statistics on how things have changed," Nowinski said. "I know more athletes are coming forward and ... the media isn't letting anyone get away with anything anymore. In the old days a coach would say, 'don't worry, he'll be back on the field tomorrow.' "

Concord High Coach Bob Camirand, who has been on the Tide sideline for 22 seasons, the last 14 as head coach, acknowledges how much the culture of injuries has changed through the years.

"Any time a kid came out of a game 35, 40 years ago, it was a sign of weakness," he said. "Fortunately we've become more in tune with the athletes. At Concord we don't put a kid back on the field back until he's been cleared by a trainer."

Bow High trainer Cliff Chaluda, however, says that trainers are still learning when it's safe to put a player back in after a concussion.

"There's still misinformation, sometimes even as high as a doctor, about when it's okay to go back in," said Chaluda, who has been at Bow for nine years. "My standard is if they show symptoms, we're not going to return them to play that day. If they show any dizziness, any difficulty remembering, any headache, we pull them from the remainder of the game."

Afterward, the trainer will follow up with the parents to check on the athlete's condition, and then, depending on the severity of the symptoms, they would require a physician's note to return to regular participation.

Camirand said a Concord player who suffers a concussion misses at least one game, then needs medical clearance to return.

But trainers can only help so much. According to the National Athletic Trainers Association, only 42 percent of high schools in the United States have access to a certified athletic trainer. And, as Nowinski says, head injuries can be an invisible injury known only to the affected athlete.

"That's why you have to work so much with coaches and athletes to take ownership," Nowinksi said. "You are the one who has to deal with it. It's your brain, it's your pain."

Nowinski, who suffered his first two concussions while playing for Harvard in the late 1990s, said players need to speak up, to not be afraid of losing playing time, of disappointing coaches.

"Ten years ago, if you don't suck it up, you don't deserve to be on the field," he said. "Players bought into that, as well. We wouldn't tell anybody when our heads hurt. If you were an offensive linemen, other offensive linemen would point at who to block, instead of telling (you) to get off the field."

Starr, who will play lacrosse this spring and plans to play football in the fall, said he won't fall into that macho trap.

He said he wouldn't hesitate to confront a teammate if he suspects there's been a head injury.

"Definitely," he said. "Because they could die with that second impact if they want to keep playing, if they want to be the hero. Obviously I don't want my friends, my teammates to get hurt."

(Jeff Novotny can be reached at jnovotny@cmonitor.com.)

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