One of the greatest players in Philadelphia Eagles history is set to retire. Former safety Brian Dawkins, one of the most popular athletes the city has ever seen, will hang it up after 16 NFL seasons. He spent the first 13 of those seasons with the Eagles. As a fan, I have fond memories of Dawkins and he will always remain one of my favorite players. The team has given Dawkins the opportunity to officially retire as a member of the Eagles. I hope he takes it but it doesn’t really matter. His legacy will always be secure in this town.

Dawkins had a dynamic career with the Eagles. He played in seven Pro Bowls with the team and blossomed into the best safety in the NFL. He was a part of five Philadelphia teams that reached the NFC Championship Game and he helped bridge the gap between the old guard and the Andy Reid era. His five All Pro selections with the Eagles are proof that he dominated the position. But the player was much more than that. He was a team leader and an icon in this town.

Dawkins represented the kind of player that Philadelphians love. He played with a gritty and tough style that we expect to see from all of our athletes. He also played the game clean and never got into trouble off the field. Dawkins had the charisma that a true leader needs. The Eagles never had a player like him before and haven’t had one since. That is the biggest reason why the fans loved him so much. When the Eagles parted ways with him after the 2008 season, the anger at the team was loud. You still hear people talk about how poor of a decision that was.

The Eagles are planning to retire the number 20 in Dawkins’ honor. In about five years he should get the call to join Canton. I can’t wait for that speech. I can’t wait for him to return to Philadelphia to be honored sometime soon. You might have a hard time finding a Philadelphia sports fan that doesn’t place Dawkins among their top five favorite athletes in city history. That really says a lot about him as a player and a person. I wish he could have continued to play here for a few more years but I will always appreciate the 13 years we had with him.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

Are the Philadelphia Eagles really thinking about changing the way they evaluate players in the NFL Draft? According to general manager Howie Roseman, that is a definite possibility. After seemingly acknowledging that mistakes have been made in past drafts, Roseman spoke about how the team is reconsidering the way it thinks. This includes how the team evaluates character as well as the way it uses the combine to assess picks. As an Eagles fan, a change in mentality could be just what the Eagles need.

The Eagles would be wise to think about how they measure character. The biggest reason for this is that character is too difficult to measure. Just because a player has had an issue in college doesn’t mean that it will carry over to the NFL. College players are going to make mistakes off the field from time to time. Not every mistake means that they will become a bad guy. The Eagles have passed on plenty of great players in the past for what they perceived as character issues. For the most part, those players have had solid NFL careers that were mostly free of issues. In recent years, the Eagles have loosened up their character evaluation when it comes to free agency. It makes even more sense to do so when it comes to the draft.

When it comes to the combine, there isn’t an Eagles fan out there that wouldn’t mind some changes to the way the team uses it. We all remember Mike Mamula. He catapulted up the draft board for the Eagles based entirely on his effort at the scouting combine. Mamula was an okay player but he never lived up to the hype. The combine might have some value but I would rather see the Eagles look at the college career of a player more than things like that.

For years, the Eagles have said they will always take the best available player. That has done them wonders in the later rounds but has mostly been a letdown in the first round. They will still take the best available player but maybe they will use a different thought process in order to determine that. We should get a pretty good idea if the mentality really changed as soon as the Eagles make their first selection Thursday, April 26. I hope those changes are more than just talk.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

With the NFL Draft set to begin on April 26, talk about the Philadelphia Eagles moving from the number 15 pick is all over the place. Various sources have hinted that they might move all the way up to number four. Others are suggesting that they might trade down and stockpile more picks. As a fan, I think the Eagles are better off staying right where they are. There is little to gain and a lot to risk by moving from their current position. Here a few reasons why the Eagles should stay put in the NFL Draft.

There is a lot of defensive talent

This draft is heavy on defensive players, particularly on the line. Most expect the Eagles to select a defensive player with their first pick and that is the right choice. Fortunately for them they don’t have to trade up in order to get a quality player. Defensive linemen like Quinton Coples and Jerel Worthy should be there at number 15. On the same note, those players might not be there at the end of the first round. The Eagles would be better off taking the best available defensive player at number 15 than they would be trading down for a lesser player.

They have plenty of draft picks

Why do the Eagles need to stockpile more picks? The Eagles already have two second round picks and three sixth round picks. I would much rather see the team use those picks and limit the amount of rookies they have to develop in 2012. The extra pick in the second round should guarantee the team three players that can be regular contributors in 2012. That should be sufficient given what the team already has.

The team is close

The Eagles have made some great moves in the offseason and should be a contending team in 2012. Picking the right guy at number 15 could be the move that puts them over the edge. If the Eagles do trade down, they are running the risk of losing out a player that can make a big difference. If they trade up, they will likely have to give up one of those second round picks and have the same issue. There is no reason they shouldn’t get a quality player at number 15.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

Philadelphia Eagles fans will finally get to see what the schedule looks like for the 2012 season. The NFL will reveal the regular season schedule on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. EST. This is always an exciting day for NFL fans because it makes the new season feel a little closer. While we know the opponents for the Eagles, we don’t know when those games will take place. Here are some questions about the 2012 schedule that I can’t wait to have answered.

Who will be the first opponent?

The season opener is always a huge event. I can’t wait to see who the opponent will be in the first week of the season. Since 2007, the Eagles have opened the season against the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers twice each. That won’t happen since neither team will face the Eagles this season. Since we know the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are playing each other in Week 1, there is little chance that the team will face a division opponent in the season opener. They opened the 2009 season against the Carolina Panthers and could do the same in 2012. That would create a pretty bizarre pattern for season openers.

When will the division games take place?

I am really hoping to see the Eagles visit the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Beyond that, all we know is that they will face a division opponent in Week 17. It’s anyone’s guess as to where the other games will fall. I want to see who the first division opponents is and I want to see which teams they play on the road before playing at home. I would love to see the Cowboys or Giants visit Lincoln Financial Field in December.

When will the bye week take place?

I am a big fan of having the bye week fall between Week 7 and Week 9. Of course, that might not happen this season. The bye week can play a major role in the fortunes of a team. I hope that it comes at a time that allows the Eagles to be strategic about it. Of course, I also want to see who the Eagles play immediately following the bye week. Andy Reid has never lost a game following a bye. Will the NFL schedulers try and test that by giving them one of their tougher games? I wouldn’t be surprised to see that.

What are the prime time games?

We can assume that at least one game against the Giants or Cowboys will appear in prime time. Despite an 8-8 finish, the Eagles are probably going to get at least three prime time slots for the season. Two of those would probably be divisional games. The Eagles also face playoff teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Atlanta Falcons. I can see the Ravens, Steelers, or Saints appearing as prime time opponents for the Eagles.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles agree to a five-year contract with free agent tackle, Demetrius Bell, according to a tweet from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bell met with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers this spring before deciding to sign with the Eagles.

The 27-year-old was a seventh round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2008 but didn’t officially debut for the team until 2009. He played and started in 24 games, having three solo tackles.

The Philadelphia Eagles agree to a five-year contract with free agent tackle, Demetrius Bell, according to a tweet from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bell met with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers this spring before deciding to sign with the Eagles.

The 27-year-old was a seventh round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2008 but didn’t officially debut for the team until 2009. He played and started in 24 games, having three solo tackles.

The Philadelphia Eagles have addressed a lot of areas during the offseason. Of course, there are still several needs. A lot of those will be taken care of in the draft but there are still some other things that the team can do in free agency. One interesting area is wide receiver. With DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant on the team the Eagles are pretty secure at the position. But there is still room to add another target for Michael Vick. One name we heard a lot about is Plaxico Burress. The buzz about the free agent has died down, but does that mean that the Eagles have given up on him? Personally, I am still not a fan of the team signing Burress.

I like the idea of adding a big receiver that Vick can use in the end zone. However, I think Burress has too much baggage. Even if he behaves himself, he will still be a distraction. That is something this team doesn’t need. There is no reason to add another ego to the locker room. As with any free agent, the Eagles need to weigh the risks of signing Burress against the reward. Is there really so much he can do to make the headache worthwhile? He didn’t show me a lot during his season with the New York Jets. I don’t think it is worth it to bring him here.

There are other available free agents that could give the Eagles a tall receiving threat. Names like Michael Clayton and Bryant Johnson would give the Eagles a decent receiver with good size. They aren’t as tall as Burress but they are tall enough to make an impact. Best of all, they would be content with a role as the third or fourth receiver. These are players that wouldn’t cause a distraction. As we all learned in 2011, this team doesn’t need any more distractions.

The Eagles haven’t mentioned anything about Burress. I’ll take that as a sign that they simply aren’t that interested in him. Burress is just another big name that grabs headlines. He isn’t a guy that will take this team to the next level. The Eagles would be wise to ignore the rumors and let Burress land with another team. There are better options out there.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

Now that NFL free agency is nearly two weeks old, it is a good time to measure how a team is doing. Is it possible for a team to be given a top grade even though they haven’t really signed any free agents from another team? The Philadelphia Eagles are proving that you can do just. As an Eagles fan, I would say that the team has been successful so far even though they haven’t inked a deal with a free agent that wasn’t already an Eagles player. Here are a few reasons why the team has been successful.

They fixed the biggest needs

Heading into the offseason, the Eagles had several needs that they had to address. The biggest ones involved the linebacker position and the future of wide receiver DeSean Jackson. The Eagles solved both. They re-signed Jackson to a long term deal and avoided something that could have been a distraction all season. Then, the team traded for middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. This was a deal that came out of nowhere. The trade for Ryans was better than any free agent or draft pick the Eagles could have gotten. Any time a team takes care of their own needs, they deserve some credit. The biggest need now might be at backup quarterback. The Eagles signed Trent Edwards before free agency began but I am not convinced he is a suitable backup just yet. Still, he is an upgrade from Vince Young.

They secured their own players

In addition to re-signing Jackson, several other key players were given long term deals. Trent Cole, Todd Herremans, and Evan Mathis all signed extensions with the team. These moves help secure both lines as the Eagles try to win that elusive Super Bowl. All three players have several good years left and the Eagles were wise to keep them in the fold for the long haul. Again, taking care of your own is a good way to avoid issues down the line.

They have flexibility in the draft

By solving the major issues, the Eagles have more room to do different things in the draft. The overwhelming need to draft a linebacker in the first round is no longer there. Instead, the Eagles can focus on other defensive areas and get guys that can help them for years to come. They could also swing a trade or two and put themselves in a better position. The point is that the team has options. At the end of the season, everyone assumed that the Eagles would select a linebacker first. Now they can address needs on the defensive line and in the secondary.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.