For weeks we have heard of a mystery team interested in Peyton Manning and now on the day of his release Philadelphia Eagles fans are hearing rumblings that it may be the Eagles. No way will Peyton Manning play in the NFC East against his brother Eli, many NFL experts are saying. No way will Peyton play in the NFC at all, say many others.

Since suffering a career-threatening neck injury in 2010, Peyton Manning has remained on the sidelines of a sport he dominated for 13 years
Wikimedia Commons

Peyton has three, possibly four years left to play in the NFL and he wants to win at least one more Super Bowl to equal his little brother’s accomplishment. Peyton’s best fit may be in the same division as brother Eli’s New York Giants. The teams with a glaring need for a legendary quarterback under center are in the NFC East.

If the Eagles put together the best offer, Peyton will wear Eagles green and he will play Eli twice a year in the regular season. The Eagles are the perfect fit for the former Indianapolis Colts legend. The Eagles have a top three running back in LeSean McCoy and they have an outstanding receiving corps headed by Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson.

The Eagles also have an offensive-minded head coach in Andy Reid that will work well with Peyton’s offensive inventiveness. The combination of Reid, McCoy and the talented receivers on the Eagles provides a perfect fit for Manning but there is one problem: What about Michael Vick?

The Eagles are not committed to Vick long-term despite a six-year deal and this makes a Peyton Manning arrival in Philadelphia possible. An injury-prone Vick could work in tandem with Manning but will Vick’s ego get in the way and destroy the Eagles if Manning does sign?

The Eagles are the perfect fit for Manning and despite the potential issues, Philadelphia should campaign for the elder Manning’s services starting right now. If Manning wears the No. 18 for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 they are an instant favorite to win the Super Bowl. It is time for the Eagles front office to force the issue and pursue Peyton Manning—now!

*Todd Jacobs lives in Las Vegas but has been a Philadelphia Eagles fan since the ’70s. Members of Todd’s family were devout Eagles fans and he had little choice but to follow the Eagles from an early age.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Philadelphia Eagles stats and news

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The Philadelphia Eagles have enough of an uphill battle in the NFC next year. But now Eagles fans like myself, although with every other NFC and NFL fan base, will now be glued to the official start of the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. Although Philadelphia is too tied up in Michael Vick to make a run at Manning, it has to be weary of another NFC team making a run at him.

With Manning set to officially be released by the Indianapolis Colts on Mar. 7, a select few teams can officially start making offers for him. Since the possibility of his release came up, a few of those prospective contenders have been from the NFC. If one of them lands Manning, then the rest of the conference – including the Eagles – has one more big obstacle on the road to the Super Bowl.

The worst case scenario for the Eagles is that the Washington Redskins win the Manning lottery. In that case, both Peyton and defending Super Bowl champion Eli would face Philadelphia twice a season – and the lowly Redskins would be relevant again. Still, the Redskins might be a bit distracted now by the Gregg Williams scandal, since one of his bounty programs was allegedly in Washington.

If this makes D.C. less attractive to Manning – to say nothing of facing Eli twice a year – then he may join the NFC on another coast. The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers have been tossed around as good fits, given that the Cardinals have been let down by former Eagles Kevin Kolb and the 49ers were a step away from the Super Bowl last year. If Manning joins Arizona, the Cardinals could be Super Bowl contenders again – while the 49ers would be instant Super Bowl favorites if he comes to San Francisco.

Any of those scenarios would make the NFC pecking order even more crowded – and it is already crowded enough for the Eagles to deal with. The best outcome is for Manning to stay in the AFC, where the NFC doesn’t have to worry about him save for the odd inter-conference game and Super Bowl.

Luckily, the Miami Dolphins also seem to be a top contender, while many are drooling over Manning joining the New York Jets as well. Yahoo Sports’ Michael Silver is also listing the Houston Texans as his best possible fit – although then he would face the Colts twice a year. Perhaps that would motivate him to go there, but if he wants to be a bit further away, then the NFC is more of an option.

The entire NFL may be shifted by Manning’s upcoming choice, to say nothing of the NFC. Of course, that all depends on whether Manning is actually his old self when he retakes the field. But if he is, whoever gets him might have the fast track to Super Bowl contention, at the least – and make other contenders like the Eagles feel even more cramped in the pecking order.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have struggled with what to do with DeSean Jackson for months. Eagles fans like myself have gone through the same rollercoaster, going back and forth between wanting him signed and wanting him gone. But Philadelphia has delayed its final decision time and again – and predictably extended the process with a long awaited franchise tag.

On Mar. 1, the Eagles finally made it official and tagged Jackson for the 2012 season. We had wondered if they would instead decide to finally give him a long-term deal, or even tag him and then trade him. But given how things have gone, tagging him and extending this debate for one more year was the inevitable choice.

Now that Jackson has the franchise tag, Philadelphia could still trade him if something else derails the process. But giving how Andy Reid, Juan Castillo and Michael Vick have gotten one more chance to make up for a terrible 2011 season, trading Jackson before he can redeem himself would look puzzling. Of course, a lot of this saga has been pretty puzzling since last August.

First the Eagles looked foolish for not signing Jackson while they were locking up every free agent in range. Then Philadelphia looked better when Jackson acted up, struggled and appeared every bit unworthy of a major deal. Now the Eagles are right back where they started, uncertain of what to do with their star receiver and unsure if he really is an A-list star.

The same arguments for a big contract are there, given his explosive touchdown catches and how he is the central target of the Eagles’ offense. But the same arguments against his deal remain, given his attitude, his slightly lacking overall numbers and the question of whether he is truly elite. But barring a trade, Jackson only has one chance left to answer everything once and for all.

Considering how aggravating the Jackson issue was last season, extending it for one more season – especially the make-or-break 2012 campaign – doesn’t sound promising. If the Eagles were as decisive on Jackson as they were on sticking by Reid, then we would have him locked up and fully satisfied, or have suitable replacements ready to plug in by now.

Putting off the final decision on Jackson cost the Eagles big last season – although it was only one of many things that went wrong in 2011. But Philadelphia can’t afford to have 2012 even partly disrupted by this issue. Of all the risks the Eagles run going into next year, Jackson could be the tipping point one way or the other – and decide the long term future of his career and this franchise as a result. The hope is that Philadelphia took this into account before procrastinating on this problem one last time.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

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Jackson latest Eagle to get one more chance

Kolb to get dumped for another A-list QB again?

Peyton Manning should be weary over going to Redskins

Williams, McNabb fade away at same time

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Plaxico Burress is a free agent this year. In an interview with 97.5 The Fanatic, he stated that nothing else would make him happy than to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Burress has a strong friendship with Philadelphia’s quarterback, Michael Vick. Rumor has it that the New York Jets do not plan on re-signing him.

Plaxico and the Jets

The Jets signed Plaxico Burress to a 1-year contract in 2011 after he had missed almost 3 years of football. His absence was due to a weapons charge. During the 2011 season, Burress was a huge threat in the red zone.

Should New York let Plax go?

Plaxico Burress offers the Jets something that they do not have in any other wideout—a tall guy who can out-jump any corner in the NFL. In a one-on-one situation, Plaxico will come up with the ball. Double-teaming Burress in the red zone means leaving other receivers open.

The New York Jets do not have anyone else that can replace the threat Plaxico Burress offers inside the 20-yard line. It would be in the Jet’s best interest to keep Burress on the roster.

Plax as an Eagle

Plaxico clearly stated that he wants to play for Philly. He believes that Michael Vick and the Eagles stand a good chance of going to the Super Bowl if he is on the roster. Burress feels that he would make a good addition to the talent that Philadelphia already has.

About Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress made his NFL comeback during the 2011 season with the New York Jets. He had a total of 45 receptions for 612 yards, averaging 13.6 yards per carry. He had eight touchdown receptions making him one of the top scorers for New York.

It would be a mistake for the New York Jets to let Plaxico Burress go to another team. He displayed continual improvement over the course of the 2011 season. If Burress does not stay with the Jets or move to Philly—the Jets run the risk of him going to an AFC rival like the New England Patriots or the Miami Dolphins.

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Lynda Altman grew up just outside of New York City. She has been a Jets fan all of her life. You can contact her @LdyJetsFan on Twitter.

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Philly.com is reporting that the Philadelphia Eagles have met with the electrifying QB, Robert Griffin III on Thursday night.

The team who just signed Trent Edwards and has Michael Vick as their starter met with the 22-year-old after he met with reporters.

‘Why would the Eagles meet with a quarterback when it’s clear they need a linebacker’ may be the first thing that crosses your mind. Or maybe you’re on board and want them to make a move on RGIII.

Either way, the actual move would be a long shot.

Philly.com says, “It’s a surprise, but I wouldn’t read too much into it for the Eagles. Likely they are doing their due diligence so they can be prepared just in case there is some unlikely turn of events that puts Griffin within reach.”

From my perspective, it’s not going to happen. I know, I’m reaching.

The Birds do have three picks in the first two rounds so it would be possible for them to attempt to move up, but to me the move would be silly. As much as I’d like to see a player like RGIII on Philly, it’s too risky of a move and it wouldn’t solve their defensive problems. Not to mention the various coaching issues at stake here, the coaching staff doesn’t have the time to put stock into developing a new QB. They’ve got Michael Vick locked up for a while, and like Philly.com is saying, it’s probably just them being prepared for whatever.

But it wouldn’t be the only time this organization has thrown us a curveball.

Nonetheless, I think the Eagles priority should be addressing the O-Line and the Linebacker position.

When asked, Eagles GM Howie Roseman said that he wasn’t avoiding the linebacker position, he said he was simply going with the opportunity available at any given time.

Roseman said earlier this week about the Eagles not drafting a linebacker in the first round for over 30 years, “We want our draft picks to be our best players. We want to be a homegrown team, but the name of the game is getting talent on our team and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” Roseman said. “If it doesn’t work out with (2010 third-round pick Daniel Te’o-Nesheim ), but it works out with (former CFL player) Phillip Hunt … we’ve got to make sure that position is filled.”

So while the obvious tells us that the Eagles need an o-lineman and linebacker, and it’s also obvious to assume it might not make sense for them to draft a premier quarterback with a premier quarterback on hand—anything is possible.

Roseman also said, “We’re open to very good players at every position. We’re not averse to taking any position in the first round if that guy is the best player and we think he’s going to come in and make a considerable difference over time,”

Yep. So, there goes that. Make what you want of it.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

You can email Vincent: vheckphilly@yahoo.com

Follow Yahoo! Local’s Yahoo! Philly on Twitter: @YahooPhilly

View Vincent Heck’s article archive.

Source: Philly.com, Eagles.com

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The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round in over 30 years. That’s when they drafted Jerry Robinson in 1979. It’s definitely something they’re looking into changing in 2012 as it’s a position that some presume stunted the otherwise flawless personnel of the Bird’s defense.

If you were to ask Eagles’ general manager Howie Roseman, he’d tell you they’re not purposely avoiding the position. “I’ve never been part of a draft where we said this linebacker is great; we’re not going to take him.” Roseman said. “We’re open to very good players at every position. We’re not averse to taking any position in the first round if that guy is the best player and we think he’s going to come in and make a considerable difference over time,”

This season will be Roseman’s third draft. Like his young team, he is learning to get his footing in his position. He has taken note to what his new defensive coordinator’s style is, and has studied other GM’s picks and success rate.

“We want our draft picks to be our best players. We want to be a homegrown team, but the name of the game is getting talent on our team and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” Roseman said. “If it doesn’t work out with (2010 third-round pick Daniel Te’o-Nesheim), but it works out with (former CFL player)

Phillip Hunt… we’ve got to make sure that position is filled.”

Since that time, Eagles.com has released a list of defensive players that they may have their eyes on going into the NFL Combine.

Among prospects like Defensive End, Fletcher Cox and Defensive Tackle, Michael Brockers, Eagles.com writer Fran Duffy mentions a 6-foot-3, 240 pound linebacker by the name of Bruce Irvin.

He quotes National Football Post writer Wes Bunting as saying: “Irvin has an electric first step, can threaten the edge and accelerate around the corner.” Which is good for rushing the QB, (which is what he’s known for) but what about his pass coverage?

Another thing that Duffy questions about Irvin is his part-time role at West Virginia. “Was that because of their scheme or because of his ability?” Duffy asks.

When it comes to Irvin, those are the things Philadelphia will look for in Indianapolis.

The National Football Post says of Irvin, “He’s a ‘plus’ athlete with an explosive element to his game and after showing off his athleticism during workouts in Indianapolis, Irvin is a guy whom I expect to have a lot of buzz going for him post-combine.”

So, with Bruce Irvin, like the others, only time will tell.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

You can email Vincent: vheckphilly@yahoo.com

Follow Yahoo! Local’s Yahoo! Philly on Twitter: @YahooPhilly

View Vincent Heck’s article archive.

Source: National Football Post, Eagles.com

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The Philadelphia Eagles began the 2011 NFL season as the clear-cut favorite to win the NFC East. The season ended with the Eagles packing their bags and heading home after the regular season ended. What went wrong? Murphy’s Law was alive and well in Philadelphia but much of the carnage was avoidable.

Michael Vick needs to bring his “A’ Game the rest of the season.
Photo by: SRA Moses Ross Wikimedia Commons

Is it easier to fire the big man Andy Reid or is it easier to gut this team and rebuild from scratch? There will be serious carryover issues in 2012 and the problems must get addressed now to prepare for next year. Not all is bad with the Eagles and the team has positives to build on.

Bad Chemistry

The Eagles assembled one of the most talented teams in the NFL but they forgot about one important aspect of building a team: Chemistry. Adding Nnamdi Asomugha was a huge coup for Andy Reid and the Eagles front office but it also led to some serious chemistry issues in the secondary, starting with Assante Samuel questioning the move in training camp.

Eagles in Trouble at Quartback Position for Years?

One Eagles front office move that will handcuff the team for years was the signing of Michael Vick to a long-term contract. Vick is going to get injured every season and every time he goes down the Eagles and their fans will suffer. Until the Eagles rid themselves of Vick and get a legitimate quarterback they will never seriously contend in the NFC East.

Then the Eagles added a competent backup in Vince Young but they forgot this is the same guy who led to Jeff Fisher calling it quits after a long tenure with the Titans. Young’s antics in Tennessee led to more than a few gray hairs for Fisher, who took 2011 off to recuperate.

Vince Young compounded the Eagles front office woes by declaring the Philadelphia Eagles a “Dream Team.” The name became a derogatory term later in the season when the team went on a losing streak and eliminated themselves from serious contention to make the NFL Playoffs.

Jason Babin and LeSean McCoy Positives Going Forward

The Eagles did have some bright spots in 2011. LeSean McCoy showed the NFL he is worthy of consideration as a top five NFL back and when Andy Reid allowed him to take over games he did in a big way. McCoy’s running style and never quit attitude led to several key wins for the Eagles but he did break down at the end of the season.

Jason Babin gave the Eagles defense one positive through a dismal first half of the season. Babin gave the Eagles a legitimate pass rush and led to the improvements on defense in the second half. Babin finished the season strong, scoring eight sacks in his last four games and gave Eagles fans something to look forward to in 2012.

DeSean Jackson Must Go

McCoy’s impressive season became overshadowed by the baffling antics of DeSean Jackson. Jackson left the Eagles with no choice but to let him walk once the free agency period begins. The Eagles blew their chance to trade Jackson but there are options they can look into.

The Eagles can franchise tag Jackson and then trade him after he signs. This will be a tough move to pull off since Jackson’s brash attitude will clash with most quarterbacks and receivers in the NFL. The Eagles have already blown any chance to get value for Jackson and their best bet is to move up the NFL Draft board and snag Justin Blackmon of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Blackmon is Terrell Owens and Randy Moss rolled into one without being a head case.

*Todd Jacobs lives in Las Vegas but has been a Philadelphia Eagles fan since the ’70s. Members of Todd’s family were devout Eagles fans and he had little choice but to follow the Eagles from an early age.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Philadelphia Eagles news and stats.

Reading Eagle: Jackson facing uncertain future in Philly

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As soon as Vince Young said the term, “dream team,” fans of the Philadelphia Eagles must have been scared. While the team was the most active during the offseason in bringing in stars, comments from the least talented of the new acquisitions were sure to cause problems. The Eagles struggled to an 8-8 record and while some players had monstrous fantasy seasons, others faltered. Who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Eagles’ 2011 fantasy MVP?

MVP – LeSean McCoy

There is no doubt in my mind that McCoy is the best running back in the NFL, especially so in fantasy football. This season, his yardage figures don’t compare to those of Ray Rice, but the instability at the quarterback position in Philadelphia can be blamed for that. He rushed for 1,309 yards on 273 carries and made 48 catches for 315 yards with 20 total touchdowns.

Biggest Surprise – Jason Babin

The eight-year pro is one of the offseason acquisitions for the Eagles, but he was probably the least hyped. When the Eagles signed him, it was his sixth team in six seasons, including a previous stint with the team. As a member of the Tennessee Titans a year ago, he made 13 sacks and was a force on the defensive line. What he did this season was grow from that success to become one of the best sack-artists in the NFL. He made 18 sacks to go with 40 total tackles, rewarding those fantasy GMs that selected him in IDP leagues.

Biggest Disappointment – Michael Vick

The former Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback began his second season as the Philadelphia starter and suffered through the same problems he has suffered from his entire career. He missed three games due to injury, adding further proof that his body type isn’t one for taking hits. He did set a new career high in passing yards with 3,303, but struggled in all other facets. A year ago, he turned the ball over nine total times, while this season, he threw 14 interceptions and lost four fumbles. It is hard to keep your team in the game when you keep giving the ball away.

Another disappointing stat for Vick were his rushing scores. A year ago, he set a career-high with nine and followed that up this season with just one. Vick can still be a fantasy star, but he won’t be a first round selection in 2012 like he was this season.

For a closer look at All-Injury teams for all major fantasy positions and biggest stars and busts from each NFL team, click here.

More from this contributor:

LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011

Backup Running Backs to make Splash in 2011

Don’t Give up on These Players too Early

Drafting Individual Defensive Players?

Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies

Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

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The Philadelphia Eagles had to watch the very last game of the NFL regular season with a wistful eye. As Eagles fans like myself know, the unofficial NFC East title game pitting the Dallas Cowboys vs the New York Giants on Jan. 1 didn’t have to be possible. With one or two more Philadelphia wins, Dallas and New York would have been eliminated well before the finale, perhaps as they deserved to be.

Instead, these two 8-7 clubs fought for the NFC East crown while the hottest team in the division began their vacation hours earlier. But if any of these two teams could remotely come close to deserving the NFC East in the Eagles’ place, it was pretty clear that it was the Giants in their 31-14 win.

Dallas’s mental toughness and ability to win late has even been brought into question by the likes of Emmitt Smith. Meanwhile, New York always seems to find an extra spark of life whenever Tom Coughlin is in danger of getting fired. Therefore, it made more sense that the Giants were the only team to show a pulse in the first half as they jumped to a 21-0 lead.

New York was the squad leaping over the opposition, getting big passing plays and even using a power running game like in the old days, while Dallas was utterly limp and was wilting in the spotlight. However, this wouldn’t be an NFC East title game if both games didn’t look overwhelmed and ready to collapse at some point.

The Giants looked ready to fall apart again when the lead shrunk to 21-14 and the Cowboys looked poised to get a chance to tie it up. But on a third-down play in the middle of the fourth, Eli Manning all but sowed up the division title with a 44-yard bomb to his new favorite target, Victor Cruz. It didn’t go for a touchdown, yet it kept Dallas from getting the ball back, gave New York momentum for good, and led to a field goal that put the Cowboys right back against the wall.

The Giants’ victory was reflective of their season as a whole, just like the Eagles’ last victory over the Washington Redskins was reflective of theirs. The Eagles started pretty slow and then poured it on over the Redskins at the end, just as they started slow and poured it on at the end of 2011. Meanwhile, the Giants started hot with a 6-2 record and a 21-0 lead over the Cowboys, then almost blew the season and the game in the middle before rallying back at the very end.

Unlike the Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins, the Giants mastered the art of starting and finishing the year on a hot streak. The rest of the NFC East either got hot early and couldn’t keep up, or started terribly and got better when it was too late.

There were no really deserving champions in this division, yet considering the mess that Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington made of their seasons, New York proved to be the only one capable of cleaning up its messes. In any other year, that probably wouldn’t be enough for the Giants to survive – but thankfully for them, this wasn’t any other year.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Philadelphia Eagles brought the 2011 season to a merciful end on Jan. 1. In truth, there wasn’t much reason for Eagles fans like myself to pay attention, since the finale meant nothing to both Philadelphia and the Washington Redskins. But for those of us who did pay attention, the last game was quite reflective of the entire season – since the Birds looked better than they really were at the very end.

The final score reads that the Eagles throttled the Redskins by 34-10 in relatively easy fashion. But Philadelphia got 21 of those points in the fourth quarter and didn’t do enough to pull away in the first three – a formula that sounds sadly familiar.

The initial three quarters clearly had the Eagles as the better team, although they were only up by 13-7. Each team forfeited chances to do more, just like they did in the entire 2011 season as a whole. In fact, when the fourth quarter started the Redskins actually got within 13-10 – and it certainly would have been fitting if the Birds had one more blown lead left in them.

For a team that blew fourth quarter leads through the first three months of the season, it is bitterly ironic that Philadelphia learned to win more in the fourth quarter of the season. And it is bitterly ironic that the Eagles scored 21 points in their final 15 minutes of the year, when endings like that would have made much more of a difference months ago.

It also would have made a difference if Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson didn’t wait until now to connect on 62-yard touchdown passes, or if Brent Celek broke out before December. But none of that happened, leaving the Eagles to taunt us in December even worse than they did in September, October and November.

Of course, this finale did come against a Redskins team that went from 3-1 to 5-11, in a slide that began and ended with losses to the Eagles. The previous three wins for Philadelphia happened to come against a 6-10 Miami Dolphins club, and two 8-8 teams in the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys that shot themselves out of the playoffs. In addition, Philadelphia didn’t even bother to let LeSean McCoy suit up against Washington.

All told, there are various factors that make it hard to really take a lot out of these last four victories. Going to 8-8 over a last place Redskins squad, and getting to 8-8 period over four non-playoff teams, doesn’t mean that these are the real Eagles and the 4-8 version was a fluke. They started slow and finished hot in their last game and in their season as a whole – and yet we still knew as little about them as we did four months ago.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Philadelphia Eagles finished their season with a convincing win against the last place Washington Redskins, solidifying their 2011 dominance over the NFC East.

Michael Vick threw for 335 yards and three touchdown passes, to lead the Eagles over the Washington Redskins 34-10 Sunday for their fourth straight win. With the win, the Eagles finished their season 5-1 in the division on the year. They came one New York Jets win away from making the postseason.

Had they have made the postseason, they would have been the second hottest team in the NFC going into the playoffs (behind the New Orleans Saints who have 8 straight wins), but, trust me, no one was looking forward to seeing the Eagles—not by any means.

“That’s the unfortunate part,” Vick said. “Everybody’s gelling together, our team is getting closer as a unit, everybody’s understanding their coaches and what they’re trying to do and their philosophy. We know what needs to be done. We’ll fly under the radar and try to shock people next year. Next year will be totally different. I promise you.”

Fact is: there’s no flying under the radar for them—they’re seen vividly, and heard loudly.

Still, in moving forward, there are a lot of decisions to make within the organization—even if there aren’t many changes made in the end.

The team has decisions about the personnel on the sidelines to make, and some positions on the field to look after, as well. Of course, in almost as if deliberate fashion, Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid has nothing to tell us about his thoughts on the matter. His comments on this year’s impact on the franchise’s future were, “We’ve got to get better all the way around, starting with me,” Reid said. “This wasn’t good enough.”

Quite frankly, I don’t know why I continue to type that lazy sentence.

Either way, this post is not about the bad, it’s about the good.

The final four games in which the Eagles beat their opponents 125-46, will do good for their morale going forward,. It will also do well for the offseason excitement, while allowing the Eagles to come into next year just as confident as they were the beginning of this year; but more experienced and knowing better how they’re supposed to play. No “Dream Team” quotes, no thinking just because you’re talented you’ve booked a Super Bowl berth, and no barking at the fans because your on-field play is horrid. Just strap up the cleats, and get the ball rolling again.

Let’s just consider this year an extremely extended session of OTAs.

That’s the way I look at it. Because the team that showed up in those last few games, certainly were what everyone had expected from the beginning.

Just a bit too little, too late.

“You have to analyze everything that happened and figure out how not to let it happen again,” Vick said. “We’ve got a lot of soul-searching to do, a lot of thinking to do. I think our opportunities will arise.”

Even though the NFL will go on this season, there should be a lot of excitement in Eagles’ nation when the NFL season restarts again.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

Follow Yahoo! Local’s Yahoo! Philly on Twitter: @YahooPhilly

View Vincent Heck’s article archive.

Source: NFL-Pro-Reference.com

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The Philadelphia Eagles want to finish the 2011 season on a high note. They will have that chance when they take on the Washington Redskins on Sunday, January 1. The Eagles are seeking their fourth straight win in a season that has been mostly disappointing. As an Eagles fan, I plan on watching this game to see how the team finishes. I would hope most fans would watch the game as well. It doesn’t really mean anything, but it is one last chance to see the Eagles this season. After this game, all of the questions begin.

The Eagles already beat the Redskins once this season. They are 4-1 against opponents from the NFC East. Washington is easily the worst team in the division so Philadelphia should have no problem winning this game. For fans, the final score doesn’t really matter. Eagles fans are smart enough to know that finishing 8-8 or 7-9 really isn’t that different if it doesn’t involve a playoff berth. Instead, the focus should be on how each player looks on the field. I want to see if the defensive line remains aggressive. I want to see if the secondary can be strong with Asante Samuel out of the game. Offensively, I want to see if DeSean Jackson can prove he belongs here in 2012. I also want to see if Michael Vick can put together a strong game.

These are the kinds of things that fans should look at in this game. As I said, the season ends after this game and soon it will be time to start thinking about the draft and free agency. But with one more game to watch, we can still think about football. The Eagles should win this game, but it won’t save their season. Instead, it is about building for 2012. Some of these players won’t be back with the Eagles in 2012. Others are hoping to land bigger roles with the team. The players should think of this is one final audition for next season. This kind of disappointment won’t stand for another season.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have faced questions about the fate of Andy Reid for most of the last few months. For that matter, all of the NFC East coaches have had their future look uncertain at some point this year. But Eagles fans like myself are resigned to having Reid coming back for 2012, while Dallas Cowboys fans were assured by Jerry Jones that Jason Garrett isn’t going anywhere.

That may not sound good to Cowboys fans if the team loses their NFC East title game to the New York Giants on Jan. 1. Yet while Jones promised on Dec. 30 that Garrett is safe even if Dallas loses, Tom Coughlin has no such public assurances from the New York Giants so far.

This makes the Cowboys-Giants battle have even more at stake than the NFC East, as at least one coach is still playing for his job. Coughlin could still stay if the Giants lose and turn a 6-2 start into an 8-8 finish and a season-killing loss at home. However, it would be an uphill battle to get one last chance in New York.

Like Reid, Coughlin has gotten even closer to wearing out his welcome with a disappointing 2011. But while the Eagles put Reid in jeopardy by struggling from the start, it took until midseason for the Giants to put Coughlin on the hot seat. He has escaped getting fired for some time – most notably by winning the Super Bowl in 2008 – yet just making the playoffs will have to do to make his case now.

Reid, Coughlin, Garrett and Mike Shanahan were all just as likely to get fired as they were to make it to 2012 at various points. But it seems that Shanahan and Reid will at least get one more season while Garrett has escaped the wrath of Jones for now. This would make it even more notable if Coughlin was the only NFC East coach to get the ax after all, even though he is the only one to win a Super Bowl with an NFC East team. Yet that was years ago and the Giants haven’t even won a playoff game since then.

Since this is the ugliest NFC East season of all time, it would make sense if at least one coach got fired for it. However, if the disappointing seasons of the Giants, Cowboys, Eagles and Washington Redskins aren’t enough to get any of their head coaches fired, it shows how untouchable and lucky they really are – or it could just trigger a bloodbath for 2012.

Still, while Shanahan, Reid and Garrett expect to breathe easy when it comes to their jobs, Coughlin still needs one more victory to do the same. If the Giants’ win over the New York Jets on Dec. 24 is their last of the season, then Coughlin will have to sit on pins and needles awaiting his fate. But with a win and a divisional title, he can likely relax like the rest of his peers when it comes to 2012 – if he was capable of relaxing.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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The playoff hopes are over, but the Philadelphia Eagles still have another game. The Eagles host the Washington Redskins on Sunday, January 1 in the finale of the 2011 season. The game should see a mix of starters and reserves on the field as the team tries to finish with a record of 8-8. One guy will have a big chance to make an impression. Rookie safety Jaiquawn Jarrett will make his second career start and his first at free safety. As an Eagles fan, I want to see how Jarrett looks in this role. Hopefully, he can give some confidence to fans that have been waiting to see someone emerge at the position.

Jarrett will start in place of Kurt Coleman. Coleman sustained a biceps injury against the Dallas Cowboys on December 24. The Eagles moved Coleman to the injured reserve list and officially ended his season. Coleman stepped up to have a pretty nice season. He had 96 total tackles and improved as the season progressed. While Coleman is not a Pro Bowl player, he at least showed a lot of effort. I think he can be a decent safety down the road. But Jarrett has a lot of promise and I want to see how far along he is in this game.

Jarrett is regarded as a hard hitter. That is something the Eagles need. Brian Dawkins was a fan favorite in large part because he wasn’t afraid to make a hit. The Eagles haven’t had that in the three seasons since Dawkins left. Jarrett could be that player. If he can play well against the Redskins, he will be able to make a case to push Coleman for a starting job in 2012. As a second round pick, that expectation should be there.

I believe Jarrett can play well in this game. He is in a more natural position and that should help. Philadelphia fans want to see the safeties deliver hits and limit big plays. Jarrett looks like a guy that can do both. With Coleman out and Nate Allen ineffective, Jarrett can win a lot of fans with a strong game against the Redskins. I hope he takes advantage of the chance.

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