by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Joe Banner would be rolling over in his grave …

You know, if he actually were in one.

Thing is, not sure he’d be in the wrong on this one.

Yo, big believer in loyalty to others and staying true to the cause of a united front, but this re-signing old guy stuff that current Eagles czar of player personnel Howie Roseman seems beholden to is starting to border on creepy.
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Like, unable to move on and let go of a security blanket creepy … no matter the consequences.

It certainly is nothing that was seen when Banner was in charge, which, by the way, happened to be during the most successful extended stretch of pro football in town that any of us shy of retirement age have ever witnessed.

OK, maybe Joe was a bit jumpy, or knee-jerky, with pulling the rip cord on any asset the moment it turned 30, but, geez, am starting to miss the days when the players were more likely to think about high-school reunions than AARP cards.

It started in earnest with left tackle Jason Peters getting a five-year deal, continued with tight end Brent Celek this past January getting a three-year one and then jack-of-all-trades back Darren Sproles on Friday getting an extension to keep him here this season and next.

Heck, might as well throw cornerback Leodis McKelvin, an offseason acquisition, in there, too.

All over 30. All past their prime. Heck, Peters, 34, was in steep decline the day he signed, way back when he was just a 32-year-old kid. Now he’s an overpaid, whiny albatross whose All-Pro past has fans, media members and Eagles coaches forever rationalizing what he was excusing what he is, which is pretty bad.

Celek, 31, has been relegated to “good block, solid locker-room presence” status the last three seasons and that ain’t changing. McKelvin, 30, played his first nine seasons in Buffalo, then was picked up off the scrap heap in March by the Birds and inked to a two-year deal.

Why? Perhaps only the (Eagles defensive coordinator Jim) Schwartz knows.

Sproles, 33, meanwhile, has done just enough the past couple seasons with the Eagles, turning in a highlight-reel play or two, to apparently make people oblivious to the fact that he is just a shadow of his former self with New Orleans and San Diego.

So, sorry … just can’t get excited about the Birds’ latest signing. Seems to me another example of facing reality and fearing change.

By a team that has posted a 39-41 record and just one playoff appearance since 2011?

About the only thing the organization lacks in this regard is an infusion of “old time” into, say, the scouting department.

What’s that, the Eagles took care of that just this morning, too?

Praise be to Brian Dawkins.

Rest in peace, Joe … you know, at some point.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

The trade deadline looms …

With all non-waiver moves in Major League Baseball having to be completed by Sunday, you’d figure a lot of last-minute wheeling-and-dealing discussions would be going on among the suit-and-tie brain trust huddled at Citizens Bank Park right now.

Do the Phillies make moves or not? Should they try to speed up the rebuilding process with a big transaction or stand pat? Or maybe make some smaller ones that strengthen, albeit subtly, the roster or avoid change altogether?

The answer for most, including those calling the player-personnel shots in the organization, probably rests in whether they believe the team is ahead of schedule, behind or right on time.

Me? Wouldn’t do damn thing …

Normally situated at the front of the line for taking chances and not maintaining the status quo, especially if it means remaining somewhere in the midst of mediocrity, can’t figure out if it’s a case of being a bit gun shy or just comfy with the overwhelming vibe inside.

But the gut says skip any shake-ups … especially with the eyes and mind saying, you know what, the club seems to have a few good things going here.

First and foremost, actually like the majority of what is shaping up to be the everyday lineup. Potential stars reside at third base in Makiel Franco and center field in Odubel Herrera. Tommy Joseph, while not Ryan Howard in his prime, certainly is a power-hitting first baseman with 14 homers in his first 191 at-bats with the club. Cameron Rupp seems to be more than a stop-gap at catcher until the ballyhooed kids come up from the minors.

Plus, Aaron Altherr, just back from wrist surgery that cost him the first half of the season, offers an intriguing option in right.

Heck, even oft-criticized Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez bring something to the table up the middle, with the former providing Jimmy Rollins-type defense and surprising pop and the latter merely leading the team in hitting.
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Really, the only “iffy” spot at the moment, when projecting into the near future is left.

Pitching wise, starter Jeremy Hellickson and closer Jeanmar Gomez appear to be the biggest draws on the market. But they’re both under-30 guys who may be just hitting their stride.

With the Phillies still figuring out what they have, not just in Philly but down on the farm, and what they need, it just seems almost silly to make moves … just to make moves.

Would only muddy up the picture that hasn’t come into focus yet anyway.

Especially with Mike Trout or anyone of his ilk unlikely to be the filter they’d get in return.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

It’s a silly debate.

But let’s make our pitch anyway while tipping a cap to sportstalk in general, and WIP’s Josh Innes and his cohorts in particular for getting the mentally challenged juices here flowing a bit Thursday on this …

With former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles having been released, as per his request, by the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday and incumbent starter Sam Bradford still having to win over the masses in Philly, you got a classic case of “who ya got” brewing in fantasy land.

As in … hey, if the city’s NFL franchise brought back Foles, a year after, ironically enough, being traded for Bradford, who would you rather have as the starter? Or, one step further, who would you rather have on the roster?

Always been an obvious choice for me – Foles.

Without any hesitation. Without any doubt.

Having been predisposed to Bradford in a way most in our pro sports-centric, never-bother-with-college-stuff town were not, never liked his game, his grid-related demeanor, his knack for getting injured or his “just saw a UFO” eyes even when he was winning a Heisman Trophy back at Oklahoma University.

So, unlike seemingly everyone else with a valid or completely distorted opinion of him, never was so taken with Bradford going No. 1 in the 2010 draft that it should merit him receiving a lifetime supply of opportunities and excuses to be instinctively handed the keys to any offense on any team for any coach as if, hah, no one else could be better.

Total joke … and Bradford has had the laugh on all.

Seriously.

Put it this way, had he not been chosen where he was, nobody would be making a case for him in any debate, including this one.

No matter how bad they profess Foles to suck.

Not for nothing, but even with the Blonde Bomber having a cataclysmically bad 2015, he still trumps Sammy Sleeves in just about every tangibly relevant individual-based stat as a pro – TD-to-INT ratio, yards per passing attempt, completion percentage, passer rating. Not to mention that he, unlike Mister 25-37-1, has winning record in his career and the only playoff appearance between the two.

Besides, if Bradford is gonna get a pass for his career-worst 2011 campaign, it’s only fair to let Foles walk on last year … since their numbers for each are incredibly comparable, with the latter’s record (4-7) and completion percentage (56.4) actually better than the former’s (1-9 and 53.5).

For me, never just about numbers anyway. The eye and attitude tests fall significantly in Foles’ favor here. Not only he is bigger, sturdier and blessed with a stronger arm, but he has shown the balls to take shots on passes downfield that Bradford never would – which plays as well with teammates as it does with fans. As does not showing up others with the types of comments or “your fault” looks that Bradford struggled to avoid last season.

It’s funny how everyone is so quick to dismiss Foles’ brilliant 2013 season as a fluke, or some kind of stupendous four-months-long exercise of saving his ass by fellow Eagles to make him look good, too. Reality is, he was the best player on a 10-6 team, a team that was destined for a losing record had he not taken the reins, that year.

The fall-off since? Honestly believe Chip Kelly and his staff initially screwed that one up by having the guy make unnecessarily spastically quick decisions on where to go with the ball – a year after he tossed 27 TDs and just 2 INTs while posting the third-best passer rating in the NFL of all time – and then last year was just a colossal mess.

One that would have been avoided had the Birds just not dealt Foles for Bradford.

Same for this silly debate …

CAREER TOTALS

Record as Starter
19-16 > 25-37-1

Playoff Appearances
1      >     0

Passer Rating
87.3   >   81.0

Completion Percentage
60.2   >   60.1

Yards Per Passing Attempt
7.2     >     6.5

Touchdown Percentage
4.3     >     3.4

SINGLE-SEASON BEST

Record as Starter
8-2    >     7-7

Passer Rating
119.2   >   90.9

Yards Per Passing Attempt
9.1     >    7.0

​Yards Passing Per Game
270.4  >   266.1

Touchdown Percentage
8.5    >    5.3

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Not really a fan of “open” letters.

More of a direct-message, personal-mail kinda guy actually, but with word trickling through the NFL grapevine Wednesday afternoon about a move that tickled my interest button, well, here goes …

Dear Howie Roseman:

First off, congrats on getting the keys back to the big office. Never really understood why your boss made that anti-social, fast-talking robot the ruler of all things in the organization in the first place, but, thankfully, reality eventually hit and you’re back in charge. Am glad. You’re the man, the man with the plan, the plan that led to the No. 2 pick in April’s draft and major props for you both near and far months ago.

Don’t pay any attention to those “worst GM in the biz” articles of late. The authors of those have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re the best, dude … and don’t you forget that.

Know what else? You’re a football guy. Put your time in with this franchise, working your way from unpaid intern to, well, let’s face it, a position of prime-time power. Made some good moves, some good picks, some good decisions in general, showing sound personnel judgment at times and, even better, balls that other GMs never do.

Yo, in Philly, you get major ups for that.

With all that, and it is stated with the utmost sincerity, please humor me on this:

As you probably know, former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was released by St. Louis not even an hour ago. Kid was a damn good player under your watch. Heck, he was one of your draft picks in 2012, a third-rounder. Obviously you thought he had some skill to take him so high.

So, here’s my thought: Bring him in now that he’s a free agent.

Hey, why not?

Totally get the notion of moving on and starting fresh. Even understand that it might be hard to judge the success Foles enjoyed here three years ago because he took a step back a year later, then got traded last year and just booted now.

But, seriously, is what you have right now at the position so blatantly better that it wouldn’t even be worth taking a look?

If you ask me, the jury is still out on Foles. If it’s still out on Sam Bradford, who has had an infinitesimal amount of opportunities to prove himself in the NFL as something more than mediocre and never has done so, then it’s the same for Foles.

Obviously it is for the anointed savior, Carson Wentz, whom you took at No. 2 to be the future franchise QB, and little-used backup Chase Daniel, too.

So don’t see the harm in bringing Foles back, back to his NFL roots, to the team he was drafted by, and, frankly, starred for in 2013, racking up some hard-to-believe individual statistics.

Yeah, sure, it may ruffle some feathers in the “room.” It may start some craziness within the fan base, and certainly on the airwaves.

But, what if … what if Foles actually was the real deal, that his was a case of being trapped in a piss-poor situation in St. Louis and upon returning “home” he could consistently produce a reasonable facsimile each season of that magical Pro Bowl MVP-winning one that saw him throw for 29 TDs and just 2 INTs while taking the team on its last postseason trip?

Before discarding this suggestion, consider these two things:

• Not one of your QBs has ever posted a season in the NFL like Foles has.
• Second chances should be near and dear to your heart now, since you got one yourself.

Anyway, all the best … and keep up the good work.

Yours in Bleeding Green, Jack Kerwin
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by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Just imagine if …

Sam Bradford finally became the quarterback all the NFL player personnel professionals, self-proclaimed experts and jump-on-prevailing-wisdom fans previously clamored he would become after being drafted No. 1 seven years ago.

Think about it.

After years of injuries, excuses and pretty much all-around meh, the still young man’s gridiron existence suddenly evolved into this magical life of pinpoint accuracy, commanding performance and mastery of winning that somehow defied the fates of a tormented talent, doomed to fail at reaching his potential.

He stands strong in the pocket, in the locker room and in front of the media. He makes great decisions. He makes great plays.

He even drops the “just saw an extra-terrestrial being” expression that seems to bug so many.

What then?

Seriously, what then …

For all the blather and bluster about Carson Wentz possibly being the savior of Philadelphia’s pro football franchise and rescuing Eagles Nation from the non-championship abyss it has been swimming in for more than half a century, the fact of the matter is none of us have any idea whether he has any more “stuff of legend” material inside him than Bradford.

Frankly, anyone wondering if either have any would have some merit to their concerns.

With training camp under way, there is no bigger story than Wentz now sporting the midnight green, if only for a few minutes before slipping on the matter-of-protection, “don’t touch” red jersey while mixing it up with the fellas. What he does, how he does it and when he takes over for Bradford as the team’s starting quarterback are all that matter.

Sorry, everyone else in pads and team-associated gear, no offense. That’s just reality in this region the summer of 2016.

Thing is, not exactly grasping all the assumptions and expectations out there that Wentz will nudge Bradford out of the top spot. Not legitimately at least.

Not for nothing, but have a lot more faith in the former Heisman winner and six-year pro, even after two knee reconstructions and myriad mediocre efforts, than a kid just months removed from being elevated from game manager, albeit an athletic one, of a machine-like FCS power that won three national championships in a row before he took the reins to highly sought-after draft-eligible player ... mainly due to his size and intangibles.

Yo, cannot stand Bradford. No thumbs up here on his re-signing. But he has played at the highest level, in college as well as pro, and, at times, has performed at an extremely high level as an individual.

Wentz has not.

Yeah, get it. He is the younger, bigger and supposedly superior example of a “franchise quarterback” in the eyes of the team’s coaches, front office and fans. You can’t argue the first two points right there, but the third one?
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It certainly remains to be seen if Wentz will be better.

Funny thing is, just looking at individual play, the rookie’s college career at North Dakota State pales in comparison to what Bradford did at Oklahoma. If anything, the comparison is embarrassing as Wentz threw for 5,100 yards and 45 TDs while Bradford threw for 8,400 and 88 … in the same amount of games, at the FBS to boot.

As a pro, Bradford has proven to be tantalizing at best and infuriating at worst.

Wentz? Gotta be honest, am still waiting for him to prove, well, anything.

The true irony, though, would be Bradford never allowing him to do so.

Just imagine.