Browns safety Sean Jones visiting tomorrow

[stevemc]

VFK - do you allow for the possibility that the Eagles really wanted Dawk back for 1 more year and with Denver getting him, they regret not taking a better offer to him?

sorry to chime in but I will. If the Birds wanted to insure they'd have him back for one more year - they could have franchised ($6.3MM #) or transition ($5.13MM) tagged him. The transition tag would have made the most sense because they they could have matched or let him walk without compensation.

[Vote for Kalas]

Dawk chose to go, but it's still not that clear what the Eagles offered him.....I mean, we know the Eagles made an offer, but was it really just a lowball offer, below what the team's money status could have given him? Both sides are claiming that they tried to reach the other to arrange counter-offers, but were unable to. Really weird. Something flaky was going on, that much seems to be a given.

I do not think we'll ever know, but I tend to cut these things down the middle since its both parties who are needed to make a deal work. Whether it was the Eagles or Dawk's people who did not follow up--who knows and I'm not a big blame guy. I just want to see what the Eagles do moving forward to improve the team.

The Eagles money status has little to do with the football decision. Again, the Eagles assign values to players with the emotion removed as they have to and it makes no sense for them to raise that value when nothing football-related has changed with the player. There is no reason to spend cap money just to spend it or for PR reasons when, in your evaluation, it does not help the team get better.

Was it a mistake to let Dawk leave? We'll have to evaluate that next season when we see the team play. Was it a mistake for Dawk to leave and go to Denver? We'll have to evaluate that too.

[saratoga]

sorry to chime in but I will. If the Birds wanted to insure they'd have him back for one more year - they could have franchised ($6.3MM #) or transition ($5.13MM) tagged him. The transition tag would have made the most sense because they they could have matched or let him walk without compensation.

Zacktly!!!!

[BIGPHILLY]

The guy sounds like Demps.

Demps is a speedy playmaker who is not disciplined at this point in his career and is not a huge hitter.

He has a ton of raw potential but - he's not ready.

[BIGPHILLY]

Wouldn't a ballhawk actually make an interception at some point?

* He played about 3 games where he was partaking in meaningful minutes at the safety position late in the year. Give the dude some time.

[Eagle60]

Just my take, but I think Dawk wants to play FOREVER. The Birds approached this thing like they were doing an old guy a favor by offering him 2 years, and Denver blew smoke up his ass telling him he'll still be playing into his 40s. Dawk bit.

[Vote for Kalas]

VFK - Dawk didn't want to get to free agency. He said as much. We could never say for sure, but it sounded like a better offer (but still less than Denver) may have gotten him to stay.

So, as long as the Eagles paid Dawk what he wanted, all would be well? I do not think so...it has been reported Dawk wanted to maximize the $$ part of this last deal of his career and definitely had a different evaluation on how long/how well he could perform moving forward than the Eagles. It has been reported they did talk toward the end of the season/before FA, but neither side was willing to move very much.

But as MD has pointed out, Joe Banner placed a value on X. Was that the right value? Who knows. But if we end up spending more than X for a player who's on par with or worse than Dawkins, than that is mistake.

And yes, it does look like they are scrambling.

I disagree....if they give Jones more $$/years than Dawk that is not necessarily a mistake. He is 7 years younger and is in the prime of his career--that mandates a higher value than a 35 yr old vet.

Define scrambling...if you mean panicing then why did they let Springs leave without a contract? Why wait to bring Jones in until now? Eagles very rarely panic as they know they have FA, draft, UDFA and trades to find talent and it is only early March. Alot of things can happen between now and September.

VFK - do you allow for the possibility that the Eagles really wanted Dawk back for 1 more year and with Denver getting him, they regret not taking a better offer to him?

Its possible, sure. The Eagles loved Dawk from Lurie to Reid to Banner and on down. They paid him well and extended him contracts for 13 years! Believe me, they would have loved to keep him, but again one has to be non-emotional about these decisions and look at performance moving forward and the odds are long Dawk will continue to be what he was at age 36 and 37.

[leifdawg]

Wouldn't a ballhawk actually make an interception at some point?

2008 NFL Draft Prospect Scouting Report:
personQuintin Demps, FS, UTEP

Demps was redshirted during the 2003 season, but started eleven of twelve games in 2004. He recorded 58 tackles, broke-up six passes and intercepted two passes (returning one for a 42 yards touchdown). He also forced two fumbles. Starting all of the team's games in 2005, he made 78 tackles with nine passes broken up and also recorded three INTs. During his junior season, Demps again started all of the school's games, recording a personal high in tackles with 67, pass broken up with 12, and interceptions with seven. Demps was voted to the All Conference USA First Team. He then followed his starling junior campaign with a superb senior season, starting all 12 games and making 72 tackles, with nine passes broken up and adding five interceptions to his career total. Demps is an experienced four year starter who was very productive. He is an instinctive player who is a better football player than athlete. Though, he possesses enough speed (4.54-40) to run with backs. He plays the ball well in the air and is a good leaper with decent hands. Demps comes up quickly to support the run, but lacks game changing speed and burst. He is also slow to shed blockers and has a tendency to miss some tackles. He is not physical enough at the point and he has range limitations. Demps will have trouble if he is asked to cover NFL receivers one-on-one.
Demps is a versatile player who can also return punts. He does not posses the speed and range to play outside, but if he bulks up and gets more physical, he can develop into a regular starter on the inside. He needs better mechanics and coaching, but his instincts are off the chart. That trait alone will have him rise through the draft charts. Demps could climb as high as the later stages of the third or early parts of the fourth round.

[leifdawg]

Just my take, but I think Dawk wants to play FOREVER. The Birds approached this thing like they were doing an old guy a favor by offering him 2 years, and Denver blew smoke up his ass telling him he'll still be playing into his 40s. Dawk bit.

If you believe this than why are you mad at the FO about the situation?

[Leonard Tose]

The fact that they are even looking at Jones and Springs just indicates that they are scrambling. If Jones was such a great "young" talent, the Browns would have kept him locked up and/or other teams would be crazy going after him.

Basically, Jones is an afterthought.

Of course, the right (and classy) thing to do would have been to sign Dawkins way before the FA period started. They could have kept him in house at a much cheaper rate than he signed with Denver (probably for what they will offer Jones, if they are truly interested in signing him.). For the upcoming season, Dawkins could have shared playing time with Demps - with perhaps Demps getting the majority of playing time. There was certainly money under the cap and an open place on the roster - particularly after the departure(s) of Considine and Lewis.

Now, they are combing through the FA list hoping that someone can fill in.

exactly. and the options are dwindling.

[MDFAN]

"I mean, we know the Eagles made an offer, but was it really just a lowball offer, below what the team's money status could have given him?"

They could have offered him 30 million based on money status?

Should they have?

No, they offered him what that thought they he was worth on an ongoing basis.

People need to get past this "we'll we have 40 million in cap space" since it has nothing to do with why Dawk is in Denver.

[MDFAN]

exactly. and the options are dwindling.

Doesn't mean they are scrambling at all, it means they have moved on to plan B, or C. If you don't think they didn't think this was a possibility then I gotta bridge for you.

[Leonard Tose]

"I mean, we know the Eagles made an offer, but was it really just a lowball offer, below what the team's money status could have given him?"

They could have offered him 30 million based on money status?

Should they have?

No, they offered him what that thought they he was worth on an ongoing basis.

People need to get past this "we'll we have 40 million in cap space" since it has nothing to do with why Dawk is in Denver.

The Eagles have a hole at FS. They had/have nearly 40 million in cap space. They will have to use some of that cap space to fill that hole at FS.

It's a simple argument: whatever the X value the Eagles placed on Dawk was wrong. He got more from Denver. The Eagles apparently planned on bringing Dawk back and are now trying to fill a hole. They will likely have to overpay to fill that hole.

For similar dollars to what they will pay a mediocre journeyman like Sean Jones, they could have had Dawk back. The Eagles are on record saying they wanted Dawk back. Are they lying to appease the fanbase? Maybe. But they failed by placing the wrong value on Dawk and not making sure Dawk understood they wanted him back. I dont even know why this point is being argued on here -- Joe Banner has essentially conceded it.

And the $40 million is very relevant. It's not like the Eagles had to make some hard decisions because of the cap. They could have easily brought Dawk back and stayed well under the cap.

[Leonard Tose]

Doesn't mean they are scrambling at all, it means they have moved on to plan B, or C. If you don't think they didn't think this was a possibility then I gotta bridge for you.

If you think Sean Jones was on their radar before yesterday, I've got a bridge for you.

[MDFAN]

If you think Sean Jones was on their radar before yesterday, I've got a bridge for you.

Guarantee you that they knew about Sean Jones and him being a F/A long before Dawk left this team. Probably as far back as a year ago, so please stop trying to make it out as if these guys work at the corner bar.

Maybe you buy into the theory that there is only one brain cell functioning at Novacare?

Well, I don't and I think these guys are professionals at what they do, they work all day at it. And right now can they tell you who might be a F/A next year and they are starting to do their home work on them, based on who we might lose next year.

So I guess I'll take a look at that bridge you got to see if I can put some toll booths up.