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  • Some interesting Stallworth discussion

    Posted on Fri, Feb. 23, 2007
    Eagles feel Stallworth loss wouldn't hamstring them
    By Bob Brookover - Inquirer Staff Writer

    INDIANAPOLIS - Once upon a time, there was an NFL team with a wide receiver named Donté Stallworth.

    That team thought Stallworth was a good player but traded him anyway.

    The New Orleans Saints have no regrets about what they did.

    "That wasn't anything negative about Donté," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said yesterday at the Indianapolis Convention Center during the first day of the NFL Scouting Combine. "That wasn't why we made that move. We just had a desperate need at linebacker. We had a guy with one year left on his deal and an opportunity to get a draft pick and a player [Mark Simoneau] that could help us while at the same time giving the young guy an opportunity to play."

    The Saints, of course, lived quite happily after the deal, advancing to the postseason for the first time since the 2000 season and playing in the first NFC championship game in franchise history. The "young guy" who replaced Stallworth was rookie Marques Colston, a seventh-round draft pick who caught 70 passes for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns.

    "We felt good about Marques Colston," Loomis said. "I don't know if we felt as good as it turned out, but it turned out pretty well. By no means were we just trying to cut our ties with [Stallworth]. He caught 70 balls for almost 1,000 yards the year before. That's hard to replace. But the combination of all of the things involved led to us making that deal with Philadelphia."

    Stallworth's story with the Saints should be of interest in Philadelphia right now because it appears likely that the Eagles are also about to part ways with the free-agent receiver, who was their biggest downfield threat on the roster last season. The Eagles think Stallworth is a good player and would love to have him back next season, but only at a price that they deem market-worthy.

    If some team is willing to give Stallworth a $10 million signing bonus as part of a six-year, $31 million contract similar to the one that Antwaan Randle El received from the Washington Redskins last off-season, it's safe to assume that the receiver won't have wings on the sides of his helmet next season. The belief inside the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia is that Stallworth will get that kind of money.

    The other belief inside the Eagles' offices is that the team can be every bit as successful as the Saints were last season after losing Stallworth. It's a belief based on some interesting facts and the assumption that Hank Baskett can do for the Eagles what Colston did for the Saints.

    Discounting the regular-season finale against Atlanta when coach Andy Reid rested his starters, the Eagles played four games without Stallworth and 11 games with him last season. Stallworth had a hamstring injury that kept him out of those four games, which is part of the reason the team isn't all that eager about breaking the bank for the wide receiver.

    Loomis said injuries weren't the Saints' primary concern with Stallworth. They were more worried about not being able to re-sign him.

    "I think the injury history is a little overblown," Loomis said. "He had some of those issues early on for us, but not the last couple of years. I know he had an issue this year in Philadelphia, but I don't know all the circumstances involved."

    Regardless, in addition to having concerns about Stallworth's hamstring, the Eagles also have evidence that they did all right when the receiver wasn't on the field.

    In the games Stallworth missed, the Eagles' offense averaged 27 points per game. In the 11 he played, they averaged 21. In the games Stallworth missed, the Eagles averaged 408 yards of offense. In the games he played, they averaged 371. The Eagles averaged 7.2 yards per play without Stallworth and 5.7 yards per play with him.

    Lots of other evidence exists detailing how the Eagles' offense was far from crippled in Stallworth's absence. You could argue that having Stallworth made second-year receiver Reggie Brown better, but Brown's only two 100-yard receiving games last season came without his main counterpart around. Brown caught 19 passes for 383 yards and scored four touchdowns in the games Stallworth didn't play.

    You can argue that there's no way to know whether Baskett or Jason Avant will develop into the receivers the Eagles believe they will become. That's true, although Baskett certainly had a solid rookie season after joining the team as an undrafted free agent, and he's got the same lanky build as Colston. Both receivers stand 6-foot-4.

    You can argue that with Stallworth, Brown and Baskett, the Eagles would have one of the best receiving trios in the NFL next season. The Eagles probably wouldn't argue.

    On the other hand, if the Eagles decide to use their money earmarked for free agency on getting defensive help (NOT going to happen)rather than on paying a steep price for Stallworth, it might just be a sound football decision.

    Extra points. ... The Eagles are picking 26th in this year's draft, and the early indications are that they may lean toward drafting a safety or a tight end in the first round.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or [email protected].
    www.disciplerocks.com

  • #2
    This article presents some evidence for and against Donte.

    My take is that this team is NOT going to spend any serious money on an FA defensive player. And if they aren't going to keep Garcia, they should be able to easily make Donte the only FA they sign and then look towards the draft and June 1 cuts.

    I like McNabb throwing to Stallworth, Brown, and Baskett much better than Brown/Baskett/Avant.
    www.disciplerocks.com

    Comment


    • #3
      tight end in Round 1 -- what?
      Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd kill you and everyone you cared about!

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Leonard Tose
        tight end in Round 1 -- what?
        That was my initial reaction as well. Which TE rates a Rd. 1 grade, and are the Eagles really in need at that position, relative to other, more obvious ones?

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by ThoughtProcess
          Originally posted by Leonard Tose
          tight end in Round 1 -- what?
          That was my initial reaction as well. Which TE rates a Rd. 1 grade, and are the Eagles really in need at that position, relative to other, more obvious ones?
          i'm all for picking the best player available, but they do have some very specific needs on defense that must be addressed early.
          Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd kill you and everyone you cared about!

          Comment


          • #6
            I wrote here a few weeks ago about how you should expect the Eagles to target a TE early in the draft. They haven't been able to come to terms with LJ on an extension, so I bet they'd like to get his replacement a year early rather than waiting till LJ is gone.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by EFD
              I wrote here a few weeks ago about how you should expect the Eagles to target a TE early in the draft. They haven't been able to come to terms with LJ on an extension, so I bet they'd like to get his replacement a year early rather than waiting till LJ is gone.
              that's all well and good, and i have no problem looking for a replacement for LJ, but schobel is a perfectly good TE in this offense who could be a transition guy for a year.

              they don't need to spend a high pick this year on a TE when they have so many other pressing needs, particularly SS, CB and MLB.

              they need a trotter replacement more than an LJ replacement, IMO.
              Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd kill you and everyone you cared about!

              Comment


              • #8
                Yeah, they do. We need to be drafting primarily for the D, and we can do that with good conscience if we simply re-sign Stall. Seriously, if we don't sign Donte, and then also don't go into FA for some significant defensive help either, I'm going to go ballistic. Do atleast one or the other, preferably both if you can. Do neither, and me go BOOM.
                http://shop.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifOK, let's try this again...

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