What was the Birds single BIGGEST mistake this year?

[tinopuno]

When this question was posed this afternoon to Sal Palantoni on ESPN radio I assumed he'd give the same answer most (if not all) of us would...selceting Juan Castillo as DC.

He didn't even mention Castillo, and answered in essence that the biggest mistake was, 'Not paying Jackson'. He went on to explain that he didn't mean the FO should have caved to DJax/Rosenpigs' outrageous top 5 receiver money request but that they should have done 'something' to sweeten Jackson's income....both because he deserved more and so that he wouldn't feel so disrespected/unappreciated compared to other players on the team/in the league earning much more money.

Now, just becasue Palantonio's an asshole at times doesn't mean his point is invalid. This got me thinking about Joe Banner's part in this disaster of a season. If, as a team, you committ to drafting a guy with a high pick who is a known primadonna with an inflated ego and maturity issues, then it seems to you should take these factors into consideration when negotiating with him. You don't have to coddle him but you also don't try to humlble him, either publicly or pricvately.

We don't know what has been said by either side in negotiations. But I think most of us can agree that Banner can be an arrogant prick who is inclined to both hard ball tactics and condescension in his interactions. (God know he's made some half-assed public pronouncements about the superiority of the Birds that went well beyond his area of knowledge/experience/expertise.) And we also have the evidence of the shoddy treatment accorded Dawkins, one of the most loved and still valuable Eagles who, if anything, derserved special consideration.

While I still think Castillo was the biggest mistake, there is no question that the way Jackson was handled, and his predicatble response to the situation, have had a highly negative impact on the entire season as well.

[sfphillyfan]

Castillo is clearly the biggest mistake. It's almost like saying McNabb was our best first round draft pick. You just assume that to be the answer and move on to the real discussion.

I agree with Sal. Your job as management is to get the most out of your employees. The Eagles clearly thought they could manage the situation and they never did.

Remember, Andy Reid said about the TO situation in retrospect that he should have acted upon it sooner. He needed to learn that lesson as it applied to DJ and he did not. He let Banner/Roseman control it and whether you agree with DJ or not, you had to have known that was gonna blow up in their faces.

If you think DJ is an asshole, then that's fine. But he's like the scorpion in the tale of the frog and scorpion. That's who he is. If you're the frog, then you're silly if you think you can change his nature. So you have a powder keg of a situation and don't expect it to blow up? No chance.

Having a sulky unmotivated DJ really helped sink this team. HOWEVER, even with a 100% motivated DJ, our defense still sucks ass so it's not like it matters.

With DJ, you might beat the Cards. Ok.. so what? You think we couldve stopped the Patriots offense even if Jackson caught those two balls in the endzone? Yeah, I know, it couldve changed the whole complexion of the game. No way. That patriots team was capable of putting up 60 on us. They just didn't bother.

[stevemc]

Actually, Banner is a genius. By not giving Jackson any further extension, they've gotten a TON of value out of him. Think about his production to this point and what he's been paid. Let's face it, even with his drops last game, we weren't beating the Patriots. Who is to say Jackson won't do this after he gets paid too? Not paying Jackson is far from the biggest mistake of this season.

[stocknowledge]

Hiring Castillo was definitely the biggest mistake made this year, but I agree with Palantonio that the FO mishandled the DJax situation - I believe intentionally. What else can you make of the Steven Smith signing - other than that it was meant as a signal to DJax? If they had just given to DJax what they gave to Smith they perhaps could have mollified Jackson's feelings of not being appreciated for what he did produce on the field. Instead, they took the harshest stance possible and inflamed the situation. Now, they send Spadaro and the rest of the flunkies out to defame DJax to deflect any blame from themselves. In the end, the Eagles' FO reaped what they sowed. This team sucks.

[YourPalChrisMal]

So many mistakes in hind-sight, how do you pick the worst one?

> Making Casey Matthews the starting MLB without any sort of back-up plan was a huge blow. If someone competant is on the field in his place any 1 or more of those first 3 loses could have been wins, and life as we know it could be completely different right now.

> Not allowing Asomugha to just lock on to every team's best receiver in every game and just play man-to-man, playing to his strengths.

> Juan Castillo

> Signing Vince Young and Steve Smith instead of spending money on other more important needs (MLB, OL, Safety).

> Allowing Jarrod Page to continue to play as long as he did.

> Not using McCoy enough.

> Going with a rookie kicker the year you have SB aspirations...cost us a win.

> Letting Steve Smith play right away when Avant and Cooper were probably at least equally as good... Smith allowing the ball to bounce off his hands for an INT cost the Eagles the first loss.

> Expecting Watkins to be ready right out of the shoot and not having a back-up plan. To start the year, the OL had almost no playing time together and it showed, big time.

> Being the only NFL not to dress their 1st, 2nd or 3rd round picks for the first 3 weeks. Too much parity in the NFL not to get ANY contribution at all from your top picks and expect everything to go smoothly.

[tinopuno]

In the end, the Eagles' FO reaped what they sowed. This team sucks.

And what's most troubling is that, in their arrogance (and that's a widespread commodity in this FO) they will probably avoid recognizing some of the core/systemic problems and, consequently, won't work to correct them.

'The Gold Standard'...fools' gold! Very discouraging.

[Eagle60]

Bottom line: It's tough to win with assholes. Reid knows this and has gotten rid of them in the past. Even if this contract BS was "solved" Jackson is an accident waiting to happen. But what do you do when the biggest asshole that you have is the friekin prisident of the team? You can't get rid of him, so for the most part you're screwed. We're all screwed.

[stocknowledge]

Good list, YPCM! Evidently, you have been cataloging these mistakes as the season has progressed!

[stocknowledge]

Chris, you can add: Instituting the Wide-9 when we didn't have the linebackers with the ability to fill the gaps. (Castillo? Unwise hiring of Washburn?)

[tinopuno]

So many mistakes in hind-sight, how do you pick the worst one?

> Making Casey Matthews the starting MLB without any sort of back-up plan was a huge blow. If someone competant is on the field in his place any 1 or more of those first 3 loses could have been wins, and life as we know it could be completely different right now.

> Not allowing Asomugha to just lock on to every team's best receiver in every game and just play man-to-man, playing to his strengths.

> Juan Castillo

> Signing Vince Young and Steve Smith instead of spending money on other more important needs (MLB, OL, Safety).

> Allowing Jarrod Page to continue to play as long as he did.

> Not using McCoy enough.

> Going with a rookie kicker the year you have SB aspirations...cost us a win.

> Letting Steve Smith play right away when Avant and Cooper were probably at least equally as good... Smith allowing the ball to bounce off his hands for an INT cost the Eagles the first loss.

> Expecting Watkins to be ready right out of the shoot and not having a back-up plan. To start the year, the OL had almost no playing time together and it showed, big time.

> Being the only NFL not to dress their 1st, 2nd or 3rd round picks for the first 3 weeks. Too much parity in the NFL not to get ANY contribution at all from your top picks and expect everything to go smoothly.

What a list! What an indictment of this organization and the extent to which impulsive decsions and almost irrational wishful thinking holds sway over hard-headed planning.

[ThoughtProcess]

stock, I couldn't agree more. The Steve Smith signing appeared to me to be a hedge against DJax pulling T.O.-style antics and driveway workouts. As Sun Tzu said, paraphrased, if you encircle your opponent, allow him an escape route. He will likely flee. Because if you encircle him completely, he will likely try to fight his way out. IMo, the FO didnt leave a way out for DJax and agent. All stick, no carrot. Now, the Castillo shift to DC is easily the biggest miscalculation in hindsight. DJax watching everyone else get paid except him was another on the list.

[ThoughtProcess]

Chris, you can add: Instituting the Wide-9 when we didn't have the linebackers with the ability to fill the gaps. (Castillo? Unwise hiring of Washburn?)

Ahh...this too is MOST egregious! Looking back, I think that bringing in Washburn would have made it diifcult to bring in another DC, unless it would have been an ex-Titan coach (Chuck Cecil?) I was, and still am, on board with the Washburn signing. The wide-nine works if: they have the right LB's and the LB's know what they are doing. The CB's playing press coverage would also help.

It would seem to me that if a team uses small, fast D-linemen and a one-gap scheme that they would also use bigger LB's. Converseley, bigger linemen would seem to complement smaller, faster LB's. But that's just my opinon.

[balto-eaglefan]

Letting a pair of accountants decide who to sign in the offseason. As one writer said it, on paper our secondary is among the best in the league, but actually they're mismatched for playing together in the same unit.

[FRESH]

Can't you see from all of these moves....it's Andy's world, and he is smarter than anyone else in the room. What is that saying....absolute power corrupts.......something something.....


I will add as far as DJax goes, he was at least quiet about everything and didn't pull a TO-like demonstrative protest or anything. I really can't even begin to put him in the TO class. Not even close. He simply has the same jackass of an agent advising him.

[musicman]

Might have missed it, so if in fact I did,then sorry. IMO the biggest mistake was making Vick a 100 million dollar man. He played so much better trying to earn the raise than he did once he got it. The list is so long though that 15 different issues could tie for #1