What was the Birds single BIGGEST mistake this year?

[tinopuno]

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.....

'Power corrupts...absolute power corupts absolutely.' Add in a cup of arrogance and and a good helping of conceit and you got trouble in River City.

As perceptive as all of us are, we really have no clear idea of what the real power structure and decision making process is. It's my hunch that the young wiz kid had a hand in at least some of the off season aqusitions.

[FRESH]

Perhaps. I have generally given Reid the credit, and the blame for personnel and coaching moves. This season....mostly blame.

[sfphillyfan]

How about: not firing Reid?

[musicman]

How about: not firing Reid?

I was gonna say,let's keep things the same,have another shitty season and get another early pick. This way we can build through the draft,but forgot we have the mormon Matt Millen conducting our draft

[Jukin]

I agree with everything said here with one exception - the Steve Smith signing was NOT a a mistake IMO. Time skews perceptions and you are all forgetting that when they signed Smith, Maclin had a mystery illness that may have kept him out for the year. Add to that Jackson's holdout and signing another vet receiver wasn't a luxury it was a necessity!

The biggest mistake they made with Jackson was the whole "coming to camp will help get a deal done" line that they put out there. That sure sounds like a promise to me. When he came in, they were more or less obligated to try to get a deal done. They had to know what kind of money he wanted before they made that statement, so the question is what changed? Did they suddenly see something in the shortened camp from Jackson that scared them away from a long term commitment? Or were they just lying to get him into camp? Either way they made that statement publicly and once he reported the onus was on them to get a deal done. I honestly don't believe the Smith signing had anything to do with Jackson's dismay this season.

[sfphillyfan]

Ok Juk but 5m for steve smith? The giants were laughing their asses off.

And it wasn't like mediocre Wr fill ins aren't a dime a dozen.

[Jukin]

Vin he may be getting more than we think he's worth but keep in mind that the Eagles had no leverage. They were without their 1 & 2 WRs with a few weeks until opening day. Smith simply stepped on their throats and they agreed to a short term overpayment. They may have over paid him but it was slight. He would have gotten $4 million from the Giants if they had bothered to make him an offer. My point isn't to defend Smith and how much he got, bu to put things into perspective. The FO wasn't looking to 'teach Jackson a lesson' but only to get a proven player with ability to come in, in case Maclin was lost for the season.

[sfphillyfan]

So the Eagles were unable to give Djax a one year show of good faith $4M that they wasted on Steve Smith?

[Jukin]

Bwhy would they do that? No let me rephrase that - when have they EVER done anything like that with someone they are trying to resign? The Eagle are DEFINATELY at fault here IMO. They should never had told Jackson they'd negotiate if he came to camp. That made it sound like a promise to get it done and makes it appear that they are at fault for the deal not getting done. This isn't going to go away next summer when the next guy wants to hold out and these dopes try to use the same line on him.