…Maybe we should hold off on all this wide receiver talk.
According to Eagles GM Tom Heckert the Birds are fine with what they have at the position and likely won’t be making any big additions in the offseason.
“It’s an easy out for everyone to say we need a wide receiver but we did get one – DeSean Jackson,” Heckert said. Jackson was a second-round pick last season.
Heckert believes Jackson is a prime threat at wide receiver and receivers won’t be an issue for the team during the free agent season.
While Heckert doesn’t necessarily rule out going after a guy like Anquan Boldin, you really get the sense the Eagles are set to stand pat with Jackson and Kevin Curtis as starters. It’s hard to imagine Reggie Brown coming back, so maybe a lower profile free agent or draft pick will be brought in to fill out the roster.
I don’t know about all of you, but I’m sick of these bullshit excuses from the front office for not making that big move that would make the Eagles instant contenders. I can understand not wanting to give a 30+ receiver (Housh) too much money on the open market, and maybe the Cards are going to end up keeping Boldin, but whatever the case may be I think the benefit of having dangerous receivers was made obvious given the fact that the two Super Bowl teams both have plenty of weapons at the position. Did the Eagles not see what a guy like Larry Fitzgerald could do to a defense in the NFC Title game and the Super Bowl?
Every season is the same song and dance: the receivers don’t get the job done and Reid and Heckert break their backs defending them. Birds lose, rinse and repeat. Yes, the team took Desean Jackson in the second round and went after Randy Moss last offseason, but I still see a need for a big, dominant target for Donovan McNabb. How many passes did our receivers drop in the NFC Title game? Would the outcome have been different if Donovan had a Randy Moss-type guy to throw to who could make the big catches in crucial situations?
In the interview Heckert says around the 2:30 mark that Donovan broke most of his passing records this past season. Well, he actually broke Jaworski’s career mark for completions and set a new career high for passing yardage in a season, but his all-around passing numbers were not among his best…see for yourself…
Donovan McNabb Passing Stats in 2008: 345/571 (60.4%), 3,916 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT, 86.4 QB Rating
Not too bad, but compare that to his 2004 season, the one year he had a big time target (someone by the name of Owens) to throw to:
McNabb in 2004: 300/469 (64%), 3,875 yards, 31 TD, 8 INT, 104.7 QB Rating
He had almost as many passing yards in ’04 as he did in ’08 in 102 fewer attempts. So when Heckert tells you McNabb had a career year he’s blowing a whole lot of smoke up your ass because Donovan’s 2004 season was clearly his best and he showed what he is capable of with a top talent at receiver. Despite this fact, the Eagles still refuse to go out and find a TO-type player to catch Donovan’s passes. In essence, the Eagles are wasting the prime years of McNabb’s career because they are either too cheap, or not opportunistic enough to make the necessary improvements this team needs.
I don’t want to hear how upset Jeff Lurie is at yet ANOTHER playoff loss next season (assuming we even get there) when his organizatiopn has no interest in making the necessary moves to get back to the Super Bowl. I’m sorry, but Kevin Curtis just isn’t going to cut it.
~ For the full story and interview with Heckert, go here: Eagles Pass on Recievers for McNabb – myfoxphilly.com.
