The 2012 season of the Philadelphia Eagles got off to a bad start in late March when Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon. There was a smidgen of hope that he might be able to play this year, but you can squash that talk.

A league source tells Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com that Peters ruptured the tendon for a second time. Apparently, he was maneuvering in his kitchen when his Roll-A-Bout device broke. It’s expected to set him back about three weeks.

Peters had to have a second surgery to repair his heel.

Ouch. That sucks.

According to Gunn, Peters plans on suing the manufacturer of the device.

We mentioned yesterday that the only thing holding up a trade that would send Philadelphia Eagles CB Asante Samuel to the Atlanta Falcons was the re-working of Samuel’s contract. Samuel was due to make about $10 million this year, and he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of drastically reducing that.

Well, according to Jeff McLane on Twitter, the Falcons may have worked that out with Samuel.

“Per a league source, Atlanta has agreed to terms on a 3 yr 18.5 deal for asante samuel,” McLane tweets.

The compensation to the Eagles is expected to be minimal, this should all but complete the trade. The last we heard, the Eagles were getting a sixth-round pick in this year’s Draft. Woo hoo.

It’s widely known that the Philadelphia Eagles are trying to move cornerback Asante Samuel. Fans know it, the media knows it, Asante knows it and dogs know it.

The Atlanta Falcons are the latest team interested and it sources tell Philly.com that trade compensation isn’t what is holding the deal up. Apparently, it’s Asante’s willingness to restructure his contract.

He’s slated to make some $10 million this season, and while he’s willing to rework his contract, he’d like to keep most of that $10 million. This is the same thing that held up a deal with the Denver Broncos recently.

Still, the Eagles would like to get him moved before the start of Thursday’s NFL Draft and are likely to get peanuts in return.

It’s been well known for a while now that the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to trade Asante Samuel. He has a $10.5 million cap number for 2012 and the team already has Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Plus, they tried to trade him last year to Detroit, but it fell through.

Now, CSN Philly‘s Derrick Gunn is told by sources that Samuel could be moved to the Tennessee Titans “some time in the next few days.” Gunn says it’s believed to be for a conditional third-round pick.

Photo Caption: The Titans could definitely use the kinds of big plays that Asante (left) brings to the table.

“At this point, the Philadelphia Eagles are driving the train,” said Samuel’s agent, Alonzo Shavers. “They don’t have to do anything. They have always been very professional about their business and we would expect them to continue to be.”

The Titans could use some cornerback help after they lost Cortland Finnegan to the St. Louis Rams. Asante is well known as one of the best play-making corners in the entire league.

The Philadelphia Eagles took a decent-sized gamble last year when they gave former New York Giants WR Steve Smith several million dollars. He was coming off of a serious knee injury and they didn’t really know what they were getting. What they did get, was a big waste of time. Smith was rarely on the field, and when he was, he was dropping passes.

Now, it’s the St. Louis Rams turn. According to Jim Thomas, the team has signed the formerly good wideout.

“Rams agree to terms with WR Steve Smith of Philadelphia and TE Matthew Mulligan of New York Jets,” he tweets.

Since the Rams are much more wide receiver-needy than the Eagles, maybe he’ll have a good chance for some playing time. Let’s just hope he doesn’t give the Rams the same kind of playing time that he gave the Eagles.

Everyone and their mother (which doesn’t always include Andy Reid) knew the Philadelphia Eagles needed to add at least one decent linebacker to their stable of awful linebackers. And there were several good ones on the free-agent market this offseason. Who would they get? Curtis Lofton? Stephen Tulloch? David Hawthorne?

None of the above? Nope, they’ll just steal an even better one from the Houston Texans. And that’s exactly what they did, they traded a fourth-round pick and swapped third rounders with the Texans, in exchange for DeMeco Ryans. Pretty good ripoff for the Birds.

And the Texans players themselves seem the most pissed off about it. Here are some texts that they sent to Houston Chronicle reporter Jerome Solomon:

“WTF!! You know what they are up to?”

“Damn, man, and they talk about loyalty.”

“Cold-blooded, man, cold-blooded. But Meco will be better off for it. He’s going to dominate in Philly.”

“They don’t what leadership means, do they? Bet they won’t finish No. 2 in defense next season.”

“It’s an ugly business. We’re not the same team without him. Gonna take a lot to replace Meco.”

Some players, as Solomon’s article notes, are publicly taking to Twitter to voice their opinions:

Owen Daniels: “Seriously? Meco too?”

Brian Cushing: “I wouldn’t be half the player or person I am today without @DRyans59 this one hurts. Philly got a unbelievable player and leader today. #59″

Glover Quin: “Honored to have had the chance to play with and learn from @DRyans59.. True leader and great person… Preciate you bro.”

Eric Winston (to Owen Daniels): “Watch you(r) back kid. @owendaniels you’re the last ’06 guy left.”

So, it would seem that just based on upon the reactions of Ryans’ former teammates, that the Eagles got one hell of a steal here.

The Philadelphia Eagles have had their share of ups and downs with WR DeSean Jackson. He can be a Jekyll-and-Hyde type of player, with amazing ups and frustrating downs.

So, that made it difficult when it came to negotiating a long-term deal. What’s he worth? On one hand, he’s absolutely electric and can cause major problems from anywhere on the field. On the other hand, he gets alligator arms and is clearly trying to just not get hurt.

The Eagles recently franchised him, hoping to work out a long-term deal, or even trade him if necessary. Well, the former has happened.

According to G. Cobb on Twitter, the Eagles have signed the speedy little wideout to a five-year, $51 million contract.

“It’s a five-year $51 million dollar deal,” G. tweets.

Who knows how much of that he’ll really get, as we haven’t heard what the guaranteed numbers are. I’m sure the Eagles have it in there that they can get rid of him if he becomes attitudinal or starts getting more concussions.

Regardless, this is a good thing for the Eagles. Our guess is that he’ll stop dogging it knowing he’s going to be paid regardless. He’s the anti-Albert Haynesworth if you will.

Now, one would assume that the Eagles will turn their attention to the contract of LeSean McCoy, who has just one year left on his deal.

One thing everyone in Philadelphia has known for the last couple years is that Eagles WR DeSean Jackson wasn’t happy with his contract. Yes, he was worth much more than his rookie contract money, but still, he went in the tank on the field and avoided any kind of contact whatsoever. This also led to awful dropped passes. So yeah, the Eagles weren’t dying to break the bank on him.

And now, it looks like the team and the player are headed towards the franchise tag, which will pay him close to $10 million for this season. However, that doesn’t mean that they plan on keeping him.

League sources tell Adam Schefter that the Eagles are “open to listening to trade offers” for the game-breaking wideout.

It’s not shocking. First of all, the Eagles always pick up their phone. If there is a deal out there that they think makes them better, they’ll consider it. And of course, the whole league knows that DeSean is not only a deadly weapon, but also a headache that the Eagles may have had enough of.

Would anyone give up a first-round pick for him? I would seriously doubt that unless their pick was at the bottom of the round and they were desperate for a playmaker on the outside. The Patriots would fit that profile, but I can’t see them doing that. Then again, they also added Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth at various times over the past few years, so who knows?

Unless someone blows them away, don’t expect the Eagles to hand DeSean over for nothing. I still have a feeling he’s coming back to Philly.

When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles and the re-signing of their own players, they usually lock up young talent early. They get them signed to long-term deals that are perhaps over market value at the time, thinking that they’ll be very good in a few years and then they’ll have them on the cheap.

That’s why it’s been relatively surprising that the Birds never extended the contract of DeSean Jackson. People in Philly have been yelling about this for a while now. Pay the man! Many blame the Eagles for Jackson’s turdish, “I can’t get hurt” style of play the last couple of years.

But, is it really their fault? According to Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, maybe it’s not.

Domowitch says that league sources tell him that “Jackson’s opinion of his worth continues to be night-and-day different from the Eagles’”

Jackson said that he wouldn’t mind being franchised and that’s not surprising. That would be a $9.5 million pay day and I can’t see the Eagles paying that. Jackson is a difference maker for sure, but he’s not Larry Fitzgerald and never will be.

Maybe Jackson is the big reason that Jackson hasn’t gotten paid.

The St. Louis Rams fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo last week after several terrible seasons. And even before they let him go, there was speculation that he could return to the Philadelphia Eagles – where he coached the linebackers before heading to the New York Giants to be their defensive coordinator – to replace Juan Castillo. Castillo was in charge of an Eagles defense this year that was awful.

But, for Eagles fans who can’t wait to see Castillo’s behind get hit by the door, you may get your wish.

NFLN‘s Albert Breer is reporting that Spagnuolo will be re-joining the Eagles later this week. But, we don’t know if it will be to replace Castillo as the defensive coordinator, or if he’ll be an assistant head coach. I have a tough time believing he’d accept a position in Philadelphia that wasn’t him running the defense. Don’t see it.

Right now, Andy Reid is on vacation and the Eagles have not commented on this report. We can’t imagine the team announcing anything until Reid gets back, so just expect more smoke and rumors until then.

You may remember back in 2006 when Jim Mora Sr., former head coach of the New Orleans Saints, went on the radio to talk about Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick. His son Jim Mora Jr., was the head coach at the time and there were issues then surrounding Vick that didn’t involve one dog biting the head off of another.

Vick was given a $100+ million contract from the Falcons and owner Arthur Blank had his back big time. But, while Vick had jaw-dropping ability, his awful attitude and approach to the game combined with his poor decision making on the field, were a big problem. With Vick, you had a chance to win any given game. But, chances are, this was not the guy that was going to take you to the promised land.

So, when Mora Sr. was asked if Vick was a coach killer back in 2006, he said that he was. The Falcons had a three-game losing streak, with Vick completing less than 50% of his passes and throwing more INT’s than TD’s during that stretch. Things weren’t looking good.

But, let’s quickly define why he was considered a coach killer. Basically, he was/is a guy, who is so immensely talented, but that you just can’t win with him. From management’s perspective, he is selling out your stadium left and right. The fans love him. They can’t get enough of him. He’s a marketer’s dream. Everyone is enamored with this player. He is making you tons of money. But, at the end of the day, he just doesn’t win enough. His style won’t allow it. And front office brass keeps thinking they need to find the right coach to come in and show this superhuman how to play football the right way, even if it’s not possible. Hence: Coach killer.

So then, of course, came the offseason and the dogfighting stuff for Vick. Which we’re all well aware of and he plead guilty and did a bunch of prison time then landed with the Philadelphia Eagles and blah blah blah.

He took over for an injured Kevin Kolb (thank god) in 2010 as the full time starter after doing a bunch of BS spot work in 2009 that was ridiculous. And during that 2010 season, he had a run that can only be considered magical. There was a stretch of about eight games where I can honestly say I’ve never seen the QB position played that well. His rifle passes were insanely accurate and he could still kill you with scrambling and broken-play runs. It was truly amazing.

But, it didn’t last. He ended 2010 struggling against the blitz and making one read and then taking off. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t the same guy we had seen previously playing at a level that maybe even the Falcons couldn’t have predicted when they traded up to make him the No. 1-overall player selected in the 2001 draft.

In 2011, the Philadelphia Eagles were staring down the barrel of the final year of his contract. He could either play with the franchise tag (they sure as hell weren’t sticking with Kolb. Thanks, Arizona), or get an extension. The Eagles chose the latter and signed him to another $100 million contract (even if some of it is typical NFL nonsense when talking about total value. But, you get the point.).

And in 2011, Vick regressed quite considerably. Maybe the Eagles didn’t expect him to play like the super stud that he was for much of the 2010 season, but they didn’t expect him to revert to full-on Atlanta days either. What they got this season was somewhere in between. But, it was closer to Atlanta Vick than 2010 Vick.

So then, the question still remains: Is Michael Vick a coach killer? Is he still someone that you just have to have out there due to his play-making ability, yet won’t win you anything in the end? And with Andy Reid’s record with quarterbacks and how well he gets them to perform, is it safe to say that this is as good as it gets? Vick’s goal after prison was to prove everyone wrong and to show people that he could come back from being incarcerated for about two years. Hasn’t he already technically done that? Is it possible that he’s content to collect his check at this point?

***** (I don’t really know what this means, but I see this crap inserted into lengthy articles in major magazines all the time)

After a huge free-agent spending spree this offseason (you know the names, Nnamdi, Babin, Jenkins, Brown, Young, Smith, etc), the Eagles were saddled with championship aspirations. And look, they were highly thought of regardless of what that Tyler Perry character Vince Young said about the “Dream Team.” Forget all of that. The bottom line is that everyone in the 215 area code thought that this team would win 11 games at a very minimum.

That is, until the season actually started and we got a whiff of the on-field product. The team ended up having to win its final four games against a slew of terrible quarterbacks just to get to 8-8.

And there were many reasons for the Eagles demise this season. But, the top two main reasons were Juan Castillo’s woefully deficient defense and the turnovers. Many of those turnovers had Michael Vick’s fingerprints all over them. He was intercepted 14 times and fumbled three more times. Some of those fumbles were the direct result of him being careless while running with the football (something he should be comfortable with by now).

Vick threw for 3,303 yards this season despite missing a few games with injury. He also had 18 touchdown passes and ran for another. But, let’s be clear, 3,000 yards is no more a bench mark for quarterbacks these days as 1,000 yards is for running backs or receivers. It’s a 16-game season in an offense-driven league. These aren’t the marks of a great season anymore. It’s not the early seventies and Dave Hampton isn’t killing himself to get 1,000 yards rushing anymore. Drew Brees shattered Dan Marino’s single-season passing record this year. Tom Brady beat it too. Drew Stafford had 5,000+ yards passing as well. And hell, Aaron Rodgers could have too if he didn’t sit out Week 17.

And, even if Vick didn’t miss those few games, he would have likely had a TD total in the low 20′s, with his INT’s rising too. We don’t know for sure, I’m just guessing. Regardless, these aren’t the stats of a franchise QB.

But, the truth is, he should be held responsible for missing those games anyway. You can’t blame players for getting hurt, but somehow you can blame Vick when he does. Do you know that the only time that Vick has played a full 16-game season was in that 2006 season when Jim Mora Sr. made his “coach killer” comment? That’s the only time? You’re supposed to rely on this guy? It’s not just that he’s injury prone, it’s that he does nothing to help himself stay healthy on the field.

He doesn’t slide at all and it’s maddening. It’s not just that he doesn’t slide, it’s that he says he can’t slide. That he doesn’t know how. The Falcons had brought in former Atlanta Brave Terry Pendleton to help him slide and apparently that didn’t work. I, for one, am not buying that raft of crap at all. You’re going to tell me that one of the most amazing athletes on the planet can’t do something athletically that Drew Bledsoe could? Puh-lease. It’s absolute nonsense and it’s a major flaw in his game because you just cannot count on this guy for a full slate of games.

It’s easy to look at the Eagles season and point the finger at Juan Castillo and his lousy defense as the main culprit in their horrific 8-8 season (he gets a heavy dose of blame from me). He was the Peter Principle personified and it would be a crime against humanity for Andy Reid to keep him around another season.

However, let’s go back to those turnovers and the role they played. The Eagles committed 36 turnovers this year. 36! 2.25 a game! Without looking it up, I find it tough to believe that you’re going to find too many Super Bowl winners with that many turnovers. You simply can’t win in the NFL doing that. Plain and simple. And you could probably go back and look and take away a couple Vick interceptions and this team makes the playoffs. Not to put the whole season on him, but when you are paid this kind of money to QB a team, you’re going to shoulder the brunt of the blame. Donovan did, Vick can too.

If it wasn’t for the final four-game win streak against future Hall of Famers such as Matt Moore/J.P. Losman, Mark Sanchez, Stephen McGee and Rex Grossman, there is a good chance that Reid would be gone. And the organization’s commitment to an undisciplined turnover machine like Vick would have to be a big reason.

After seeing Vick’s rocket-ship development as a quarterback in 2010 under Reid, we all thought that his Atlanta days were in the past. But, he reverted to those days relatively quickly in 2011 and was back to his old ways of not going through all of his progressions, turning the ball over too much, and getting hurt. Wonderful.

So, was Jim Mora right? Is Vick still nothing more than a coach killer? A guy who’s athletic gifts command tons of money, but will ultimately sink the whole ship with injuries, inconsistency and mental mistakes? I guess we’ll have to ask Andy after the 2012 season, which will be his last if Vick plays like he did in 2011.

We all know how unhappy Philadelphia Eagles CB Asante Samuel has been this year. The team went out and traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (which didn’t specifically piss him off) and then signed big-ticket free agent Nnamdi Asomugha (that pissed him off). Then there were all the rumors in training camp – and later in the season as well – that Birds were trying to deal Asante.

And, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, they got awfully close.

Sources tell McLane that back in August, the Eagles pretty much had a deal in place with the Detroit Lions that would have sent Asante packing in exchange for two second-day picks. With the new three-day draft format, that would mean second- and/or third-round picks. The deal was far enough along, according to McLane, that the Lions called Samuel.

But, the deal eventually fell through for one reason or another (McLane hears it wasn’t about compensation) and best of all, Asante was well aware that they tried to deal him. This displeased Asante.

Expect Eagles general managing “wizard” Howie Roseman to try to deal him again this offseason. With his salary jumping up to $8.4 million next year, expect them to get even less than they would have gotten from the Lions. Then again, if Drew Brees carves them up on Sunday, maybe they’ll be eager to acquire the little playmaker.

Not sure to what extent I believe this, but I’m going to pass it along. Anthony Gargano of 94 WIP in Philadelphia, says that radio host Mike Francessa is saying that Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie called San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos and told him that he won’t have access to Andy Reid.

Basically, get your hands off of my coach if you plan to fire A.J. Smith and head coach Norv Turner. Francessa is saying that that’s the reason that both Turner and Smith stayed.

So, you didn’t fire your head coach and GM because there was only one guy on planet Earth that you think is better? Anything is possible, but that doesn’t make a ton of sense.

But, anyway, Lurie just announced that Andy Reid will be back for next year, so all you people who can’t stand Reid, get ready for at least another season.

According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Asante Samuel has been ruled out for the Eagles game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Not that it really matters, if any game could possibly mean absolutely nothing, it’s this Eagles/Redskins game.

But, the bigger question is, does this mean that Asante is finished with the Eagles?

Sure, he’s under contract, but how many corners do the Eagles need? They traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the offseason and he’s been a complete bust. However, he was also playing in the slot a lot even though he has no experience doing that.

They also signed Nnamdi Asomugha this offseason and he’s not going anywhere.

Clearly, having three great corners doesn’t help much because the Eagles will be watching the post-season at home. There are tons of teams that would love to have Asante and the Eagles could use the extra money and cap space elsewhere.

Not to mention the team has most likely tried to trade him anyway. The fact that they couldn’t doesn’t mean that Asante’s spot in Philly is safe. With all the talk of DeSean Jackson moving on after this year, I think it’s more likely that Asante leaves.

The Dallas Cowboys have three pretty lethal wide receivers in Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and now Laurent Robinson (who they target the hell out of). The Philadelphia Eagles have three excellent cornerbacks (supposedly) in Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Should be a great matchup, right?

Not exactly.

The Eagles have ruled out Samuel, who injured his hamstring against the New York Jets last week.

Photo Caption: It is next to impossible to replace this kind of production.

So, that means that DRC will be starting in his place. The good thing is that DRC is a natural outside corner and actually pretty much blows in the nickel, where they’ve forced him most of this season.

And that means a more natural nickel/slot corner, Joselio Hanson, will be playing in the middle. That’s a good thing for him, because he sucks donkey balls when he has to play on the outside.

Pretty much everyone in the NFC East not named the Washington Redskins is fighting for their playoff lives. The Dallas Cowboys are no different as they prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

The bad news is that the Eagles already pasted them once this season back at the Linc. The worse news is that the Cowboys could be down to their very last running back…and he was on the street a few weeks ago.

Fragile Felix Jones missed practice again on Wednesday with hamstring issues, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

“#Dallas #Cowboys RB Felix Jones not on the practice field again this morning. Had tightness in his hamstring Tuesday,” George tweets.

That would leave them with just old-ass Sammy Morris against an Eagles defense that’s been run all over for most of the year.

But, even if Jones does play, how many runs will he get before he pulls up lame or injures another part of his body?

In case you haven’t noticed, Philadelphia Eagles fans are pretty sick of head coach Andy Reid. They’ve been calling for his ouster for years now, but it seems like this time they mean it. Chants of “Fire Andy!” reigned down from the stands when the Eagles took a royal dump on the field against the New England Patriots just a couple of weeks ago. It brought back memories of Joe Kuharich.

The Eagles, under Reid, have had some high-flying, finesse offenses to go with some aggressive, vicious defenses. That is…until Jim Johnson died. Since then, they’ve had horrific defenses run by a guy who wasn’t ready at the time and now an offensive line coach. Recipe for success!

So, Eagles fans want Andy gone, but the next question is: who are you going to replace him with? Some want Bill Cowher, others have said Jon Gruden. I don’t want either of them. Don’t forget that Steelers fans wanted Cowher gone for a long time too, until he was finally able to win a Super Bowl. And if Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t tackle Nick Harper or if Vanderjagt doesn’t completely blow that field goal at the end, are we talking about how great Cowher is? Nope.

Gruden won a Super Bowl title too…with Tony Dungy’s defense. I don’t think his offense with Brad Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson (no relation) would have beaten the Raiders. How many defensive TD’s did they have that game? Exactly.

That’s not to say Gruden and Cowher aren’t good/great coaches, I just think they get a little overhyped.

I’m thinking the Eagles need a culture change. Someone the opposite of Andy who could come in and energizing the fan base. Now, is energizing the fan base a way to win games? No. But, you could certainly make a lot of money with an energized base and football is indeed a business.

So, who would be the best guy who could come in hungry, fix a woeful defense and bring back the attitude that has been missing from the Eagles the past couple years?

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Yes, he’s brash, he’s sloppy, he’s arrogant…but that might be just what the Eagles need next year. He definitely wants to be a head coach somewhere and what better place than Philly?

Don’t forget, it’s not just what he brings to the table as a coach that would get these fans riled up. He’s Buddy Ryan’s son. Buddy Ryan, the most beloved Eagles coach of all time (this is assuming that people have gotten over Greasy Neal and Buck Shaw). He never won so much as a playoff game, but the fans don’t care about that. They loved him. He was foul-mouthed, he called out his players, he didn’t shake hands with the opposing coach…he had that Philly attitude. And they loved him for it.

Rob doesn’t fall far from the tree, as neither does his twin brother Rex. And Eagles fans would go ballistic if Ryan was the next head coach. The fans would love it because they would feel a way that they’ve never felt before: that ownership was listening to them.

Some might say, ‘but Micah, Ryan runs a 3-4 and the Eagles have 4-3 personnel.” To that I say, “Not really.” Think about it, the Eagles have been drafting for the 3-4 defense for years despite not actually running it. How many undersized defensive lineman have they brought in, who actually would be much better off being linebackers in the 3-4? Tons! They have a ton of undersized guys on the defense. Sure, they’d need to find a nose tackle (not exactly easy) and listen to Ryan when he says that linebackers are actually important, but it can be done.

Look, Andy Reid hasn’t even lost his job at this point, so this is total speculation. But, I see a hard-ass coach who wants desperately to be the main guy in charge. I see an Eagles franchise that has a growing disconnect with their loyal fan base as each awful loss gets thrown on to the pile. This would be a perfect fit for both parties.

Of course, this would also hinge on Ryan’s current contract and whether or not Jerry Jones would let him interview for a head coaching vacancy within the division (that doesn’t exist yet). But, many times owners will allow their guys to spread their wings and go elsewhere if it means they are advancing their careers. Doesn’t mean Jerry would let him talk to the Eagles though, and this is all hypothetical anyway.

So, would you do it if you were Jeffery Lurie and Joe Banner?

Have you seen this yet? Yep, this is what the 2011 season has come down to for the Philadelphia Eagles. Even little kids know they blow.

Thanks to Anthony for passing this along.

This little kid is balling over the thrashing that the New England Patriots gave to his Eagles last Sunday. We think there were probably even some adults in the Delaware Valley behaving like this and rightly so.

But, this kid doesn’t take his frustrations out on his worthless team. Nope, he blames the guy who ruined the Eagles last week: Tom Brady.

Watch as this kid melts down as Brady carves up the Eagles defense.

The New York Giants were visibly pissed off when Steve Smith signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had a knee problem and wasn’t expected to be able to play until Week 6 or so, even though that turned out to not be the case.

The Giants say that Smith’s agent said that the team would be able to match any contract offers that he got. Smith’s camp says that that’s not the case. And so, Smith ended up signing a two-year deal with the Eagles.

However, Smith has been a complete stink bomb for Philadelphia this season, dropping passes and falling to the ground yards short of the first down marker on third down. He’s awful. And that’s in addition to the fact that the Eagles are deep at WR and Smith doesn’t even get on the field most of the time.

And according to Adam Schefter, people who know Smith say that he’d love to return to the Giants next year. They say that he thinks the Giants are the best fit for him.

Gee, do you think so? You mean the Eagles were a bad idea when you are playing to show the rest of the NFL that you are healed and back to your 107-catch self? Why is that? Because the Eagles already have DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and third-down specialist Jason Avant? This is crazy!

With the way Smith has played for the Eagles, there is a very real chance he’ll get the opportunity to sign with the Giants next year.

The Philadelphia Eagles tried to fib to the media and fans this week after QB Michael Vick busted two ribs in last Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Marty Mornhinweg in particular tried to say that he was “optimistic” that Vick would be able to play against the New York Giants.

The Eagles even stink at lying now.

Vick has been downgraded to out and will not play this week. Something anyone with half a brain already knew.

In related news, Jeremy Maclin has been dealing with injuries of his own. He has a bum shoulder and balky hamstring, and he has also been downgraded to out.

Vince Young will start at QB, while Riley Cooper will take Maclin’s first team reps at wide receiver. Expect a healthy dose of Steve Smith too.

The Philadelphia Eagles just don’t have it this year. After their “Dream Team” nonsense and all the hype that went with it, this has been a relatively poor team. They are 3-6 and not showing any signs of hope.

Now, throw in the injuries that come with playing an NFL season. Vince Young is most likely to start in place of Michael Vick (ribs) on Sunday night against the New York Giants, and it looks like they won’t have their top wideout too (not you, DeSean).

Following a tweet about Vick not being at practice on Friday, beat write Jeff McLane sent out this tweet:

“No Jeremy Maclin either.”

Okaaaayyyy….so he’s not even out there at practice? Not even watching? Doesn’t look for for this week then. He’s got shoulder and hamstring issues and it seems that Riley Cooper will start in his place.

Fantasy wise, do you trust Riley Cooper catching passes from Vince Young? Ugh. Maclin will screw a lot of fantasy owners this week for sure.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick busted two ribs in Sunday’s awesome loss to the mighty Arizona Cardinals. Andy Reid says it happened on the second play of the game, but no one is buying that and there is a cloud of mystery around the whole situation.

Vick hasn’t been practicing and Vince Young has been taking the practice reps with the one’s. It’s widely believed that Vick has no chance to play against the New York Giants on Sunday night.

However, Marty Mornhinweg is playing the “look at us being all secretive and playing games” card by putting it out there that Vick could play. He says that he is “optimistic” that Vick will be able to play this week.

“He’s a tough guy and he wants to play. He’s tough mentally and physically and he’s doing everything he can, so we’ll see,” Mornhinweg said.

Uh-huh.

Look for Vince Young to be under center on Sunday night.

This past offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles had two “starting caliber” quarterbacks in theory. They had former second-round pick Kevin Kolb, and guy who was Superman for much last year, Michael Vick. Both on the final year of their contracts, one of them had to go.

After careful and thoughtful deliberation for all of about three, three-and-a-half seconds, it was decided that Kolb would go. So, as soon as the lockout was lifted, Kolb was sent to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick. Considering the performances of Kolb and DRC so far this year, that second-round pick is looking like the real hero right now.

Cromartie is lazy and ineffective for a guy who was Pro Bowl caliber in 2008. And he’s not just a turd on the field, he feels the need to complain off of it as well. He was asked about playing the slot seeing as how the Eagles have Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel playing on the outside.

“Am I mad? Yeah,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I would like to be outside.”

Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why you quit on plays. The slot may not be your ideal role to utilize your phenomenal closing speed, but you can still try. I’ve seen him walking numerous times.

That said, he still sounds a little salty about being traded from Arizona in the first place.

“They know what they had,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I was there. I mean, shoot, it’s a business. It’s going to be fun to go against them. You take that trade and put it in your mindset but at the same time I’m not going to allow it to have an effect on the outcome of playing this game. It’s going to be good to see some of my old teammates and friends. But at the same time it’s business.”

After watching Monday night’s ground gashing by the Chicago Bears, one would think that the Philadelphia Eagles would jump at the chance to add one of the best defensive tackles in the last decade. Sure enough, one came loose yesterday when the New England Patriots released Albert Haynesworth.

But, Haynesworth was cut for a reason, he’s dogging it on just about every play. And according to Eagles beat writer Geoff Mosher, the team isn’t interested.

“BTW-Told also that #Eagles won’t try to sign Haynesworth if he passes through waivers, per team source,” Mosher tweets.

The Eagles could desperately use a force in the middle of their defense. Cullen Jenkins has not been the force that he was to open the season. He’s still a very nice player, but if you could plug in Haynesworth from 2007 into the mix, that would change things dramatically.

Problem is, that guy is most likely long gone and the Eagles know it. Hell, Stevie Wonder knows it. Haynesworth has enough money and doesn’t care to try anymore.

Of the many story lines that have surrounded the Philadelphia Eagles (and there have been a ton), one of the big ones has been the contract of DeSean Jackson. It’s a tricky situation because he really is a boom or bust player. But, the boom is so big that he warrants a decent payday. Not Larry Fitzgerald type of payday, but he does deserve more than the second-round rookie contract money of about $600,000 that he’s getting this season.

Good news for DeSean and Eagles fans who want the man to get paid. Geoff Mosher of the News Journal of Wilmington, says that the two sides talked moolah during the bye week.

“I’m told the sides are talking, had discussions during bye week,” Mosher tweets.

There is a deadline for new contract of November 14th to get any of that money into this year’s cap. So, one would think that if a new deal does get done, it should happen fairly soon.

A big game against the Dallas Cowboys should help things move a little quicker.

In yet another example of the problems in the Philadelphia Eagles organization, we now see that yet another rookie thinks that they know the lay of the land in Philly. A couple weeks ago, it was rookie C Jason Kelce getting upset at the anti-Andy Reid signs outside of the NovaCare Complex.

Look, you people have been here for one year…not even. I’m not defending the behavior of Eagles fans, but they’ve been here a lot longer than you. Don’t stroll into town after a few games and act like you know the deal. You don’t.

The latest offender? Brian Rolle, a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State who apparently doesn’t appreciate any disdain for his head coach.

“I almost slapped this dude who just said “im not an eagles fan until they get rid of the coach”…….#RealTalk,” Rolle tweeted, using a series of periods to take up his 140 characters.

Do I think that you really would have slapped him, Brian? No. But, to act like you can understand the relationship between Andy Reid and the fans of Philadelphia after being here since April? When you were locked away from the team for much of that time? Puh-lease.

I’m not defending Andy Reid. I have my own set of issues with him and the list has gotten much longer in the past year. But, for Brian Rolle, who is only a starter in the NFL because the Eagles have such horrific linebackers, to essentially say that these fans need to get a life?

You have to be out of your mind. Brian, you and people like Jason Kelce have no clue what the Eagles organization, fans and media have gone through since 1999. I’m not saying it’s all bad. Not at all. But, you just don’t know. To quote Jim Mora: “”You. Don’t. Know. You think you know, but you just don’t know. And you never … will.”

Maybe the “never will” part isn’t true, but as of now…You. Don’t. Know.

So f’ing zip it and try playing some defense.

#RealTalk

After the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Nnamdi Asomugha and traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Asante Samuel immediately became the subject of trade speculation. Whether or not the Eagles were actively shopping him at that point, we don’t know. But the topic came up again prior to last Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

And as far as Asante is concerned, it wasn’t just media rumors. He feels like the Eagles don’t want him, and he doesn’t like it.

“Definitely, it doesn’t sit well with me,” Samuel said. “Definitely, I’ve been nothing but what they expected me to be when they brought me there. . . . Definitely, it doesn’t sit well with me. And obviously they don’t want me there, so life goes on. So we’ll see where I’ll be at.”

However, just because the team doesn’t want him, he says that it won’t affect his play.

“Well, as long as I’m getting paid I’m gonna do my job,” Samuel continued. “So whoever [is] cutting the check, I do my job. . . . So I’m not worried about that. I just know in the back of my head they don’t want me there. So, you know, that’s not gonna leave. They put it out there so everybody could know that, so I know that and everybody knows that. So it’s in the back of my head. And Asante Samuel is a business entity first, so I’m going to make sure I handle my business accordingly.”

And it’s only the bye-week for the Eagles! Not only is their play on the field lacking big time, their locker room ain’t exactly harmonious either.

File this under “WOW.” The Philadelphia Eagles tried to trade Ronnie Brown to the Detroit Lions this week for Jerome Harrison and a seventh-round pick.

The trade was canceled and Brown was returned to the Eagles because Harrison failed a physical. This was odd to most because Harrison wasn’t on the Week 6 injury report. What the hell could be wrong with him?

Well, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Harrison’s physical revealed a brain tumor. Wow. That’s some major, major stuff.

Think about it, this trade could have saved Harrison’s life. I don’t know the extent or size of the tumor, but if he hadn’t been traded, who knows how long it could have gone undiagnosed.

Stay tuned on this one even though we probably won’t keep you posted.

Updating a previous item where we discussed whether or not Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Howard Mudd could be the fall guy for an awful, awful, defense, we pass along another interesting nugget that could ultimately lead to his demise in Philadelphia. Mudd, according to NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is undergoing hip-replacement surgery during the Eagles’ bye week (this was reported several weeks ago, but it really wasn’t relative until the Eagles continued to stink up the joint with four losses in a row).

OTR spoke with a source familiar with the Eagles thinking who made a great point: Mudd’s hip-replacement surgery could be the catalyst that drives him out of town. Hip replacements are no joke (especially for a 69-year old) and they could use this surgery as an excuse as to why he can’t continue coaching. Heck, it might not even be nonsense, it could be the truth. But the team could always spin it however they want, and to be honest, Mudd might not even care. He last coached for the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 and had to be coaxed out of retirement to take the Eagles job. So, really, how much would he care if he had to retire again? Probably not much.

Photo Caption: Looks like a nice guy.

And remember, Andy Reid said that the only reason Juan Castillo was available to be moved to defensive coordinator was because of Mudd’s unretiring. So…this would be the perfect excuse to end Castillo’s horrific charade as defensive coordinator and move him back to o-line coach without really having to admit that they pulled an “Arrested Development” and made a huge mistake.

After all, they could always tell us that it’s much easier to find a defensive coordinator than a good offensive line coach. And let’s be honest, this team needs a very good offensive line coach right now. They have no continuity, are littered with injuries, have a lot of youth and have guys playing out of position all over that line. This team needs someone to put that all together.

Whether Castillo is the guy to do it or not would remain to be seen. But, clearly, the players have not taken a liking to Howard Mudd, so that might factor into the decision.

Regardless, big changes have to be coming for the Eagles during the bye week. Whether they use the players’ agitation with Mudd or his hip-replacement surgery as an excuse, one would have to think that changes are coming barring a dominating, 2010 Monday Night Football-style beatdown of the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

We don’t think that the team will fire Andy Reid during the season just out of respect, but then again, this is the Philadelphia Eagles we’re talking about and they surprise us constantly. But, we have a hunch that Castillo and Mudd won’t be in their same exact roles when the Birds host the Cowboys coming out of the bye.

We aren’t reporting that; it’s just a hunch.

The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-4 and the team is in disarray. They can’t stop the run, can’t tackle, can’t get one yard when they need it, can’t stop turning the ball over, can’t protect Vick…etc. This team has problems.

One of the biggest problems is the offensive line. Between injuries, inexperience and no continuity, the line’s problems run deep. And we saw this report on PFT today, where a source told the site that the guys on the line are resisting his coaching methods.

Many people took this as the players were hesitant to buy into his system, but that’s not the case.

OTR did a little digging and spoke to a source who said that story isn’t news. We were told that some of the guys on the line (we won’t mention the one guy that we were specifically told) hate his guts. He’s an old school line coach who probably has a harsh coaching method and some guys don’t care for it.

So, it’s not news to those with the team, but did that story leak out now for a reason? Is there a reason that it made it’s way to PFT now?

It could just be coincidence, but it’s entirely possible that the Eagles are greasing the PR skids in preparation for dealing with the Juan Castillo mess. Castillo was the offensive line coach for a very long time before Andy Reid inexplicably made him his defensive coordinator. It’s one of the most ridiculous moves we’ve seen by a head coach in recent memory. Seriously. Like “are you trying to get yourself fired, Andy?” ridiculous.

So, by getting this story out now about the players not responding to his coaching style, they can be preparing the public for Howard Mudd to take the fall. This is kind of conspiracy theory stuff, but it makes does make some sense. Mudd gets fired and they tell us that it just didn’t work out (the line is a mess for a variety of reasons, but he’s ultimately in charge of it). Then they can tell us that Castillo was doing a fine job as defensive coordinator, but that the team really needs him to go back and coach the offensive line now. It’s not that the move was a monumental mistake (it was), it’s just that the team needs him more as he o-line coach.

There were already rumors last week of the Eagles speaking with potential candidates to be a defensive consultant. Rumors that the Eagles denied. But, with the bye week coming up after a visit to the Washington Redskins, that makes this idea all the more interesting. When do big in-season changes tend to happen in the NFL? The bye week. It could turn into the buh-bye week in Philadelphia for some people, specifically Mudd.

And let’s be honest, do we know how good Howard Mudd really is? He’s been around the game for a long time and had tremendous success in Indianapolis with the Colts.

But, let’s look at what Mudd had in Indy:

-An offensive line that was together for quite some time and played very well together.
-A QB who read blitzes five plays before they were even called and got the ball out immediately.

The Eagles do not have any of that. They have no two linemen playing next to each other from last year. They are on their third left tackle this season if Todd Herremans does play there this week with the injury to King Dunlap. They have a rookie center and a rookie right guard. They have a free agent left guard in Evan Mathis. And, they didn’t have the benefit of offseason workouts.

Recipe for success!

And how about Michael Vick? He doesn’t read blitzes very well, he holds the ball too long and he runs after making one read. It’s not easy to block for a guy like this when you don’t know where he is at any given moment.

So, knowing these things, how can we expect Mudd to be in a position for success?

The truth is, he can’t really. It’s a bad situation that’s a part of a bunch of more bad situations that plague this football team. And the truth is, defense is probably the biggest shortcoming on this team. Actually, it definitely is. And the fact that Castillo is the defensive coordinator is one of the highlights of those problems. He needs to be removed, but simply firing him tells everyone what they already knew: “The promotion was a huge mistake that should have never been made and it may have cost us our season.”

The Eagles don’t like to do that. So if they can make sure that the stories are getting out to let the people know that Mudd is the problem, they can potentially save face in the Castillo situation.

Of course, this is pure speculation.