Meetings notebook: Easing the Eagles' pain
KAPALUA, Hawaii – For once, Andy Reid looked totally relaxed, leaning back in a chair, pointing out humpback whales off the Maui coastline or marveling at geckos in nearby trees. Yes, his Philadelphia Eagles lost the Super Bowl, but torment hadn't exactly chased him into the offseason.
"I haven't felt it as much for the Super Bowl as I did the [losses in the NFC] title games," Reid said during breakfast Wednesday morning. "Especially that third title game. That was like striking out. This one here we at least got up in there and gave it a pretty good shot. Was it a disappointment? Yeah, it was a disappointment. But I haven't felt like it's been a lingering disappointment."
Not that it should be. Not when Reid looks across the NFL landscape and sees the league powers hitting speed bumps every other week. In the AFC, the New England Patriots are in the process of replacing invaluable roster and coaching staff pieces, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a handful of key offensive players stolen in free agency. In the NFC, not a single team has made an overwhelming move to elevate itself to Philadelphia's plateau. And for Reid, that's not even the good news.
The real boon – the stuff that has Reid calm, collected and cooing over nature at this week's round of owners meetings – is that the Eagles are on the verge of making themselves better than ever. Not only has Philadelphia retained almost all of the major players from last season's Super Bowl team, the coaching staff is untouched. Better yet, all the Eagles really need is quality, young depth. And in a stroke of serendipity, they are holding an NFL-leading 13 choices in next month's draft.
"You've got those five first-day picks – that's a nice number," Reid said. "I think if you just stayed where you are without moving [up in the draft] you'd get some pretty good players."
Those picks are more than enough to replenish the losses of defensive end Derrick Burgess, offensive tackle Jermane Mayberry and utility linebacker Ike Reese. In fact, the departure of Burgess may not even need to be addressed, since it opens up an opportunity for former first-round pick Jerome McDougle to step into the starting lineup – something the coaching staff is anxious to see the former University of Miami product do.
It's doubtful the Eagles will hang on to all 13 picks. The likely plan of action will see Philadelphia using its wealth of ammunition to move up on occasion to snatch the players it has been eyeing – guys like Washington offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, a player who has impressed the Eagles but who most likely will be gone by the 31st pick. Even in the worst-case scenario, Reid believes Philadelphia could use every pick simply to select the best available player in hopes of strengthening the team across the board – adding to the already young spine that should have the Eagles in Super Bowl contention through the end of the decade.
And since it's always worth asking, he's not remotely worried about wide receiver Terrell Owens, who has had the screws removed from his ankle and is once again working out full bore. After nurturing along Brett Favre and Sterling Sharpe during his days in Green Bay, Reid thinks Owens' on-field rapport with quarterback Donovan McNabb is ready to jump another level. Think Steve Young-Jerry Rice. Reid talks about the duo being exactly that strong mentally and physically.
"I loved the way [Owens] approached the injury," Reid said. "He had no doubt from Day 1 that he was going to be able to play in the Super Bowl. Whether it was right or wrong, he had no doubt. He was driven to do everything possible to get to that game. And he wore [trainer] Rick Burkholder out."
Funny thing – Reid smiles constantly when he talks about Owens and gushes about him as he never has with another player. And he does so to the point that all of last year's speculation about their relationship possibly turning prickly almost seems absurd. Then again, Reid seems to know deep down that Owens gave him something he has never had before: peace of mind in the offseason. It's peace of mind knowing that Philadelphia is poised to take the next leap and win a Super Bowl.
For Reid, that's the tantalizing thought. And without a doubt, it's a far better offseason than the torment he was forced to experience only one year ago.
WIND SPRINTS
The NFL's May meetings in Washington, D.C., have certainly taken on a more robust tone, because so little was actually sorted out at these meetings. Not only will there be an update on commissioner Paul Tagliabue's arm twisting to get some progress among the owners in the collective bargaining discussions but also the league will be addressing Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice's Super Bowl ticket scalping scandal, the television packages and some concrete stadium proposals for a Los Angeles franchise.
As for Tice, he wasn't going to touch his scalping investigation with a 10-foot pole. In fact, in a scene that was mildly funny, he wouldn't even say the word "ticket." Instead, he merely said (between the lines) that he was sorry he opened his mouth about the mess in the first place.
"I'm not going to answer any questions about the other thing," Tice said. "I talked to the league. I've said enough, obviously, like I normally do, and I'm going to respond to that when the league finishes [its] side of it."
One NFC coach who has been paying attention to the workout circuit said Wednesday that he believes the San Francisco 49ers have settled on Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the No. 1 overall pick, and although 49ers coach Mike Nolan wouldn't say it, he sounded like Rodgers had clearly put himself at the top of the San Francisco draft board, ahead of Utah quarterback Alex Smith.
"Aaron is certainly ahead of Alex because of the style of offense he ran," Nolan said. "Alex was doing a lot of things in the workout that he really hadn't done for two or three years. He did take a drop but it was a little different. The mechanics of coming out from beneath the center and setting and throwing is not as good. Both of them are very accurate and have been throughout their college careers. The difference in Aaron at this point is because he's been doing those types of things physically."
As for Smith, another head coach suggested that the Miami Dolphins could pull a surprise and take the Ute with the No. 2 pick in the draft – despite their obvious need for a running back. The reasoning? The draft is deep enough that Miami could pick up a running back in a later round, or deal for Buffalo's Travis Henry, and fill two needs with quality players.
One certainty is that Smith might fall fast if he gets by the Cleveland Browns at the third pick, possibly to Arizona at No. 8 overall. That would, for the second straight season, pair Kurt Warner with a hotshot rookie.
Interesting things overheard Wednesday morning …
Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, talking about his 6-10 performance last season, and once again being at the mercy of a fickle fan base: "Being a coach of a football team is a little like being in a foxhole. It puts you on your knees. There's a lot of praying and it could go off at any time."
Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, talking about former wide receiver and former first-round draft choice David Terrell, who was released after four mediocre seasons with the Bears: "Salary comes into play and David sees himself as a No. 1 receiver. I think sometimes divorce is good. It's a necessary evil."
Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, reacting to the news that the Arizona Cardinals and coach Dennis Green had agreed to play one of their home games next season in Mexico City: "I told Denny I want to play him the next week."
New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett, on why he wants the Saints to give him a contract extension, despite not making the playoffs the last four seasons: "I'm not going to go through what I went through last year. I'm not going to subject myself to that. The first thing the media does is they get a list together of the coaches that are next to get fired. As soon as the first coach gets fired, they move on to the next guy. I'm not going to subject myself to it. I'm not going to subject my family to it. And I'm not going to subject the coaching staff to it. I think it should be like a college coach, where you're on a four-year contract. I think that will squash all the naysayers."
And finally, Reid, who said he'd wear tights if Owens reached his goal of 15 touchdown catches last season, has come up with a new wager: "This year, I'm going to streak."
