Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Eternal Dream For A #1 Wideout

Memo to Andy Reid, Jeffrey Lurie and the rest of the Eagles' brain trust... look, this sad and constant mewling sound from the fan base for a big-name wideout? It's never going to go away until you, well, get another one. You've given #5 just one guy that anyone would consider this in his time here, and I understand he went crazy traitor loco and ruined you forever about stars at the position and all, but it's time to turn the page.

Oh, and growing your own isn't going to work, at least not in this media market. The way to grow a #1 is to have one in the first place, and then have the #2 learn and compete and grow from him, a la Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison.

It's completely OK to import one. The Giants did with Plax Burress. The Patriots did with Randy Moss. And yes, I know, you tried to get the latter and he didn't take your money, but that doesn't mean you can just pack your tent and hope that Don can do for Reggie Brown what he did with James Thrash and Todd Pinkston in the day. (In case anyone has any doubt that Don is the best QB in the history of the franchise and a worthy HOF QB, please consider that he got to multiple NFC championship games with... *that* as his starting wideouts. Chad Lewis was the best pass catcher on those teams. Scary.) The conference was weaker then, Don was more of a threat to run, and the world was different, in that teams didn't run so many plays from shotgun, making your WRs mission critical.

So, there's this Boldin fellow in Arizona. He's unhappy. He wants a trade. The Cardinals say they won't trade him, but we all know that an unhappy WR can move mountains.

We also know that while the Eagles don't absolutely need him to win their division, he'd make things a hell of a lot easier, in that he'd actually provide the team some small amount of, you know, margin for error. Look at the picture again: Boldin is catching a ball that he shouldn't have any business catching. When is the last time any of your current WRs did that? (Answer: about the last time that Eagles fans weren't puling for a #1 WR.)

So... why not just get us what we want and shut us up?

Ed. Note and Update... Kevin Curtis, the ostensible #1, has a sports hernia and will miss at least the opener. Having had one of these myself, I wouldn't count on him for at least a month.

With Curtis out, Reid said the team would not pursue a trade for another receiver. Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett will split time in Curtis' absence opposite the team's other starting receiver -- Reggie Brown. -- AP report

Um, yay. Really, yay. Because the guys that weren't good enough to start can definitely step up to 1/2 status. GAHHHH....

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