A Super Bowl In Philadelphia?

One of the items that came out of Commissioner Roger Goodell's state of the league press conference late last week was his support for awarding Super Bowl XLVIII to the Giants' and Jets' new stadium in 2014.

"I think there are real benefits to the league considering this as an option," Goodell said. "I think the idea of playing in the elements is central to the way the game of football is played. I think being able to do that and celebrate the game of football in the No. 1 market could have tremendous benefits to the league going forward."

The league broke precedent by allowing the Meadowlands Stadium Company to make a bid to host the game, an indication that they are open to the idea of playing the game in a cold weather venue. They are competing against Miami, Glendale, Arizona and either Houston or Tampa for the right to host the game.

Gary Myers of the New York Daily News says Patriots owner Robert Kraft will lobby other owners for it, but Steelers owner Dan Rooney has a big problem with playing the most important game of the year in potentially cold and nasty weather.

Even though the new Giants-Jets Stadium will have no roof, Goodell gave every indication he's on board. Even though he doesn't have a vote and says he must remain neutral, his endorsement may be the deciding factor. The Meadowlands bid would need 75 percent of the 32 votes to win the rights to the 2014 game. The vote will be held during the league meetings in Dallas in late May.

How this plays out bears watching, considering that the city of Philadelphia -- and Lincoln Financial Field -- is less than a two-hour ride down the turnpike from the Meadowlands. The city of Philadelphia was recently named one of 18 finalist U.S. cities to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Lincoln Financial Field, which opened in 2003, has played host to a pair of NFC title games as well as international soccer matches.

Support for a Meadowlands-hosted Super Bowl could have a ripple effect on those outdoor Northeast and Mid-Atlantic cities that have dreamed of hosting the league's biggest game. And imagine the economic impact on those regions.

-- Posted by Bob Kent, 8:16 a.m., February 9

Westbrook Confident McNabb Will Return

Brian Westbrook has laid low so far in the off-season. He's been relaxing at his 23-acre horse farm in Maryland ordering tractors and manure spreaders. No lie.

Two concussions severely limited Westbrook's impact on the field in 2009. Westbrook played in eight games and had 274 rushing yards - the fewest since his rookie year of 2002 - and 181 receiving yards with just one total touchdown. Westbrook spoke with former Eagle Blaine Bishop, who is now a sports talk host for WGFX in Nashville, and he discussed how he has his eyes set on coming back to make a difference in 2010.

"I'm just trying to enjoy this off-season and get ready for this next upcoming season," Westbrook said.

Of course, everyone has had an opinion about what the Eagles will do with the quarterback position next season. Westbrook doesn't think that there's a better quarterback for the Eagles than Donovan McNabb.

"I think there is no question in my mind if Donovan will be back," Westbrook said. "After what he was able to do last year which he had a very good year, of course, everybody measures, a lot of fans measure by Super Bowls. Did you win the Super Bowl and you know realistically there is only going to be one team out of 32 to win the Super Bowl every year and it is hard to do that.

"I don't think that you can measure whether a quarterback can be successful or not by whether he has a Super Bowl or not. If you look at this football team with Donovan and without Donovan, I think you would be hard-pressed to say that there was better quarterback in the league than Donovan McNabb for the Philadelphia Eagles."

Westbrook became a symbol of the league's aggressive approach to changing how teams and players deal with concussions last season. Westbrook was knocked unconscious by a hit in the Oct. 26 win at the Redskins. Westbrook returned to the field against San Diego three weeks later and suffered another concussion. Westbrook explains for the first time that despite passing all of the tests he was not yet fully recovered from the first concussion.

"The truth is, I waited three weeks. I passed all of the tests. I waited three weeks to get back out there and after passing all of the tests waiting at the time, you have a normal hit that kind of just glances off of you or you don't really feel it all that much (one) that had a normal, average NFL hit, not a great big collision or anything like that and the concussion came right back," Westbrook said.

"What happened to me was that I was not completely healed from the first concussion. Even though I waited that long amount of time and passed all the tests I still wasn't completely healed from the first concussion and it came back just like that."

Westbrook returned for the Week 16 win over the Broncos and had 14 carries for 49 yards and six catches for 25 yards in the final two regular season games. Westbrook had just one touch, on a screen pass, that went for 27 yards in the season-ending loss at Dallas. LeSean McCoy, the team's second-round pick last year, rushed for a team-rookie-record 637 yards to lead the Eagles.

This season, if anything else, taught Westbrook the damage that concussions can do to NFL players.

"These concussions are very serious man. I don't think a lot of people are taking them as serious as they should be because really it is a life or death thing," Westbrook said. "Not being able to walk and talk and communicate and remember and of course early onset of Alzheimer's as well as dementia. I don't think any player that is going into the NFL believes that is a realistic risk and it really is if you continue to play with concussions."

Westbrook enters the last year of his contract just 543 rushing yards behind Wilbert Montgomery (6,538) for the most in franchise history. Westbrook is already the franchise record holder for scrimmage yards with 9,785.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 3:58 p.m., February 8

A Look Ahead: Key Off-Season Dates

The conclusion of last night's Super Bowl has officially marked the end of the 2009 NFL season.

For football fans, that's also when the cruel and lonely time known as the off-season begins. But most of you know by now that the term "off-season" no longer applies in the NFL. This is a 365-day-a-year sport, especially in Philadelphia where Eagles' talk is unbridled.

With that being said, here's a look at some key dates on the NFL calendar in the weeks and months ahead:

Today: Waiver system begins for 2010 League year.

Feb. 11: First day clubs can designate franchise or transition players.

Feb. 24-March 2: NFL Scouting Combine (timing and testing), Indianapolis, Ind. Who will catch the eyes of the Eagles' brass?

Feb. 25: Deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.

March 4: Expiration of all player contracts due to expire in 2010.

March 5: Free agency and trading period begins. Plenty to watch here.

March 15: Offseason workouts can begin.

March 21-24: NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. NFL owners gather as offseason issues and rules are discussed.

Early April: 2010 NFL Schedule Released.

April 22-24: NFL Draft in New York City. The biggest event of the NFL offseason, the draft will be spread out over a three-day period as a prime-time event.

    - April 22: Round 1 of the NFL Draft
    - April 23: Rounds 2 and 3
    - April 24: Final 4 rounds

May/June: Eagles' spring camps.

May 24-26: NFL Spring Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

Late July – Training camp begins at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

-- Posted by Bob Kent, 1:30 p.m., February 8

New Off-Season Training Regimen For DE Cole

There's a very good reason why Trent Cole has been able to transform from a little-known fifth-round draft pick into one of the league's premier defensive ends.

Hard work.

Cole loves the game of football and can be found at the NovaCare Complex throughout the off-season trying to find any way to improve his game. He's taking his workout routine to even greater lengths this off-season. Cole told PhiladelphiaEagles.com that he's going to engage in mixed martial arts training with FOX analyst Jay Glazer, who has worked with Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Glazer reported that he attended a recent MMA event in Florida with Cole and Willis.

"It starts with the off-season, working out hard. Watching film and trying to correct things you want to be better at than the previous season," Cole said. "Take that into training camp, it starts right there, and carry that into the season."

Cole is certainly not the first Eagle to use MMA. David Akers and Darren Howard have used mixed martial arts as part of their workout routine in the past. Howard lost 15 pounds over the course of the first off-season in which he utilized MMA before the 2008 campaign. Howard led the Eagles with 10.0 sacks that year.

With 47.0 career sacks, no Eagles draft pick has had more in his first five years than Cole. After tying a career high with 12.5 sacks in 2009, Cole earned Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career.

But after the way the 2009 season ended for the Eagles, Cole wants to find a way to become even better next season.

"It's embarrassing to go out the way we did losing to a team three times and in back-to-back weeks," Cole said. "The Cowboys played great football. That's how you beat a team. They did a good job. We can't do anything about it now. You can't go back in time. You have to move forward to next season and make sure it doesn't happen again.

"For all of the Eagles fans out there, it will not happen next year."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 11:45 a.m., February 8

Simms: Wrong To Place Blame On McNabb

After watching two of the league's best quarterbacks put on a show in Super Bowl XLIV, former Super Bowl MVP and CBS color analyst Phil Simms chimed in on the Eagles quarterback debate during an interview that aired on NBC10 in Philadelphia.

When asked about the fact that Donovan McNabb's status in Philadelphia has become an annual topic among fans and the media, Simms jokingly snored and remarked that he could see his shadow before praising McNabb and explaining how "unbelievable" it is to imagine that the Eagles would trade the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback to a possible rival.

"I don't know what to say. I'm lost for words. There's no way the Philadelphia Eagles are going to trade Donovan McNabb to Minnesota or to Arizona because those are teams they have to beat to get to the Super Bowl. And if I had to guess right now, he will be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles when the season starts again next year," Simms said. "That's taking a big chance to go from him to whoever it is because man if it doesn't work, it will cost people their jobs if you make that decision and then you are wrong so I'd be careful."

Simms said that after looking at the Eagles' losses in Dallas to end the 2009 season, it is flat out "wrong" to pin the blame for the team's demise on McNabb.

"I saw a quarterback who did not get protection basically in either game, that was running for his life and if it wasn't for him they'd probably have sack records down in Dallas," Simms said. "They were around his feet, hitting him, doing everything the whole time. I saw a lot of problems with the Eagles football team and quarterback was way down that list. There were a lot of problems above him. To bring that debate straight to the quarterback is wrong. There were many other factors that caused the Eagles to lose that wasn't Donovan McNabb."

That is not to say that McNabb is flawless. Simms' performance in Super Bowl XXI will be remembered because he set the championship game record for completion percentage by hitting on 22-of-25 pass attempts or 88 percent. That was even better than Drew Brees' MVP effort Sunday night when he completed 32-of-39 (82 percent) of his passes. Simms acknowledges that McNabb's accuracy is his weakness, but that he does a lot of things to make up for that.

"Do I believe accuracy is a weakness of Donovan McNabb? Absolutely. I think it's what it comes down to when people criticize him," Simms said. "He does miss open receivers that you'd expect a Peyton Manning and those types of throwers to hit at an extremely high rate. But McNabb brings other qualities. He's big, strong, works around and he has a powerful arm. He makes a few throws in every single game that only a handful of guys can make in the NFL."

Simms is not surprised by the scrutiny that McNabb endures in Philadelphia. He believes that it is a "lot rougher for the quarterback in Philadelphia than it is in New York" and that "the light that goes down in Philadelphia is about as intense as it gets in the NFL."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 10:10 a.m., February 8

Trotter Wants To Return To Eagles

Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter was a life raft for the Eagles in the 2009 season. After losing Stewart Bradley and Omar Gaither to season-ending injuries, Trotter was signed off the street and called into action playing extensively at middle linebacker.

Trotter showed glimpses of his four-time Pro Bowl self, but the 33-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent (regardless of the status of the Collective Bargaining Agreement) in March.

Despite the fact that Trotter would likely have been out of football for two years if it wasn't for Bradley's injury, Trotter wants to continue playing. And he would love to do so in Philadelphia.

"I look forward to being an Eagle again," Trotter told CBS3 (KYW-TV). "I think I proved to everyone I can still play the game."

Trotter understands that the Eagles brass just returned from the Senior Bowl and has only begun to discuss plans for free agency and the draft.

"No major decision will be made right now," Trotter said. "I'll deal with that when (the time) comes."

The Eagles are counting on Bradley to make a successful return from his ACL injury. The Eagles lost a Pro Bowl-caliber three-down linebacker when Bradley suffered the injury in August. Gaither is also expected to make a full recovery from his Lis Franc sprain, but he is scheduled to be a free agent (restricted if there is not an extension to the CBA).

Trotter started seven games for the Eagles in 2009 and recorded 40 tackles.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 7:06 a.m., February 8

Report: Cleveland, Denver And Buffalo Eyeing McNabb

To follow up on ESPN's Adam Schefter's report that "multiple teams have called Eagles to inquire about their three QBs," Schefter's colleague Sal Paolantonio discloses the identity of three teams who have had discussions with the Eagles specifically regarding Donovan McNabb - Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo.

The Browns will likely be tied to the Eagles because of Andy Reid's close relationship with new president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert. Cleveland has Derek Anderson, a Pro Bowl quarterback in the 2007 season who has not been able to duplicate that season's performance, and Brady Quinn, a former first-round pick. The Browns were 5-11 in 2008 as Quinn led the team with 1,339 passing yards, but he threw just eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. Just to note, the Browns have the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Broncos proved how the NFL season is a marathon and not a sprint in 2009. After a 6-0 start, the Broncos missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Last off-season, the Broncos traded Jay Cutler for a bevy of draft picks and quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton passed for 3,802 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes in 2009. Denver had the league's 20th-ranked scoring offense in 2009. The Broncos will have either the 10th or 11th overall pick (subject to a coin flip with the Jaguars) in this year's draft.

Buffalo is interesting because the Eagles have spent the early portion of their off-season acquiring former Bills coaches in new special teams coordinator Bobby April and senior assistant/defensive backs coach Dick Jauron. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards split the quarterback duties for the 6-10 Bills, who ranked 28th in the league with 16.1 points per game last season. It will certainly be up to new general manager Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey to chart the path for the organization. Buffalo has the ninth overall pick in the draft.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 12:45 a.m., February 8

Report: Teams Inquire About Eagles QBs

Another day, another report regarding the Eagles quarterbacks.

With all eyes on tonight's Super Bowl XLIV matchup between the Colts and the Saints, who have two of the premier quarterbacks in the game in Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported today on his Twitter account that "multiple teams have called Eagles to inquire about their three QBs. The conversation, and speculation, will heat up in early March."

We noted on Bloghead on Saturday the reports coming from St. Louis that the Rams have shown interest in Michael Vick.

What's interesting about Schefter's report is that it's the first time Kevin Kolb's name has been mentioned in any trade report. All of the previous reports have focused on Donovan McNabb and Vick. All three quarterbacks are entering the last year of their respective deals.

Head coach Andy Reid has said that McNabb would be his quarterback for the 2010 season. Team president Joe Banner has since said that he didn't feel the need to add to Reid's statement because it couldn't have been clearer. Banner added that the team must decide the long-term answer at quarterback, but internal meetings to determine that have not yet taken place.

There is a chance, Banner said, that all three of the Eagles quarterbacks can return with no change to their current contracts in 2010.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 5:55 p.m., February 7

Noticeable Absence In Hall Of Fame

It's impossible to not notice when former Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael is in a room. Not only is Carmichael's 6-8 frame an imposing presence, but his personality and charisma allow him to work a room much like he worked the football field.

Seven former NFL players were named the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 on Saturday. One of those former players - Jerry Rice - was even a wide receiver. But once again, Harold Carmichael's name was not among the list of soon-to-be inductees.

"I know one guy who should be in the Hall of Fame, who's not, and that's Harold Carmichael," quarterback Donovan McNabb said during the 2009 season.

The tallest wide receiver to ever play the game, Carmichael was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 1971 out of Southern. In 14 NFL seasons - 13 with the Eagles - Carmichael finished his career ranked sixth all-time with 590 receptions. All but one of those catches were with the Eagles, which remains to this day the team record. Carmichael is also the all-time team leader in receiving yards (8,978) and touchdowns (79).

He led the Eagles in catches eight times and earned four trips to the Pro Bowl proving he was one of the best of his generation. He helped the Eagles win the NFC title in 1980 and was honored that season as the NFL's Man of the Year, which has since been renamed the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

What have hurt Carmichael's chances for Canton have been the rule changes which have opened up the pass game. Carmichael now ranks 55th all-time in receptions. Rice, who was a first-ballot selection Saturday, is the all-time receptions leader with 1,549 catches. Carmichael's 8,985 career receiving yards ranks 45th all-time and touchdowns is tied for 20th on the list.

What's even more of a shame is that Carmichael wasn't even one of the 131 players, coaches and contributors among the list of preliminary nominees for the 2010 Hall of Fame ballot. There were three other wide receivers on the list of 15 modern-era finalists which indicates that Carmichael is not near the top of the list for wide receivers to get in.

It's a shame we'll never get to know what type of numbers Carmichael would have posted in today's NFL. But the fact that he was dominant in an earlier era should show that he certainly would have thrived in the pass-first era of the league.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 1:30 p.m., February 7

Former Player Weighs In On McNabb, April

Former NFL player and NationalFootballPost.com columnist Matt Bowen has offered up some interesting insight on one Eagles' off-season move and an opinion on the team's immediate future at the quarterback position.

A former safety, Bowen tackled the rumors regarding the future of Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia in a recent article.

Not taking anything away from what Kevin Kolb did in limited action in 2009, Bowen is not sure if it's time for the Eagles to move on without McNabb.

Writes Bowen: "It is easy to point at Kolb's brief production this past season, and although it was very good (he threw for 300 yards in back-to-back games), is that enough to let McNabb walk? Once you give the huddle to Kolb, there is no turning back, and buyer's remorse at the quarterback position in the NFL is a franchise killer.

"Look, I am not trying to throw Kolb under the bus, but from the quarterbacks I saw during my career, it takes more than a couple of games to show a franchise that you are ready to play for an entire season and beyond."

Though a Super Bowl win has eluded McNabb, Bowen believes the quarterback's play is part of what helps the Eagles contend for a championship every season.

Bowen, interestingly enough, also has a unqiue perspective on the team's hiring of special teams coordinator Bobby April.

"Just like an offense with an all-pro QB, a new coach can make the players around him better and more accountable," Bowen told PhiladelphiaEagles.com. "I think when you have a team that is so talented like Philly, adding a coach like April builds your special teams to the point when you are more competitive in divisional games and in the postseason. We often tend to forget just how important field position is in January, and having Bobby on board will take care of that.

"This team got better with April."

Read more of Bowen's thoughts on April.

-- Posted by Bob Kent, 11:24 a.m., February 7

Rams Eyeing Michael Vick?

Donovan McNabb said on Thursday that teammate Michael Vick deserves the chance to go to a team where he can be a starter.

Could that team be the St. Louis Rams?

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Rams assistants have reached out to their Eagles counterparts. The article did not explain what the conversations were about. Remember that head coach Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur were former Eagles assistants under Andy Reid.

Spagnuolo was asked specifically about his team's quarterback position at the Super Bowl and had this to say about Vick.

"I've got a lot of respect for Michael as a player," Spagnuolo told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Everything I've heard out of Philadelphia is kind of good. We haven't gone down that road in our process yet. I think he's a terrific player."

The Rams currently have Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller and Keith Null at quarterback. All three were pressed into action last season, which ended with a 1-15 record in Spagnuolo's first year as head coach. The Rams have the top pick in the NFL Draft and certainly could use that to address the quarterback position, although the consensus top player is Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

When asked if there's a deadline for figuring out who would be the Rams quarterback in 2010, Spagnuolo said there wasn't one, but "that may direct itself depending on things that happen. And we know what we're all talking about."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 1:03 p.m., February 6