Eagles Should Stop Talking and Actually Make a Move for a Wide Receiver

When looking back at some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, most of them have had that star receiver to throw to that made their lives a little bit easier.

Steve Young had Jerry Rice. Peyton Manning had Marvin Harrison. Even Troy Aikman had Michael Irvin to help the Cowboys win three straight Super Bowls in the '90s.

For most of his career, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has played without that star wide receiver. He and Terrell Owens had the potential to be one of the best dynamic duos in NFL history after they connected for 20 touchdowns in 21 games from 2004-2005. Unfortunately, the Eagles released Owens halfway through the 2005 season after he became too much of a headache for Joe Banner and the rest of the franchise to handle.

Even though their relationship never made it through two full seasons together, Terrell Owens may be considered the most talented wide receiver McNabb has played with during his 10-year career. The Eagles need a No. 1 wide receiver if they ever want to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

From 2000-2005, McNabb led the Eagles to four straight NFC Championship Game appearances. The first three appearances were without Terrell Owens (even though Owens missed the playoffs in 2005 due to a leg injury).

This means McNabb helped the Eagles reach the NFC Championship with wide receivers such as Freddie Mitchell, James Thrash, and Todd Pinkston—all players who would have a decent game from time to time, but would never be considered a No. 1 wide receiver for a NFL franchise.

We have seen McNabb get the job done with mediocre wide receivers. We have seen how dangerous he is when he does have a guy like Owens to throw to. So why haven’t the Eagles tried landing that big name target for him?

A couple of months ago, McNabb addressed the media, stating he wanted to see how much effort the Eagles put towards bringing in a big name wide receiver before he made the decision regarding a contract extension.

Throughout his career, McNabb has been criticized for many issues. He has been criticized for his performances in important games, such as the NFC Championship games he appeared in and Super Bowl XXXIX. He has also been criticized for off-field issues, such as not knowing the rules of overtime in the NFL.

Whether you’re a die-hard McNabb fan or can’t wait for him to be out of Philadelphia, it’s hard to disagree with him when it comes to the issue of bringing in a big name wide receiver.

Over the last couple of seasons, there have been numerous rumors surrounding trade talks that gave hope to the thought of the Eagles bringing in someone to help McNabb on the offense.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco has been mentioned from time to time since he and McNabb have a history of working out together. Even Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin’s names were thrown out last season when they were having contract issues with the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite all of the trade talks, nothing big ever happened for the Eagles. With two first-round draft picks in the upcoming draft, the Eagles have once again been a topic of discussion on whether or not they will trade the picks to help land a No. 1 wide receiver.

Sure, the Eagles might luck out in the draft and trade for a No. 1 wide receiver for McNabb to throw to. However, if the Eagles want to make McNabb happy, why not make more of an effort in free agency?

This offseason has seen its fair share of big name wide receivers in the free agent market. Former Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was one of the top prospects in free agency before he signed a five-year, $40 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.  The Bengals wasted no time filling his replacement by signing former New York Jet receiver Laveranues Coles to a four-year, $28 million deal.

Houshmandzadeh and Coles would be great No. 1 receivers for McNabb to throw to. Alongside current Eagles receivers DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis, either one of these guys would have fulfilled McNabb’s request for bringing in help for the offense.

The Eagles may have missed out on landing Houshmandzadeh and Coles, but there are other receivers who have yet to sign with a team that would make great contributions to McNabb and the offense.

It has almost been two months since the Indianapolis Colts released Marvin Harrison. Harrison may only have a few years left after spending the last 13 seasons with the Colts, but he is still capable of having an impact for whichever team decides to sign him.

Over the last 13 seasons, Harrison has recorded 1,102 receptions (second all-time behind Jerry Rice) for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns. He holds the record for most receptions in a single season with 143. He also holds the record with Peyton Manning for the most receiving touchdowns between a quarterback and wide receiver with 114.

He may not be the longtime wide receiver the Eagles are looking for, but he can help them for the time being. Harrison has been a No. 1 wide receiver for most of his career, and he could give the Eagles' offense that extra boost they are looking for.

Despite legal issues with the law following a gun incident where he shot himself in the leg, one can’t help but wonder what would happen if the Eagles made a move for Plaxico Burress.

The New York Giants released Burress a few weeks ago for numerous reasons. Of course, the Giants wanted to stay out of his legal issues as much as possible. However, there was also the issue of restructuring his contract. This most likely would never have been an issue had Burress just kept himself out of trouble.

Say what you want about Burress. Call him crazy for hanging out in clubs where he feels the need to bring a gun for his own safety. Call him selfish for some of the decisions he has made as a Giant the last couple of seasons.

No matter what people say about Plaxico Burress, the fact that he is capable of being one of the best receivers in the league is undeniable. The 6'5" Burress sometimes seems impossible to defend because of his height advantage.

In four seasons with the Giants, Burress played in 57 games. He made 244 receptions for 3,681 yards and 33 touchdowns. He will always be remembered for his game-winning touchdown reception against the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

He may have had his issues with the law toward the end of the 2008 regular season, but his absence had an impact on the Giants, as the team lost four of its final five games (including the loss to the Eagles in the playoffs).

It’s a shame the Eagles missed out in the Houshmandzadeh and Coles sweepstakes. They most likely will not acquire a big name wide receiver, such as Ocho Cinco or Boldin, through a trade. Luckily for them, there are still players in free agency that could be beneficial to the offense.

Harrison and Burress may not be the type of wide receivers to sign a long-term deal with the Eagles because of their age, but these two players have enough experience with winning teams to know what it takes to be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.

The Eagles and their fans have complained for years about not having that go-to receiver for Donovan McNabb to thrive off of. The opportunity is there for them to satisfy McNabb’s needs and make a move for that big name receiver.

We saw last year how far the Eagles' offense went without a star wide receiver. Imagine the numbers they would put up with a receiver such as Burress or Harrison for McNabb to throw to.

For all we know, we could see McNabb play as well as he did when he had Terrell Owens to throw to.