This Bird has Flown: The End of an Era for the Philadelphia Eagles

All good things must come to an end. So the end of another Eagle era is upon Philadelphia. Championship football teams have small windows of opportunities. Five years, maybe six, seldom seven in this era of free agency and the salary cap.

This cycle of Philadelphia Eagles players is about done. It was a pretty good run, with a string of NFC Championship game appearances and one Super Bowl loss. Of course, it could have been better with at least one ring. So close to so many Super Bowls. Teams go in cycles. These Eagles are swinging down with aging stars and an old roster. 

The New York Giants have a Super Bowl ring, a young quarterback in Eli Manning who finally came into his own in the playoffs, and a younger team. The Dallas Cowboys have the best talent south of the New England Patriots. The Washington Redskins are stuck in neutral, but Dan Snyder badly wants to buy a title in an uncapped year.

For the Eagles, it's best to cut all ties to the old guard now and prepare for the next cycle. That means unloading quarterback Donovan McNabb while he still has some value.

McNabb has been injury prone, periodically unhappy, and also increasingly erratic. Like any older quarterback, the wheels are going. His flanks, named Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, are crumbling too. Succumbing to age and injury, soon they will need replaced. The young blood on the line, Winston Justice, hasn't lived up to expectations and it looks like the whole line, sans Shawn Andrews, needs to be redone.

The NFL is no country for old men. Particularly old men playing quarterback behind battered, old offense lines, especially against young, bloodthirsty defenses. So it's best for both parties if McNabb would just leave for brighter pastures, though I think the ex-Syracuse Orangeman has little left in his leaky tank anyway.

Which leaves the fragile, All-Pro Brian Westbrook on the island with a young quarterback and little receiving help. So, maybe it's time to trade the expensive Westbrook away, and pick up some draft picks while extending the productivity of his career.

Where could Westbrook go? How about to the Travis-Henry-less Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, or the running-back-less Houston Texans? How about the Chicago Bears?

The Freak has been a failure in Philly. Well, he had his moments, but injuries slowed him down and now he is going out of town. The Eagles have a string of high draft-pick failures and free-agent flops along the defensive line. The smallish size of the defense has at times plagued Philly during this period. It's an unlucky area for the Eagles that's long needed reconstruction.

Bye, bye Brian. It's time to cut ties with their perennial All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins. His body is battered, but his spirit is willing, so maybe a team on the brink of a title will roll the dice with him. Perhaps the Pats. Maybe the New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers will pounce. Or maybe even the old Eagle in Minnesota will welcome him to his flock.

The Eagles' brain trust, owner Jeff Lurie, Andy Reid, and President Joe Banner, one of the best over the past decade, must consider whether Andy Reid wants to lead the team through another seven-year cycle. It is likely that Lurie will leave it up to Reid. Sometimes coaches burn out with the same team when lingering for a decade. Even without other personal issues and a local press pounding on them.

The Eagles obviously are not following my plan. No rebuilding team drops a bundle on a corner, Asante Samuel. A shutdown corner is a luxury item. A final piece to a championship puzzle. And the Eagles kept Lito Shepherd lingering as an expensive nickel back. On the offensive side, they franchised their tight end. All moves of a team not rebuilding, but reloading the old rifle for a final charge.

Coach Reid thinks the elderly Eagles have one more shot. The offensive flanks will hold, McNabb's arm and legs will last, and the defense will stunt, blitz, and confuse offenses to hide its shortcomings. Perhaps the rookies will be strong and past draft busts will finally awaken.

The Eagles think they will shock the world. Be this year's New York Giants. But those Giants are still the Giants. Younger and faster than the Eagles. The Cowboys are angry, deep, and talented. These Eagles are old and flying off to the sunset.

Sorry Philadelphia. These birds have flown.