Andy Reid's 10 Worst Personnel Decisions with the Philadelphia Eagles
After yet another early playoff exit, Andy Reid has promised to evaluate everything in the organization from top to bottom. When he does perform said examination, it needs to be done honestly and with his entire 12 year tenure in perspective. Andy is known around the league as a great game planner, but somewhat lacking in the in-game adjustment department.
No one can argue with the success Andy has had in the regular season. It's just not happening. What most people will also agree with is the fact that he has done it with below par talent. Whose fault is that? As head coach and executive vice-president, he has to have major clout, if not the final say, in the personnel dept.
In the following I have compiled the 10 biggest mistakes Andy has made on the personnel front. It was a difficult assignment considering that the total number is about ten times that amount. But here goes...
L.J. Smith
1 of 10
The numbers sound good- 6ft 3in, 258 lbs. Prototypical Tight end size. The fact that he came from Rutgers though, should have the first red flag. The Eagles drafted him in the second round of 2003 and sounded the drum about his abilities. Reality soon set in. Little John had hands made of stone, poor blocking skills and the ability to vanish for large parts of the season. His "breakout season" was in 2005 when he had 61 catches for 682 yards and 3 TDs. Believe it or not he was designated the franchise player in 2008, a year in which he contributed 37 catches for 298 yds and 3 TDs. Not exactly franchise player numbers, but when you consider this franchise it's what you'd expect. The most frustrating thing about him was that both he and the Eagles(Andy Reid) considered him to be one of the top TE's in the league. They actually believed it. In spite of his actual football skills. In spite of the numbers. In spite of every Eagle fan screaming it at the top of their lungs! Anyhow, L.J. managed to guilt former Eagles John Harbaugh into giving him a contract with the Ravens for the 2009 season. He did absolutely nothing there and is now out of football. Good news, just 8 years too late.
Jerome McDougle
2 of 10
Jerome was a very good college player out of Miami, so the Eagles snagged him with the 15th pick in the 2003 draft. He had outstanding pass rushing and run stopping skills and was expected to contribute to the defense right away. Unfortunately injuries cost him large parts of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Just days before training camp for the 2005 season he was shot during a robbery in Miami, forcing him to miss the entire season. He played the 2006 season and had flashes of brilliance, then was injured again in the 2007 season causing the Eagles to cut him in 2008. Signed with the Giants for the 2008 season, he was released after the season ended and is now out of football. Jerome was just really unfortunate, because he could have, should have, been something special.
Freddie Mitchell
3 of 10
Fred-Ex. First down Freddie. The people's champ. The sultan of slot. All names he bestowed upon himself. Freddie was the first round pick in the 2001 draft out of UCLA. He was speedy with good hands, but the complexity of the Eagles playbook caused him to fizzle in his first 3 seasons. His claim to fame came in the 2004 during the NFC divisional game vs the Packers. Faced with a 4 and 26 late in the game, Freddie came up with a big 28yd first down catch that helped the Eagles win the game. His next most famous play came during a Monday Night Football game vs the Cowboys where he hauled in a 60yd pass from Donovan McNabb after McNabb scrambled in the pocket for 14.1 seconds. He finished his Eagles career with 90 catches for 1263yds and 5 TDs.
After being released from the Eagles on May 5, 2005, Mitchell then signed with the Chiefs who subsequently released him September 3, 2005. On August 6, 2006 Mitchell worked out for the Cowboys, but they did not make a contract offer. Mitchell tried out for the Browns October 11, 2006. Later, Mitchell worked out for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL on February 11, 2007. Since those many accomplishments he has stayed busy with his occasional misdemeanor arrests and his highly critical comments about Donovan McNabb. He was recently on "Millionaire Matchmaker". Scary huh? That this guy made millions?
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Victor Abiamiri
4 of 10
Victor was drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft. Andy Reid has consistently called him the strongest player on the defensive line. The only problem with that statement is that Victor doesn't technically play on the line. He plays on the bench or the Injured Reserve list. Over the course of 4 seasons he has totaled 30 tackles and 4 sacks. I can't write much else about him because there really isn't anything else to write. Another great draft pick...
Stacy Andrews
5 of 10
Stacey has been in the shadow of his younger brother Shawn for a while. He actually rode his coat-tails to Philly where he signed a massive 6yr $30 million contract despite having missed the previous season with a torn ACL while on the Bengals. He never actually played with Shawn because of the whole being benched for Max-Jean Gilles and Shawn being released thing. He saw more games from the sideline than a season ticket holder. He was traded to the Seahawks for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick. Very productive free agent signing....
Reggie Brown
6 of 10
Ok, the reason(s) for Reggie being on this list is simple. He was paid a lot of money to be not very good for a long time. Drafted in the second round of the 2005 draft, he was expected to be an explosive receiver. Actually, he did show at times that he could be just that. Most of the time though, he was dropping key passes, running poor routes and getting jammed at the line. He would have been better served as a role player/3rd receiver, not the #1 WR. He played 5 years for the Birds, compiling 177 catches for 2574 yds and 17 TDs. Not bad numbers, but definitely not #1 numbers. Not 5 yr $27 million numbers. He eventually became a regular inactive during game-day, and was traded to the Buccaneers for a 2011 sixth round pick. Cut by the Bucs on September 6, 2010 he is now out of football. We keep getting those pesky second round picks wrong...
Todd Pinkston
7 of 10
You thought DeSean Jackson was skinny and undersized? Meet the original string bean. All 6'2 170lbs of him. That's the only fitting comparison to DJ because, skills-wise, forget about it. He could run fast and catch the ball when no one was around. Unfortunately there are other people around on the football field and Todd couldn't get around them. Pinky was pushed around at the line in the NFC Championship Game vs the Panthers. The guy who did it? 5'8 180lb Ricky Manning Jr. Yup. Stinkston also famously lost a sure touchdown catch vs the Redskins on MNF. He "lost it in the lights" and drew the ire of commentator Joe Theismann, who said, "this is a great way to lose your job as a receiver in the National Football League". You were right Joe. Pinky's reluctance to run routes in traffic got him booted from the team finally in 2006. If you disagree with this choice, just remember this: He had 4 catches for 82yds in the Superbowl. In the first half. Then he had leg cramps (sniff sniff) and sat the rest of the game on the bench in his skirt and heels.
Lorenzo Booker
8 of 10
Lorenzo was Miami's problem before the Eagles decided to trade for him using a fourth round pick in 2008. Andy Reid said he had been "intrigued" by Booker's talents since college at Florida State. The Birds coaching staff had been impressed with him but was unable to snag him in the 2007 draft. Good thing they finally correct their mistake and brought him aboard... He was on the roster for the entire 2008 season and produced a grand total of 53yds on 20 carries and 11yds on 6 catches. WOW. I wish we had the fourth round pick back. He was cut before the 2009 season and is currently playing for the Vikings.
Ryan Moats
9 of 10
Boy Andy sure likes the small, frail type for running backs huh? Moats stands 5'8 and is GENEROUSLY listed at 210lbs, probably spotting him 20lbs. He was taken the Birds in the third round of the 2005 draft. Backing up Brian Westbrook in his prime, he didn't see much of the field. He received limited playing time during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, then missed the 2007 season after breaking his leg in the pre-season. He finally got cut before the 2009 season. His claim to fame so far is being involved in a traffic incident outside a Texas hospital with a policeman that drew national headlines.
Reno Mahe
10 of 10
In keeping with Andy's philosophy of having at least one BYU player/Mormon on the team, he was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2003. Listed as a RB/KR he mainly played on special teams. Notable career Highlights/Awards-none. TDs- none. Exciting plays-none. Impact on any games-none. He was waived after the 2007 season. In all honesty, a nice guy who just didn't belong in the NFL.
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