Philadelphia Eagles 2011 Predictions: Why Eagles Are Now the Miami Heat of NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles are now the Miami Heat of the NFL. They have signed anyone and everyone this offseason, even offering a contract to the recently retired Randy Moss.

Obviously, their biggest move was the theft of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha from the Oakland Raiders, but it was the sheer volume and speed of their moves as a whole that made it seem like the Eagles signed every single available free agent in the past week.

From Vince Young at the backup quarterback position to Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin on the defensive line, this Eagles team has signed plenty of superstars. These guys join what was already a dynamite group that includes Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Asante Samuel.

The Miami Heat on the other hand, have no depth whatsoever.

Do they have the star power of this Eagles team?

Hell yeah. I would say LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could get the cameras flashing. But watching a player like Zydrunas Ilgauskas makes you want to gouge your eyes out with a cleaver.

So in which ways are these two teams similar?

Glad you asked. Let's take a look at five players who unite these star-studded hype-machines we call the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Heat.

5. Mike Bibby and Ronnie Brown

How are Mike Bibby and Ronnie Brown similar?

Well for starters, they both suck. Brown doesn't really suck, but don't you wonder how he is going to get any touches/opportunities in such an exciting, young offense like Philadelphia?

Same thing with Bibby. The dude took less money to play with a contender (like Brown), is past his prime (like Brown) and eventually fell out of favor with his team. I guess when all of the sudden you lose your ability to be effective in any way, shape or form, it would make sense for you to be benched.

Sorry, Ronnie, but I foresee an identical situation with you.

There are very few carries available in the Eagles offense, as they primarily like to spread out the defense and let it fly. And when they do run it? Don't forget about incumbent starter LeSean McCoy. He's younger, faster and probably more talented then Brown and will get the overwhelming majority of the carries.

Barring an injury, Brown will end up just like Bibby in the playoffs: rotting on the bench.

4. James Jones and Vince Young

How are James Jones and Vince Young similar?

Let me take you back to May 1st, the day James "bleepin" Jones spoiled my birthday. As a Boston Celtics fan, watching Jones go off for 25 points was a wild feeling. It started as an angry, "what the hell, he should not be scoring any points, he's terrible," and turned into an almost astonished "can he miss?"

And that is what I think can happen with Young this season.

Michael Vick is inevitably going to get injured this season (he has played a full 16-game season in only one of his eight years in the NFL), and when he does, No. 9 is going to come in and make people wonder why he isn't a starter somewhere.

Just like on that night against Boston when Jones went 5-7 from three-point land and hit an unfathomable 10 free throws (after hitting only 60 all season), Young will come in and just light someone up.

Of course, Jones ended up scoring only 15 points in the rest of the playoffs and became totally irrelevant.

Regardless, for one game, Young is going to make a difference. And in football, one game means a whole hell of a lot more than it does in basketball.

In fact, his one day in the spotlight might get him a contract offer next summer, just like Jones could get an offer based on that one, sparkling "nothing can go wrong" game.

3. Chris Bosh and Asante Samuel

How are Chris Bosh and Asante Samuel similar?

One reason: underappreciated.

I will be the first to tell you how big of a pansy Bosh is and how badly he plays when it's prime time, but let's be honest. Bosh was an All-Star last season, and his numbers looked pretty damn good when all was said and done. But, because he was playing next to Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, he was totally overlooked.

Samuel is not the same as Bosh.

He always brings his A-game, never shies away from the spotlight in pressure situations and has been to the mountaintop before. As a two-time Super Bowl Champion, the way that Samuel plays is not similar to the way Bosh does.

Rather they are similar in that both are seemingly the odd ones out of a Big Three.

Bosh had Wade and James. Samuel has Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha. Obviously, DRC is not comparable to Wade or James, but his presence is making Samuel question how much the team wants him and how much he is actually appreciated there.

But like Bosh, Samuel will not be traded, and the Philadelphia Eagles (like the Miami Heat) will be a great team.

We are left to wonder, though, if the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl, will they close the deal or will they totally blow the series with a game like Miami's Game 2 giveaway against the Dallas Mavericks (look for the Bosh blunder at 1:15)?

2. Dwyane Wade and Michael Vick

How are Dwyane Wade and Michael Vick similar?

First of all, they are both athletic freaks who seem to have been created in a lab somewhere with the sole purpose of playing sports. Is there anything these guys can't do on the floor/field?

Second, despite all the free-agency chaos going on, they remained the faces of their respective franchises. Both re-signed before the season, and both are beloved by their city and the sports world they inhabit.

Did I mention they were both world-class athletes?

Sorry for repeating myself, but look at these freaking numbers:

Vick, 2006: 2,474 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 1039 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns.

Wade, 2008: 49.1 FG percentage, 5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 30.2 PPG

I mean, seriously, what the hell? Totally unfair. These guys are like those dudes who come and play in your local YMCA and just obliterate everyone.

1,000 rushing yards for a quarterback! Almost 50 percent shooting, 1.5 blocks, 7.5 assists and 30 points a game!

These two are totally unreal. If not for incidents in 2006-2007 (Vick, jail time; Wade, nagging injuries), both could have been in discussion for best of their generation (not so much Vick, but definitely Wade).

1. LeBron James and Nnamdi Asomugha

How are LeBron James and Nnamdi Asomugha similar?

One word: decision.

While James' was infinitely more important (James was best player in NBA, Asomugha just best cornerback) and infinitely more ludicrous (the "Decision Special" on ESPN was one of the wackiest, most surreal things I have ever watched), both decisions had people on the edge of their seats until the last possible second.

As a person, Asomugha is nothing like James. He isn't a huge personality, he isn't an American icon, he isn't one of the most recognizable people in the world. But like James, he is (arguably) the best at what he does.

James dunks from the free throw line in a game, hits threes and has some shocking come-from-behind swats.

Asomugha? He prefers to just do his job in perfect silence. In 2010, Asomugha allowed only 10 receptions and not one touchdown all season long. Talk about dominance.

With the clock winding down on their respective decisions, rumors were flying everywhere. In James' case, he brutally destroyed a city (Cleveland) that probably didn't deserve the indignity of being "left at the altar" on national TV. In Asomugha's case, the New York Jets seemed like the only team left and the best destination for the lockdown corner.

Nope.

It wasn't meant to be.

Off to the Eagles he went, crushing the hearts of Jets fans everywhere. The biggest difference in the results of their decisions?

The New York Jets absolutely deserved it. I guarantee you that, Rex Ryan.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section below...

Thanks for reading!