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Shockey (how many MORE injuries can this guy get? Where are the TDs after the rookie season? Poor attitude and red zone stats have me thinkin this cat's a) done in NY and b) much overrated)

He wasn't mentioned once in the Super Bowl.

Guess I should've put "in no particular order" before spouting off. Gates is the best, no question.

You have LJ above Dallas Clark? Even with ??? on him, I don't see it. But then if we're going off of 2008-> and if he signs with another team, we'll see. He'd be nuts to leave Peyton's side, though.

I thought about Cooley, but I don't think he's all that underutilized. At times he's shown himself to be Campbell's favorite target, and while he's good, I don't think he presents as much of a threat as LJ does (specifically, deep against LBs). But it's not as if he's that far off.

Watson was another close one, but I couldn't see him as a top 10 TE. Granted, touches were few and far between in NE for anyone not named Welker, Moss and Gaffney (though he did well with 6 TDs). He may even get his chance, depending on how NE handles their offseason. We'll see.

I really like Davis, and for a QB like Smith, he should be producing closer to his draft status, so I'll take the bullet on "potential" and see what he does with (hopefully) a new year and less turmoil.

I would've put Jerramy Stevens (hear me out) in that list a couple years ago, but his bad rep combined with his high-profile falling apart in the SB dropped him considerably, and the fact that he's playing for Tampa of all places instead of being on highlight reels every week should serve as a warning for other players, IMO.

I'll take the hit for Shockey for "potential" again, though you can't put all of his RZ issues solely on himself. His showing (or lack thereof) after the SB did more to push himself out of NY than his injury history, though if he drops the atty, he's still got the tools to be one of the best.

Bass- I LOVE Davis' potential. But the #s arent there. Same reason you say you opted to omit LJ.

This is a very good move and one I was hoping for. I haven't been around for a few days and don't really know if there has been a reaction from LJ yet, but he'd be smart to zip it and use this year to make himself big money.

The $4.5 million is good for him because he's still young, that's more money than he made on his first contract (in total), and he struggled with injuries this season to the point where his market value would be seriously diminished on a long term deal.

I look at this as a win/win.

I think LJ is a top 10-ish TE when healthy, there's no reason to believe he won't be healthy next year, and one year contracts in the NFL are free money (no risk propositions). Couple that with the weak TE draft class and FA market...just works out well.

The final piece is Celek. I have no reason to believe he's a special player, but he did show a little something here and there that warrants a deeper look. You get another full year to find out what you have there.

As far as the actual dollar amount ($4.5 million), I don't look at this as a situation where he has to "earn" the money or be a top 5 TE this year for it to be a good deal. You're essentially overpaying to keep a guy who can help you win this year and you go into the season knowing that. Dallas Clark (if he hits the open market) is going to get big money and I don;t know that he's any better than LJ. The starting price tag will likely be the 6 year $30 million deal (with $12 million in guarantees) Witten got 2 years ago, which is a much bigger gamble than taking LJ for another season.

Good deal for both parties and I just hope the Eagles stick to their guns if LJ whines. They've set a bad precedent in the past with a lack of conviction on the tag and I hope they don't wimp out again (though I think by applying it so early they are making a statement here that they are being decisive and they will not be foundering).

He hasnt whined, its believed that he'll sign it relatively soon, and he seemed honestly suprised that they offered it to him.

While he said that every player prefers a long term deal, he said he hoped that could still happen for him here, but at least for next yr, he's in Green where he wants to be.
Smart on his end.

I understand the reasoning behind the move and can live with it, but....I think some people are over rating LJ. If I had to pick a TE just from the NFC East, I’m not sure he would be in the top 5 in the NFC East.

1. Whitten
2. Cooley
3. Shockey
4. Boss

5. Fasano or LJ (not sure if Fasano is any good but liked him coming out)


Does the transition tag still exist in the NFL. If so how does that work, wasn’t it the average of the top 10 TE.

You rate Boss over LJ after just one year? And not even one full year, where he was playing backup to Shockey?

Sorry, but no.

While he said that every player prefers a long term deal, he said he hoped that could still happen for him here, but at least for next yr, he's in Green where he wants to be.
Smart on his end.

Agreed. He's good, but he not Top 6 good. He should sign that tag deal the minute the paper goes in front of him.

If he signs the tag offer, then the team works out a long term deal with him, does the franchise tag still apply? I guess it would only matter for the press - one year money + other year money is all the same no matter how you word it.

I'd be curious to see the stats on guys that got franchised one year (usually "under protest") and the money they actually get on long-term deals in the following year when they are free agents. Stats and injuries are such fickle beasts.

For Pink: The transition tag still exists but no one uses it. It has been abused by poison pill deals that the current team has no possible way of matching, thus removing it of most of its value as a tag option.

From what I saw, Yes I would rather have Boss. Granted I didn't see much of him but I liked what I saw. If I had to pick either for next year to be on my team, I would take Boss over Smith.

I would rather Boss's potential over LJ's potential to get hurt.

From what I saw, Yes I would rather have Boss. Granted I didn't see much of him but I liked what I saw. If I had to pick either for next year to be on my team, I would take Boss over Smith.

I would rather Boss's potential over LJ's potential to get hurt.

No offense man, but that's just dumb. Guys had 14 catches in 17 games this year.

He made one 45 yard catch in the Super Bowl and while he may end up being a good player, that's not a career maker.

LJ at his best is at the back end of the top 10 TEs in the league.

He's clearly NOT an elite TE and clearly a starter on just about every team in football that doesn't have a great TE.

I would rather Boss's potential over LJ's potential to get hurt.

Who would Boss start over in the NFL right now? He's not even a starter on his own team, against a guy who's (arguably) better than LJ.

I'm not LJ's biggest fan, but to place an unproven rookie above him (and no, having a high profile catch in the SB =/= great potential) is myopic at best.

I understand he is unproven and I have no way to back up my opinion. His stats are nothing compared to LJ’s. I just feel that LJ is a 40 to 50 catch TE that has had a recent injury history. To me, I think Boss can do exactly that. He has good size with decent speed and the few balls I saw thrown his way he has caught.

Who would Boss start over in the NFL right now? If the rumors are true and the Giants are considering letting Shockey go…he will start for the defending SuperBowl Champs next year.

Being afraid of unproven players is exactly why rookies do nothing for the Eagles.

If we take Boss out of the discussion – LJ is still the 4th best TE in the Division.

If we take Boss out of the discussion – LJ is still the 4th best TE in the Division.

I don't disagree at all with that statement.

However, the 4 TEs in the division are all among the elite in the league, so that statement is a little misleading.
Every one of those guys is a multiple pro bowler in the prime of their careers.

I think that statement can both be true and say nothing about LJ's ability at the same time.

Agreed - NFC East is a good TE division.

Qustion - if NYG decide to let Shockey walk - who would you rather spend 4.5 mil on for one year.

Between Shockey and LJ?

Shockey...no question.

The problem is you don't have the option of Shockey for 1 year at $4.5 million and there's no way they release him (they'll trade him if they move on).

Honestly? LJ.

I would've said Shockey before, but
1) His attitude wouldn't be welcome on the Birds, and
2) The whole thing about him not joining the parade after the SB doesn't speak well of a team player.

His "attitude" is exactly what's missing on this team.

Bringing him in would never happen. The "true leader" of the team seems to have an insecurity about sharing the limelight. Just sayin'.

That's my point, Dean-O.

In a perfect world, Shockey's talent trumps LJ's, and he's not afraid to get dirty. Unfortunately, if this team has 4.5 mil to spend, it ain't gonna be on Shockey, because we all know how well this team deals with other types of players who don't accept McNabb's "leadership" (although, to be fair, Westbrook has slipped into the leader's role quietly, kind of like the associate boss who let's the guy above him say things, but ignores him and shows his worth both in and out of the office).

Me choosing LJ over Shockey is more a symptom of what this team has conditioned me to accept, and not necessarily due to overall talent.

IMO, TE is one of those positions where you should be able to find somebody in the draft, not wasting dough in FA when you can direct that $$$ elsewhere. I mean, other than a Gates or Gonzalez who possess otherworldy athletic ability, is there THAT big a difference between the top TE's and average ones? Not as much there is say between other skill players or linemen even.

But let's remember, it ain't all about talent in this situation. Imagine how 5 would react if LJ was let go and Celek was to be the new #1 (though they could do worse *looks at Schloboat*).

It annoys me that getting "football players" like Shockey isn't as important as getting "character guys" like Reno.

I mean, other than a Gates or Gonzalez who possess otherworldy athletic ability, is there THAT big a difference between the top TE's and average ones? Not as much there is say between other skill players or linemen even.

I'd throw Winslow into that category.

You could really say that for almost every position, though...couldn't you?

You could really say that for almost every position, though...couldn't you?

I'm saying that the difference in impact of a top TE to an average one isn't as great as a Brady or Manning to a serviceable QB. Or a T.O., Moss, or top 10 WR to a (pick an Eagles WR). Can a great TE be a weapon? Sure. But that should be somebody that you should be able to identify in the draft(whether you're looking for a great blocking TE, or whether you're trying to get vertical with your TE). You shouldn't have to pay big money in FA to get what you need, as opposed to other skill positions where it's harder to predict how they will perform.

LJ or Shockey?

That's a tough call. Shockey really is injury prone - be it by chance or playing style. Shockey certainly plays harder but he's also 10x more likely to take his complaints to the media, and McNabb/Lurie/Reid just can't have that.

Then again...Shockey playing for his new big contract AND with a chip on his shoulder against a division rival that just dropped him? That's a powerful player.

You could really say that for almost every position, though...couldn't you?

I'm with Fred. Of all the positions on offense, maybe even on both sides of the ball, I think TE is the one you could get away with the most. On almost every team, the TE's role is to block on a run or catch a five yard pass over the middle. If he can do that, he's fine.

With a RB, WR, or QB, being in the Top 15-20 is a big deal when it comes to gameplanning. For TE you really have to be Top 5-7 to change the way the defense is going to play against you.

The level of dropoff is also true. The worst starting TE in the league isn't much worse than the average guy. That isn't the case at WR, RB, or QB. It's just that a TE's responsibilities don't require much on most plays.

Not to overextend the argument, but find me the worst starting D lineman, LB, S, or CB in the league. You know teams are gaming to exploit that guy's weaknesses a dozen times a game.

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