An End of an Era

We thought this was going to be taken care of. We figured, it was only a matter of time. There's no way number 20 will be playing for any team but Philadelphia, we thought. He's a guy who will end his career in Philly - we felt this was a given. Sadly, reality set in, when Brian Dawkins signed a contract to play football for the Denver Broncos.

The fans are ready to revolt - you can hear it on TV, radio, newspapers, the internet - the heart and soul of the team should've been an untouchable. How can that be replaced in the locker room? Can one even put a price on that?

I've been tossing and turning thinking about how I feel about this situation. On the one hand, Dawkins is in his late 30's, and isn't the player he was 5 years ago. On the other hand, players like Dawkins and Ray Lewis play with such an infectious tenacity, they make other players better (and, more importantly, they hold those accountable).

Brian Dawkins was a rookie in 1996, ironically the same year I interned for the Birds. He was very quiet that year, but you could see his passion. He eagerly listened to the leaders of that defense - Troy Vincent, Willie T, Michael Zordich ... he soaked up their knowledge like a sponge. It was only a matter of time before he would take the batton from them.

Now, 13 years later, his run is finally over. He was such a great leader, and the hope is that another young lion with the same passion and pride spent the last few years soaking up Dawkins' knowledge like a sponge, and is ready to accept that batton. But who is that lion?

As for Dawkins' departure, nobody can determine who will benefit from this move. Will the Eagles' focus on youth pay off? Does Dawkins still have anything in the tank (by the way, B-Dawk will be visiting Philly this season with the Broncos)?

Here is one way the Eagles can spin the bad PR they are receiving - build this team up right. We need a tight-end who can block and catch. Let's bring in a capable fullback. A good receiver wouldn't hurt. And let's make sure the O-line is taken care of (one way or the other). Oh, and let's not trade out of the first round again - the move blew up in your face last season.