Kempski: Eagles cannot allow Dak Prescott's injury to set them back long-term

[wyote]

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Eagles cannot allow Dak Prescott's injury to set them back long-term

Despite the team now looking like the favorites to win the division, they should still sell at the trade deadline and continue to look toward the future

BY JIMMY KEMPSKI 
PhillyVoice Staff

The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3-1 with a point differential of -32, and they're currently 7.5-point home underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday. If they played in any other division in the NFL, we would probably be shoveling metaphorical dirt on their 2020 season.

Instead, they play in the horrid NFC East, where they are only a half game back of the Dallas Cowboys, who are now as affected by injuries as the Birds. Prior to Sunday's win over the Giants, the Cowboys learned that they would be without star LT Tyron Smith for the season, due to neck surgery. They were already without starting RT La'el Collins (hip surgery), and perennial Pro Bowl C Travis Frederick (retirement).

As I'm sure you all know, Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury on Sunday, and he too is done for the season.

"My heart goes out to Dak and obviously his family," Doug Pederson said on Monday. "You never want to see anybody, whether it be on your own team or even a rival or anybody in the league, suffer these types of injuries. We know that this game is hard enough. Injuries are a part of the game. But these types of injuries, where he could miss, obviously the remainder of the season, multiple weeks for sure, it's terrible."

Prescott was having a wildly productive season before his injury, as he was averaging 423 passing yards per game through the Cowboys' first four games. Much of his production came in catch-up mode, through no fault of Prescott's, as Dallas' defense was unable to keep opposing offensives from lighting up the scoreboard.

Despite the Cowboys' defensive issues, even when they were sitting at 1-3, they were the clear favorite to win the NFC East, as they were less bad than the rest of the division. 

1. The Giants might be the worst team in the NFL. 
2. The Football Team are right behind them.
3. The beat-up Eagles have been woeful underachievers through their first five games.

At quarterback and their three most important spots along the offensive line, the Cowboys' replacements now look like this:

Position	Normally...	Now...
QB	Dak Prescott	Andy Dalton
LT	Tyron Smith	Brandon Knight
C	Travis Frederick	Tyler Biadasz
RT	La'el Collins	Terence Steele

We'll go out on a limb and conclude that the Cowboys' offense won't be as potent as they would be if they were completely healthy. #Analysis.

As such, the Eagles are in position to win the NFC East again, and make it back to the playoffs for the fourth straight season. However, it would likely be less on merit, and more as a result of other team's failures or bad luck, as it has been the last two seasons. For example:

• In 2018, the Eagles needed to beat a mentally checked out Washington team Week 17, while also benefiting from a Vikings loss to a Bears team with nothing to play for in order to get in as the 6 seed at 9-7. Both things happened, and they backdoored their way in.

• In 2019, the Eagles were sitting at 5-7, before feasting on the dreck in their division for four games to close the season once again at 9-7, winning the NFC East.

• In 2020, 9-7 (or even 8-7-1) feels like a pipe dream for this Eagles team, but they likely won't need that to get in again. This year, 7-8-1 should do it, and it's not out of the question that they could actually win the division at 6-9-1, lol.

Since they won the Super Bowl in 2017, the Eagles have steadily gotten worse and worse as a football team, while also becoming older, more prone to injury, and more cap constrained, with fewer young players making an impact. The window for this roster to contend for a Super Bowl is closed. We all saw what a championship team looked like in 2017, and very clearly, this isn't it, or close in any way.

The Eagles should sell at the trade deadline, ideally while shedding contracts of older players in decline, allow for 2021 to be a rebuilding year, and attempt to seriously contend again in 2022 and beyond.

What they cannot do is allow a weakened Cowboys team to cloud their long-term judgment by chasing a hollow division title.

 

Losers lose to rebuild. 

Winners rebuild while winning. 

Kempski should be ashamed of himself. 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 minute ago, wyote said:

Losers lose to rebuild. 

Winners rebuild while winning. 

Kempski should be ashamed of himself. 

 

I don't agree with you there. 

We should still be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. There's no need to keep players who won't be here long term just because we can win a terrible division. 

[wyote]

Sure, be sellers if that's smart. We have to shed old guys and stupid contracts. 

But the loser mindset pisses me off. What the hell are we? 

I thought football was a man's sport. For men. Who fight like men. Who don't quit just because something is hard or whatever. 

This fanbase and its media have become a bunch of losers, whiners, complainers. I've seen little girls soccer teams with more will to win. Makes me sick. 

 

 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I think the main point here is to be sellers for players that long term don't necessarily have a future here though?

This is a bad football team and the higher the draft pick the better. But this team shouldn't, and it won't, deliberately lose to get a high pick.

[wyote]

Just now, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I think the main point here is to be sellers for players that long term don't necessarily have a future here though?

This is a bad football team and the higher the draft pick the better. But this team shouldn't, and it won't, deliberately lose to get a high pick.

To be clear, that's not the attitude behind the article. 

The article says, give up. It's over. Take the season off. 

Makes me sick. 

 

 

[wyote]

Life is not a video game. In Madden, hey, it's make-believe. Throw away entire seasons. Decades if you want. Lose and lose and lose and lose and lose until you build that superteam.

Whatever. 

In real life, every day counts. Every game counts. Every play counts. 

Winners don't just say, hey, this is too hard, I'm gonna give up. 

Yeah, the team has to shed old guys and stupid contracts. It needs to do that ASAP, in order to win right now and in the future. 

It's like the "let's lose to get into a lower bracket so things will be easier tee-hee-hee" mindset. Winners don't think that way. It's about being the best you can be every damn day. 

Whatever. 

 

 

 

 

 

[wyote]

Here's the article: 

Quote

Eagles should not try to win the division because they need to get younger and set themselves up for the future. 

Here's a different article: 

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Eagles should take advantage of this a chance to win the division - and who knows what else - while getting younger and setting themselves up for the future. 

You see the difference? 

What perspective would you want to have on your own life? 

Kempski needs to shave, look at himself in the mirror, slap himself hard, and ask himself what kind of man he wants to be. 

 

[time2rock]

I want to be sellers at the trade deadline to purge the roster of underperforming, overpriced, aging vets to yield some much needed cap relief and in the process give valuable play time to some of our young, unproven players.  The experience will be invaluable to their development and give us a better idea of what exactly we have in them and what needs to be the focus of continued roster development.  Plus then they will be much better prepared for larger roles for when we potentially will be legitimate contenders again (we aren't this year).  I don't think that means wishing to lose games ... it means recognizing the fact that we will likely take a few lumps as these young players gain experience while learning on the job which will likely result in some additional losses, but in the end it will be worth it.  

[jsdarkstar]

Eagles will soon be 1-4-1. 

Then we get that Giants. 2-4-1. 

[PoconoDon]

6 hours ago, time2rock said:

I want to be sellers at the trade deadline to purge the roster of underperforming, overpriced, aging vets to yield some much needed cap relief and in the process give valuable play time to some of our young, unproven players.  The experience will be invaluable to their development and give us a better idea of what exactly we have in them and what needs to be the focus of continued roster development.  Plus then they will be much better prepared for larger roles for when we potentially will be legitimate contenders again (we aren't this year).  I don't think that means wishing to lose games ... it means recognizing the fact that we will likely take a few lumps as these young players gain experience while learning on the job which will likely result in some additional losses, but in the end it will be worth it.  

Agreed.

As a side note, the W/L differential is unknown between playing the old guys and the young guys, but if pressed, I'd bet it's not much at all. Sell the Vets and play the kids.

[time2rock]

1 hour ago, PoconoDon said:

Agreed.

As a side note, the W/L differential is unknown between playing the old guys and the young guys, but if pressed, I'd bet it's not much at all. Sell the Vets and play the kids.

You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em.

Know when to fold ‘em. 

Know when to walk away.

[LacesOut]

Agreed.

Don't lose on purpose -- and the players/coaches won't do that -- but lets start the re-build ASAP. Whether that's killing any possible contracts or releasing/trading older vets on the team, or both. And if those moves make the team have a 4-11-1 season, so be it.

[Erie]

Of course, losing generates a losing culture that is hard to shake even when talent returns. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

21 minutes ago, Erie said:

Of course, losing generates a losing culture that is hard to shake even when talent returns. 

And that is completely fair. Thing is I'm all for having a 6-10 or 5-11 season, making the play offs and then seeing what happens in the post season. IF there are wholesale changes in the off season. If Howie is fired. I just don't think it will happen if we make the play offs again. 

[Road to Victory]

I have mixed feelings. My brain tells me they should be sellers and rebuild for the future. My heart tells me they should win the division and maybe they get lucky in the playoffs and win a game or two. This is an odd year with Covid so you never know what could happen if they make the playoffs. They could face a team that’s missing 5-6 players with Covid, who knows. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

8 hours ago, Road to Victory said:

I have mixed feelings. My brain tells me they should be sellers and rebuild for the future. My heart tells me they should win the division and maybe they get lucky in the playoffs and win a game or two. This is an odd year with Covid so you never know what could happen if they make the playoffs. They could face a team that’s missing 5-6 players with Covid, who knows. 

I think though they can sell and still win the division because it is a complete and utter mess. I mean realistically who are they going to sell? Ertz certainly and then who else? Probably not too many others in reality.

[time2rock]

11 hours ago, Road to Victory said:

I have mixed feelings. My brain tells me they should be sellers and rebuild for the future. My heart tells me they should win the division and maybe they get lucky in the playoffs and win a game or two. This is an odd year with Covid so you never know what could happen if they make the playoffs. They could face a team that’s missing 5-6 players with Covid, who knows. 

For me it is a case of being OK with taking a step back now in order to take 2 or more steps forward in the future.  I don't see this team progressing any time soon to becoming one of the league's elite teams like Seattle, GB, Baltimore, KC, etc.  Those teams got where they are by really smart drafting and moves in free agency.  Howie found lightning in a bottle for one year - most moves he made in other years collectively were below average.  So I'm OK with missing the playoffs if it means there is a chance Lurie would consider moving on from him (which I will admit is doubtful - would likely take a few consecutive years of being bottom of the league).  

[Road to Victory]

11 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I think though they can sell and still win the division because it is a complete and utter mess. I mean realistically who are they going to sell? Ertz certainly and then who else? Probably not too many others in reality.

I’m not sure about all the cap ramifications involving a trade but anyone who is not in their future plans and nearing free agency. Maybe Barnett, Mills, NRC, McLeod? I’d rather see them get a 6th or 7th round than nothing for those guys, maybe more for Barnett and McLeod.

[Road to Victory]

8 hours ago, time2rock said:

For me it is a case of being OK with taking a step back now in order to take 2 or more steps forward in the future.  I don't see this team progressing any time soon to becoming one of the league's elite teams like Seattle, GB, Baltimore, KC, etc.  Those teams got where they are by really smart drafting and moves in free agency.  Howie found lightning in a bottle for one year - most moves he made in other years collectively were below average.  So I'm OK with missing the playoffs if it means there is a chance Lurie would consider moving on from him (which I will admit is doubtful - would likely take a few consecutive years of being bottom of the league).  

I would take a 2 win season if it means Howie is gone but I agree it’s probably unlikely. 

[pallidrone]

If the players are old, overpriced and underperforming then who exactly is going to buy these players? I read this thread in and thread out and it makes no sense. Teams buy players that are young, performing and usually want out of their current situation, whether it is contract related, their is a player replacing them or they hate their current team. There is not a single player with MAYBE the exception of Ertz that fits any of the wants that any other team has. And Ertz is a stretch because the team taking him on will need to give him a new contract and nobody knows what next year will look like.

 

[hukdonfoniks]

Our drafting has been, all in all, pretty crappy.

Our coaching staff and our ability to coach these players up has been pretty crappy.  The players we're letting walk are catching on elsewhere and becoming real contributors.

Our cap situation is pretty crappy.

The core players of this team are expensive, aging, most of them are injured, and we have few (if any) valid young prospects to replace them. 

 

The only way I'd be comfortable with blowing this thing up this year is if we wipe the board clean, top to bottom.  Ship out whoever we can ship out.  Get rid of Howie and Doug, bring in a new GM and coach, and let them be the architects of the rebuild.  If they're ready to do that, then let's do it and start scrapping.  Otherwise what's the point? 

 

[hukdonfoniks]

25 minutes ago, pallidrone said:

If the players are old, overpriced and underperforming then who exactly is going to buy these players? I read this thread in and thread out and it makes no sense. Teams buy players that are young, performing and usually want out of their current situation, whether it is contract related, their is a player replacing them or they hate their current team. There is not a single player with MAYBE the exception of Ertz that fits any of the wants that any other team has. And Ertz is a stretch because the team taking him on will need to give him a new contract and nobody knows what next year will look like.

 

Contending teams that are a player or two out would take on older vets to make a push.  Much like what the Rams did.  Granted they're paying for it now, but teams are always going to risk the crash and the draft picks for having a year or two as a legit SB contender. 

Right now, if we really wanted to, we could flip Ertz and pretty much our entire defensive line - Hargrave, Cox, Jackson, probably even Barnett if we wanted to.  Maybe Brandon Brooks on the other side.  Past that we're kinda Fed. 

[pallidrone]

Cox, Jackson, Hargrave and Ertz all have huge cap numbers and massive negative impacts on the cap this year of you trade them without restructuring, which the Eagles will not.

The teams taking them on would take on their base salary and teams trade for cheap players, not expensive old players.

I hate using this term, but it is apropos here - this is not Madden. You can't just trade your problems away.

 

[Diehardfan]

Anyone who thinks that defense can handle the Chiefs or other top teams is out of their freaking minds. There are some seriously well balanced teams at this point in the season and they are not winning this year. It is done regardless of if they host a playoff game with 5 or 6 wins because of a horrible division.

Looking to the future they have massive problems on the horizon. This trade deadline is an opportunity to improve on that situation a bit and they need to make the most of that opportunity. Sell. Sell what they can and dump salary and get some draft picks (even if they blow them). 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

10 hours ago, Road to Victory said:

I’m not sure about all the cap ramifications involving a trade but anyone who is not in their future plans and nearing free agency. Maybe Barnett, Mills, NRC, McLeod? I’d rather see them get a 6th or 7th round than nothing for those guys, maybe more for Barnett and McLeod.

I think Barnett is very much in their future plans and rightly so (as long as the contract works out). Not sure they'd get any interest in NRC and probably not Mills either. Aren't they both on one year deals?