No, they didn't trade for Anquan Boldin, or sign Terrell Owens (though that would make the news, wouldn't it?), but the Eagles did make a couple of moves at wideout today. First, they resigned Jason Avant to a five year extension, and then they followed that up by trading Reggie Brown to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth round pick in 2011.
The Jason Avant deal is a nice one, because he's coming off of his best season to date, and has become one of Donovan McNabb's favorite targets on third downs. Last year, Avant caught 41 passes for 587 yards and three touchdowns, which are very solid numbers for a number three receiver. He fits perfectly into the Eagles' system, and I don't think I've ever heard him complain about getting the ball or anything of that nature. He knows his role with the team, and he fills it very well.
With Avant here for the next five years, and DeSean Jackson hopefully getting a new, long term deal, the Eagles are going to have their top three wideouts signed for the future, which is a very good thing, especially when they make the move to Kevin Kolb. Having an established set of receivers can only help a young quarterback along, and that's what the Eagles seem to be putting in place right now. You can't go wrong with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Brent Celek out there on offense. It's a winning combination of receivers and tight ends that are only going to get even better as time goes on.
Where the Eagles did go wrong was with Reggie Brown, and today, they tried to at least make good on their missteps. Brown was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today for a sixth round pick, ending his five year career in Philadelphia. After putting up decent numbers as a starter in 2006 and 2007, Brown's production dropped, as did his playing time, as the Eagles brought in other wide receivers. Some would argue that Brown never really did get a fair shake when the Eagles got Kevin Curtis and drafted DeSean Jackson, but at the same time, he needed to make the most of his chances, and he couldn't do that. What he did instead was play in just 17 games over the past two seasons, catching 27 passes for 407 yards and just one touchdown. Those numbers aren't going to keep you around, I don't care who you are.
Quite simply, Reggie Brown wore out his welcome in Philadelphia. After his two decent seasons, the Eagles rewarded him with a five year contract extension, and it never worked out. The fans turned on him for making his money without putting up the same numbers that he was producing before his contract, and once you lose the fans in this city, it can be very, very hard to get them back on your side. Reggie was never able to do that, and now he's gone. I don't know how he's going to do in Tampa, but I at least hope that he can produce a little bit better than he did with the Eagles these past two years. He needed a change, and now he has one.
I wish I had more to write about during free agency, but so far, the Eagles haven't done a damn thing, aside from the Jason Avant and Leonard Weaver contract extensions. Dammit guys, give me something to write about!
CSNPhilly.com: Eagles Give Avant Extension, Trade Brown
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