Q&A With Inside the Iggles Blog

I am a sympathetic guy. The Landry Hat has a heart. But even though those statements are true, this might be one of the hardest things I will do on this blog all year: share some space with a devout Eagles fan. Ian, at Inside the Iggles, is a fair dude. But his team is performing below average this year. He has nothing really to boast about. So, I thought it would be safe to go ahead and have him answer five of my own crafted questions. Check out his blog, and you’ll see he was kind enough to allow me the same amount of space. Even so, Ian shall know that I will never forget the cheers from the rowdy Eagles fans when Michael Irvin nearly snapped his neck in the game at Philly in 1999. I won’t forget the pelting of snowballs, either. Some of you Eagles fans are just downright nasty. But to you, I reach out and welcome you to The Landry Hat, the best NFL blog on the planet.

Q: The Eagles had a disappointing season in 2007. Donovan McNabb couldn’t really spark much of a comeback, which begs the question: Is McNabb officially over the hill? (b) Will he be an Eagle for the 2008-09 season?

"A: This season really has been disappointing for the Birds. McNabb has been up, and down this season, but mostly down. He is trying to come back from a devastating knee injury, and that is a long process. It can take up to two years for some players to be “fully back”. I don’t think he is over the hill quite yet, because he is only 31. Many QBs can play well until age 35, and even beyond that. I think the Eagles know this, and will be keeping him around for next season. Everybody knows that AJ Feeley is nothing more than a decent backup in the NFL, and Kevin Kolb is not ready yet. With more time to rehab, and hopefully more weapons to throw to, I look for Donovan to bounce back in 2008."

Q: Why did the Eagles not perform so well this year?

"A: It’s hard to point to one reason, and say this is why the Eagles are playing poorly. There were many issues that factored into this. McNabb coming off the knee injury was obviously a huge factor. A lot of guys were banged up this year, and that hurt. The Eagles defense while improving in some areas, is almost last in takeaways. The offense has had major problems in the red zone, and has been very inconsistent. The special teams has just been a nightmare for the most part. There have been a ton of mental mistakes, and coaching errors. This team needs more talent, and a fresh start, because it is just not their year."

Q: What do you see the Eagles doing in the offseason and in the NFL draft? Is there one glaring weakness on the team that needs to be addressed?

"A:It’s hard to say where the team will go from here in the off season. there are many needs on this team. The first thing you see when you look at the roster, is that Jevon Kearse, and Darren Howard are making a ton of money doing nothing. They will both be cut most likely, and the Eagles will yet again need to address the DE position. Then when you look at the safety position, you see that Brian Dawkins is getting very old, and Sean Considine did not cut it as a starter. They might need to look into drafting a Safety. The Eagles receivers don’t suck as bad as everybody wants to say they do, but this group is missing something that every offense needs. They need a receiver who can stretch the field. I think one guy the Eagles should look for in free agency is Bernard Berrian. He is a good, young, fast, and talented receiver who might become available. The Eagles might also have to look at getting an Offensive Tackle in this draft. Tra Thomas will more than likely leave as a free agent, and Jon Runyan is not getting any younger. So that could be another position to look at in the draft."

Q: How do the Eagles beat the Cowboys or is it a pie in the sky thought?

"A: There really is no way I can see the Eagles pulling off an upset here. The Dallas Cowboys are playing at an extremely high level right now, and they are the better team. The Eagles are searching for answers right now, and I doubt they get it all together against the NFC’s best. They could maybe make it a ball game, but Dallas will win in the end."

[Editor’s Note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! KAW KAW!!!!]

Q: If the Eagles have another losing season, do you think Andy Reid will be back? Is next season his final season?

"A: I am a big believer in Andy Reid. He does make mistakes, and I am not the biggest fan of passing 70% of the time, but Reid is one of the better coaches in the NFL. This will only be only his third losing season in nine years as the Eagles head coach. He lead the Eagles to five division titles, six playoff appearances, four NFC Championship games, and one trip to the Super Bowl. The only thing he has not accomplished is winning it all. I feel like Andy has earned the right to have a bad season, and should be given the chance to correct things. For better or worse In Andy I trust."