The Eagles don't need T.J. Houshmandzadeh
When I asked y’all last week about where you thought T.J. Houshmandzadeh would land, I learned a few things.
1) There are a lot of Philly fans who read Rotoworld.
2) They are very hopeful the Eagles get another wide receiver.
The question is whether the Eagles organization also believes wide receiver is a huge position of need. I doubt they do, which is way I didn’t rank Philly as one of the five most likely teams to sign Housh. PhiladelphiaEagles.com also seems to doubt it, and GM Tom Heckert essentially told Eagles fans not to get their hopes up. They already have a future number one receiver: DeSean Jackson.
Now Adam Schefter believes Philly is one of six possible destinations, and I trust him far more than my gut. But it just doesn’t make common sense. Going after Randy Moss, a true game-changer, is one thing. Perhaps even Anquan Boldin. But is Houshmandzadeh, at 31, that big an upgrade over Kevin Curtis and Jason Avant? Is the difference worth $8-9 million a year? The Eagles have more pressing needs - offensive line, secondary, and running back. Look for the Eagles to address those needs rather than paying Housh big bucks.
Comments
I am not a Philly fan, but I do believe that they will never make the next step without a stud, game-changing WR that can take over a game (like Owens). If DJax is that WR, he won't be at that level for a few years. McNabb needs a trusted target (other than Westbrook... who sees too much attention) to get the ball to in key situations and in the redzone. He didn't have it last year and, as a result, the offense was unbearable to watch at times. If the Eagles are going to make the next step towards the Super Bowl, they need to get him a reliable target now. Curtis was invisible the majority of the season and is not that guy. Housh IS a large upgrade over Curtis and has already shown in Cincy (with Palmer at the helm) that he is as reliable as any WR out there. Philly has enough cap room to get offensive lineman and Housh, so why don't they?
Posted by: Zen | February 17, 2009 04:19 PM
As a Philly fan, I go back and forth on Housh. On one hand, the Eagles have struggled for years with dropped passes, and the guy has great hands. It'd be nice for Donovan to have a place to go in clutch situations where the pass would be caught.
But I raise the same question as Rosenthal, as of whether he's enough of an upgrade over Avant and Curtis that it's worthwhile to overpay on a long term deal a guy who will be 32 when the season starts. I'd say probably not.
If the Eagles go after a high-priced free agent, I'd like it to be Jordan Gross (Please don't franchise him, Panthers!), and if they invest a lot to get a top notch WR, I'd like to to be Anguan Boldin. The YAC potential in the west coast offense would be great, and he'd be a nice complement to Jackson.
Posted by: Fredex | February 17, 2009 04:35 PM
gregg,
i like your analytical skills here. make more sense this way. i got another one... what do u think about westbrook this year? do year agree with wesseling and believe now is the time to sell ala LT2 circa year end 2007? how many more years do you think he has left at the elite level? i wonder if, with so many RBBC's out there, how can his value trail off so far in PPR, even counting all the buildup of injuries.
Posted by: scott c | February 17, 2009 04:51 PM
Housh is an upgrade over what Philly has now, but not a big enough upgrade to justify the price. I could see Philly going for Boldin, though. I think he is a huge upgrade over Curtis and Avant, and should be a top 10 WR for several years to come.
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