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        the Gridiron >> the Red Zone >>  Where will Eddie George land??
        
(Message started by: DirkDiggler on Jul 21^st, 2004, 7:03pm)

Title: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by DirkDiggler on Jul 21^st, 2004, 7:03pm

Allright, I am sure there is going to be lots of talk about where will Eddie George end up. SO I thought instead of going to multiple team threads, I thought it deserved it's own thread.

I found this little nugget on Sportsline. There article is by Clark Judge. It is a pretty good piece. I pulled out a piece regarding Eddie George going to Philly. I think it makes perfect sense.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7512398

Can you say ... Philadelphia?

The Eagles would be as perfect for George as George would be for the Eagles. He grew up around Philadelphia, attending Abington High School before transferring to Fort Union (Va.) Military Academy after his sophomore year, and was a crowd favorite when he returned there in 2000 to dissect the Eagles for 101 yards in his only Philadelphia appearance.

So there's a comfort zone there for George. But there's one for the Eagles, too, who could use George to replace Duce Staley.

Staley was the first-down back who yielded to Brian Westbrook or Correll Buckhalter, depending on the down, distance or time of the game, and the plan worked beautifully a season ago: Philadelphia's average of 4.8 yards a carry was second only to Green Bay in the NFL, and their 26 rushing TDs were second only to Kansas City ... OK, Priest Holmes.

"George would be perfect for the Eagles," said one scout, "because they can't go through the season relying on Westbrook. He'll get hurt again. And Buckhalter is little more than adequate."

Now I know what you're thinking: Why would Eddie George succeed there when he struggled in Tennessee, with a 3.3-yards-per-carry average that last year tied for last among the league's top 50 backs? I'll give you three reasons:

The Eagles' offensive line is more physical;

The Eagles have a decent lead blocker in fullback Jon Ritchie;

The Eagles can lean on other weapons than just Steve McNair, with Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens the most notable.
Sure, George is winding down. You would, too, if you were called on to run 2,733 times in eight years -- or an average ... an average ... of 342 times per season. You know how many backs had more carries last year? I do. Five. Which is why Philadelphia makes even more sense. Split the carries among George, Westbrook and Buckhalter, and they all benefit.

Some people mention Dallas as another possible destination, and George is one of them. But why would the Cowboys be interested in hiring Eddie George now when they weren't interested in keeping Emmitt Smith a year ago? It doesn't make sense. At least it doesn't make as much sense as Philadelphia.

The Eagles have the money. They have the cap room. And they're loading up for another run at the NFC Championship, so why not hire someone who never missed a game and rushed for 1,000 yards in all but one of his eight seasons?

"He fits perfectly," said an AFC defensive coordinator used to facing George. "The Eagles need the type of leadership he brings, plus he knows (former Titan) Jevon Kearse. And that's a real positive. Jevon listens to Eddie, and he respects him. If they want to do something to help themselves they'll sign Eddie."

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by StegRock on Jul 21^st, 2004, 10:40pm

Well, Eddie George named three teams he'd like to play for: the Eagles, Buccaneers and Cowboys.

A friend of mine in the Philly area told me that he heard the Eagles are not interested. Here are reports from LOCAL sources on "the Gridiron Newsstand" that corroborate that and in the case of the first piece explain why he would NOT be a good fit in Philadelphia:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12414919&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6;

http://philadelphia.comcastsportsnet.com/news/eagles/2004/072104-george.asp;

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/9203720.htm?1c.

Even though I agree with some of the rationale of that CBS Sportsline article DD cites, I ultimately do NOT think he fits the Eagles brand of west-coast offense and nor would he like Andy Reid's running-back rotation.

...

There is little to no word coming out of the Bucs camp, but Dallas, which is the team I think he will end up going to, surely could be a destination as per these LOCAL/OFFICIAL reports from "the Gridiron Newsstand":

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=E3F2F327-D81E-DFA6-5A45E87DE66F9F76;

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/9205191.htm.

...

Believe it or not, a team totally off the [smiley=radar.gif] right now that I think he could end up going to is my Donkeys. [smiley=broncofan.gif] ... [smiley=yes.gif] ... [smiley=ohshit.gif]

(I think the Raiders [smiley=warrior.gif] , Callie, and Cardinals [smiley=chicken.gif] are also a possibilities, by the way.)

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by PrimeTime on Jul 21^st, 2004, 11:16pm

Here are my top five teams where he might land:
(Word of caution - I do not really follow the salary cap so some of the teams I mention may not be able to afford him)

1. New England - they always seem to pick up a vetern who is willing to play a role and help them win.
2. San Francisco - can they count on Barlow to carry the load all season long?
3. NY Giants - new coaching staff wants to reduce Tiki's carries.
4. Tampa Bay - cannot count on Garner at 32 years old.
5. Oakland - thay are always a threat to sign a free agent.

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by Philly on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 9:30am

on 07/21/04 at 23:16:01, PrimeTime wrote:

1. NE signed Corey Dillon to take that role and has a capable backup in Kevin Faulk.
2. SF will count on Barlow. George won't wind up there.
3. The Giants want to reduce Tiki's carries and increase Ron Dayn'e carries.
4. There is a chance that George could end up in Tampa. Garner can't carry the load for 16 games by himself.
5. George is certainly old enough to get the call in Oakland, however they've signed a ton of backs and probably feel comfortable with Wheatley, Fargas, Zereoue, Crockett, and Hambrick.

All that said, I, like Steg, think that Eddie George winds up in Dallas where he can share the load with Julius Jones and not put all the pressure on the rookie right out of the gate. Dallas is a playoff contender and a seasoned playoff veteran and lockerroom presence like George could really help them.

I do NOT believe that the Eagles will sign George. They are happy with the backs they have. (Of course I didn't believe they would sign Owens or Trotter either.)

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by PrimeTime on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 3:44pm

on 07/22/04 at 09:30:27, Philly wrote:

3. The Giants want to reduce Tiki's carries and increase Ron Dayn'e carries.

Is that the same Ron Dayne who they drafted two years ago, is fat, slow and out of shape? [smiley=laugh.gif]

If so; I have a hard time believing he will get any meaningful carries this year.

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by DUKE0313 on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 6:30pm

Dallas can really use Eddie George...but I can't! I drafted Julius Jones hoping he would contribute right away. This really puts a pinch in my pasta!
Oh well, as a Cowboys fan I guess I'll just suck it up and hope that if E-Guy does show up in town, maybe he can take the team to the next level. At least one playoff win would be nice. It's been a long time!

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by Philly on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 10:23pm

on 07/22/04 at 15:44:14, PrimeTime wrote:

Is that the same Ron Dayne who they drafted two years ago, is fat, slow and out of shape? [smiley=laugh.gif]

If so; I have a hard time believing he will get any meaningful carries this year.

I'm just saying what I've heard... Coughlin seems intent on giving Dayne a shot. Not that I agree with it, but it's his team and not mine (thank God)!

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by PrimeTime on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 11:32pm

I just can't see Dallas signing George. I don't see what purpose it would serve. Jones is their back of the future. He will play on first and second down with Anderson coming in for thrid down. If they use George over Jones, then all they do is stunt Jones' development. RB is one position where a rookie seems to be able to step in and contribute right away.

Now if George is willing to sign for a very, very cap friendly amount, say the veteran minimum of $750,000 or there about, then I think the 'Boys may take a shot, but for the $3 to $4 million George wants I say the 'Boys will pass.

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by PrimeTime on Jul 22^nd, 2004, 11:39pm

Well, I just checked the Dallas Cowboys web site and it does indeed look like they are interested in George. They are looking at him getting about 10 carries a game along with the goal line carries. They also think he would be an asset in the locker room.

George's agents want a two or three year deal, but the Cowboys want a one year cap friendly deal.

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by Philly on Jul 23^rd, 2004, 9:09am

I heard the Cowboys offered George a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. (Sorry, no link, just popping in quickly right now. Will look for one later.)

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by DirkDiggler on Jul 23^rd, 2004, 9:12am

on 07/23/04 at 09:09:05, Philly wrote:

I heard the Cowboys offered George a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. (Sorry, no link, just popping in quickly right now. Will look for one later.)

Why would George leave Tennessee and sign in Dallas for the same amount of money? Did he under estimate his value on the open market?

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by Philly on Jul 23^rd, 2004, 9:13am

Here's the latest.... $2.1 mill seems to be the number...

http://www.dfw.com

Quote:

IRVING - Running back Eddie George has a doctor's appointment at Valley Ranch today.

If he gets a clean bill of health, he more than likely will get a Cowboys jersey as well.

Two sources close to the situation told the Star-Telegram that George and the Cowboys have agreed in principle to a one-year, $2.1 million deal plus incentives going into today's morning meeting between George, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Bill Parcells. All George, who has battled foot problems in recent seasons, has to do is pass a physical.

Signing George would give the Cowboys a proven runner capable of being the carry-the-mail tailback that Parcells desperately craved and sorely missed in 2003, while also providing a mentor for rookie Julius Jones. And while George is described as the ultimate team guy, he is coming to Dallas with hopes of being the guy.

"We would not entertain any situation unless he had an opportunity to start," George's agent, Lamont Smith, said. "He does not have to be guaranteed anything but an opportunity."

George, 30, did not feel he was going to get that opportunity in Tennessee, which is why he asked for his release Monday and listed the Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as his preferred landing spots. Facing a salary-cap crunch and wondering how much the 10,000-yard career rusher had left, the Titans acquiesced and released George on Wednesday.

The Cowboys were one of a handful of teams, including the Eagles, which called about George, but a source said getting a deal done with the Cowboys was George's No. 1 focus because he believes Parcells is a perfect fit for him. If George leaves Dallas without a contract, his next likely stop is Philadelphia.

Both Parcells and owner Jerry Jones declined comment through Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple on Thursday.

Less than six weeks ago, however, a high-ranking Cowboys official said the team had no interest in George because they did not want to stunt Julius Jones' development. The source said the Cowboys were prepared to go into the season with Jones, Richie Anderson and a couple of young prospects.

The Cowboys took a second look at George and his situation after running back Erik Bickerstaff tore his Achilles' tendon in June.

George has characteristics of a Parcells-type tailback. He is big, physical and has not missed a game since signing with the Titans as a rookie. The tandem of George and Jones is almost reminiscent of one of Parcells' backfields from his New York Giants days, when O.J. Anderson and Dave Meggett provided a potent 1-2 punch.

The worry with George is how much he has left. Not only does he turn 31 during the season, but he averaged only 3.3 yards per carry last season. But George said he still has what it takes to be a dominant back in the NFL and is just looking for an opportunity to do so on a team capable of winning a championship.

"What Eddie is about, wherever he ends up, is being productive," Smith said. "Anybody who knows Eddie knows that."

Title: Re: Where will Eddie George land??
Post by StegRock on Jul 23^rd, 2004, 2:35pm

on 07/23/04 at 09:12:58, DirkDiggler wrote:

Why would George leave Tennessee and sign in Dallas for the same amount of money?

Taken from the article Philly quoted above, this is why, DD:

Signing George would give the Cowboys a proven runner capable of being the carry-the-mail tailback that Parcells desperately craved and sorely missed in 2003, while also providing a mentor for rookie Julius Jones. And while George is described as the ultimate team guy, he is coming to Dallas with hopes of being the guy.

"We would not entertain any situation unless he had an opportunity to start," George's agent, Lamont Smith, said. "He does not have to be guaranteed anything but an opportunity."

George, 30, did not feel he was going to get that opportunity in Tennessee...

... + a little more cash!