PhillySportsJunkie.com

 After lying dormant for nearly a month, the National Football League is back.  The scouting combines have begun and the draft is close enough to discuss.  Most relevant is the start of free agency, beginning tomorrow (Friday) at 12:01AM.

Now the Philadelphia Eagle fan-base can look to the future instead of pursuing a collective lobotomy after watching the New York Giants raise the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLII.  The nightmares will begin to subside.

On the surface it seems free agency is set to be a disappointment. 

One by one the studs have disappeared by virtue of the dastardly franchise tag.  Kansas City DE Jared Allen, the NFL sack leader, was locked down.  A player the Eagle reportedly had major interest in, Seattle CB Marcus Trufant, was tagged.  Ditto Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs and Dallas S Ken Hamlin.  You get the point.

New England and Chicago unrestricted free agent WRs Randy Moss and Bernard Berrian are expected to resign.

Not only that but two popular trade targets – Cincinnati WR Chad Johnson and Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald – have been publicly taken off the market by their respective GMs.

Who is left?  Patriots CB Asante Samuel, WR Donte Stallworth and a collection of mid-level talent featuring Antwan Odom, Justin Smith, Travis LaBoy, Gibril Wilson, and Andre Davis.  Here’s a challenge – name all of their respective positions and teams.  Miss any?  The point is that they are not carrying any team to the Promised Land.

The more important point is that none of it matters.

Could the Eagles follow the Giants’ blueprint, sit tight, and compete next year?  It is possible.  The Giants practiced addition by subtraction, dropped Tiki Barber off on the set of NBC, and played the underdog card to perfection.

However, again, none of it matters.

In early January, when his future with the Birds was a subject of hot debate, Donovan McNabb issued a mandate to Philadelphia Eagle management – Get us help!  Then franchise cornerstone Brian Westbrook and leader Jon Runyan publicly supported and echoed the mandate.  In doing so they accomplished two things:  they sent a message that the team is ready to get behind Donovan in 2008 and officially put management on the hot seat.

With the faces of the franchise on the same page, what message would it send if the Eagles fail to make an impact in free agency? 

Are they willing to risk public team dissent?  Are they willing to risk motivating Westbrook to make a bigger deal about his contract restructure and take a training camp vacation?  Are they willing to risk another controversial blog post from McNabb?  All doubtful. 

Expect the unexpected.  The Eagles will find a way to make a splash.  Whether it comes via making Asante Samuel the highest paid defensive player in history, through re-opening Chad Johnson talks with the Bengals, or from prying Randy Moss from the Patriots, they will find a way.

Recall the 2004 offseason.  Reeling from 3 consecutive NFC Championship Game losses, a shakeup was necessary.  On cue Jevon Kearse was signed and Reid found a way to acquire Terrible Terrell.

T.O. is long gone and conveniently, the Eagles dumped the Freak today.  With a team currently built for mediocrity, the 2008 shakeup cannot come soon enough.

Andy Reid – at 12:01AM the time is yours.  No pressure.