The Dawkins-to-Denver deal is official, and Eagles Nation takes another punch to the gut. Free agent safety Brian Dawkins, who spent his entire career with the Eagles, has signed with Denver.
It’s the same old Eagles story: it’s their way or the highway. They probably offered Dawkins a one-year deal for little over the minimum. After all, he’s 35 years old. Who cares if he was the heart and soul of the team (more than Donovan McNabb will ever be)? Who cares that he was a true leader in the locker room (again, more than McNabb will ever be)? Who cares that even though he struggled early, he still was named to the Pro Bowl and was NFC Defensive Player of the Month in December? Who cares that the Eagles are over $40 million UNDER the salary cap?
The Dawkins-to-Denver deal is official, and Eagles Nation takes another punch to the gut. Free agent safety Brian Dawkins, who spent his entire career with the Eagles, has signed with Denver.
It’s the same old Eagles story: it’s their way or the highway. They probably offered Dawkins a one-year deal for little over the minimum. After all, he’s 35 years old. Who cares if he was the heart and soul of the team (more than Donovan McNabb will ever be)? Who cares that he was a true leader in the locker room (again, more than McNabb will ever be)? Who cares that even though he struggled early, he still was named to the Pro Bowl and was NFC Defensive Player of the Month in December? Who cares that the Eagles are over $40 million UNDER the salary cap? If ever a player deserved to finish his career with the same team he started it with, isn’t this the one?
Denver saw fit to give him (according to NFL Network) 5 years, $17 million with $7.2 million guaranteed. Escalators could boost the deal to $27 million, but the deal could also be voided to two years, $9 million. This is the more likely scenario considering his age.
Needless to say, there's much wailing and gnashing of teeth around these parts. Unfortunately, it will do no good. Whether it's the working-class fans screaming their hearts out in the upper reaches of the stadium or the luxury-box snobs barely paying attention to the game, the ticket money will continue to pour into carpetbagger owner Jeffrey Lurie's pockets, and bloated mediocrity Andy Reid will continue to reign over all with arrogant disdain.
