Author: cbrown.tsn

Only three NFL teams changed head coaches this offseason. However, there was plenty of shuffling on coaching staffs, with offensive and defensive coordinators moving in and moving out. Here are five coordinators in new spots facing serious pressure:

New coordinator Perry Fewell will have his hands full trying to rebuild the Giants defense.

Perry Fewell, DC, Giants

Who he replaced: Bill Sheridan, who was fired after the defense fell apart in 2009.

What he faces: Only the Lions and the Rams gave up more points than the Giants last season. Signing safety Antrel Rolle will help the secondary, but serious question marks remain. Can end Osi Umenyiora bounce back from a disappointing season? Can safety Kenny Phillips return successfully from his serious knee injury? Will first-round end Jason Pierre-Paul be a boom or a bust? And can anyone successfully replace Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker?

"The middle linebacker is important in anybody’s scheme," Fewell told reporters during the Giants’ recent minicamp. "When you have a veteran like Pierce, that’s very hard to replace because he’s an extension of the coordinator. He’s a communicator — he has to get everyone set."

At least five players should get a shot to replace Pierce: Chase Blackburn, rookie Phillip Dillard, Jonathan Goff, Bryan Kehl, and Gerris Wilkerson. However, the onus to improve the defense falls on Fewell, who believes he will benefit from his stint last season as the Bills’ interim head coach.

"I see the big picture more," Fewell said. "While I would like to make guarantees, I can’t. I’m going to demand that we be physical and play physical. The Giants’ defense is a physical defense, and we know that from history. I want to return to that defense."

Jim Haslett, DC, Redskins

Who he replaced: Greg Blache, who announced his retirement from coaching after head coach Jim Zorn was fired.

What he faces: Their highest-paid defensive player, tackle Albert Haynesworth, seems disgruntled and has irked new coach Mike Shanahan by skipping two voluntary minicamps. Haynesworth apparently wants no part of playing nose tackle in the Redskins’ new 3-4 defense. It’s possible the team could trade Haynesworth, but if he stays put, part of Haslett’s job will be dealing with him daily.

It’s not like the Redskins were a disaster on defense last season. They ranked 10th in the NFL and had 40 sacks — and they also have a budding star in linebacker Brian Orakpo. Shanahan is an offensive guru with a successful track record. So if the defense slips, fingers will immediately point toward Haslett.

Even if Haynesworth does not buy into what Haslett wants, newly acquired defensive tackle Adam Carriker believes most players will.

"Has is a fiery guy," Carriker said. "He’s very charismatic. He’s going to get you excited to play."

Can new Bears coordinator Mike Martz turn Jay Cutler into an elite QB?

Don Martindale, DC, Broncos

Who he replaced: Mike Nolan, who resigned to become the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

What he faces: The Broncos lost eight of their last 10 games last season, and the defense surrendered 25.8 points per game during that stretch. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil led the league in sacks, but how long can safety Brian Dawkins, 36, and cornerback Champ Bailey, 31, play at a high level?

This will be Martindale’s first stint as an NFL coordinator, but he was popular with Broncos players as their linebackers coach last season. However, some had expected coach Josh McDaniels to hire former Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees to run the Broncos’ defense.

Pees and McDaniels worked together on the Patriots’ staff, but McDaniels felt Martindale was the right choice. If the Broncos’ defense falters, McDaniels’ decision to go with Martindale will be second-guessed.

Mike Martz, OC, Bears

Who he replaced: Ron Turner, who was fired after Jay Cutler’s turnover-filled season.

What he faces: This gets my vote for the most-scrutinized coordinator hire. It will be fascinating to see whether Martz can help Cutler become an elite quarterback. Martz’s success with Kurt Warner in St. Louis is well-documented, but Martz’s most recent stops with the Lions and 49ers have not ended in glory.

Coach Lovie Smith’s job is on the line, but he is a defensive-oriented coach who is trusting Martz to get help fix a quarterback who led the NFL in interceptions last season. You get the feeling this will go really well or really badly.

Mike Nolan, DC, Dolphins

Who he replaced: Paul Pasqualoni, who was fired after the Dolphins lost their last three games and finished 7-9.

What he faces: There are high expectations for this unit to improve. That’s because the Dolphins signed former Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby to a huge contract and used seven of their eight draft picks on defensive players, including tackle Jared Odrick (first round) and outside linebacker Koa Misi (second round).

This is clearly a defense in transition, with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter gone and Nolan running the show. Nolan did an impressive job in Denver last season, as the Broncos’ defense improved from No. 29 overall to No. 7. However, this will be another serious challenge for him. The Dolphins could have six new starters on defense, yet they hope to challenge the Patriots and Jets in the AFC East.

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

Darren Sharper re-signed with the Saints on Monday, but many veteran free agents are still in limbo. Here’s a closer look at some of their situations and which teams should consider signing them:

Flozell Adams, OT

Why he’s available: He turns 35 later this month. Believing Doug Free was ready to take over at left tackle, the Cowboys took a calculated risk and cut Adams.

Where he fits: Broncos. The recent knee injury to left tackle Ryan Clady, who may not be ready by Week 1, should put Adams on Denver’s radar.

Mark Brunell, QB

Why he’s available: He’s not good enough to start, but he can win games as a backup.

Where he fits: Jets. If Mark Sanchez is sidelined a few games, having a quality backup like Brunell could save the Jets’ playoff chances. Brunell may re-sign with the Saints, but the Jets are interested. As a Final Four team, the Jets can’t sign another free agent until July 22, unless another of their free agents signs elsewhere. Coach Rex Ryan told reporters last week that Brunell is his kind of player. "He’s smart," Ryan said. "If he came here, it’s not like he’s coming here to be our starting quarterback. I don’t know if he’s going back to New Orleans or not, but we’ll see what happens."

Marc Bulger, QB

Teams interested in Marc Bulger will wonder whether the QB can shake off his recent struggles in St. Louis.

Why he’s available: His performance declined the past three seasons as he took plenty of punishment behind the Rams’ offensive line.

Where he fits: Bears. Coach Lovie Smith is on the hot seat, and starting quarterback Jay Cutler is coming off a disappointing season. Having played for coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis, Bulger is familiar with the Bears’ new system. Right now, the Bears’ backup quarterbacks are Brett Basanez, Caleb Hanie and rookie Dan LeFevour. Enough said. However, if Bulger still wants to be a starter, he may opt for a place like Arizona, where he may have a chance to beat out Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson.

John Henderson, DT

Why he’s available: The Jaguars used their first two draft picks on defensive tackles Tyson Alualu and D’Anthony Smith, making Henderson more expendable. Henderson, 31, could still be effective for a team looking for an established run-stuffer.

Where he fits: Chiefs. Kansas City is trying to build the talent base in its 3-4 and could use help for a run defense that ranked 31st last year.

Adam "Pacman" Jones, CB

Why he’s available: Numerous off-field troubles led to Jones’ suspension from the NFL. After a one-season comeback with the Cowboys, he was released following the 2008 season and didn’t play last year.

Where he fits: Bengals. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Jones worked out for the Bengals on Tuesday, and ProFootballTalk reports he will sign with them. Coach Marvin Lewis admitted last week that the Bengals and Jones have kept in touch. "His agent does call, and I have returned the calls," Lewis said. "We’ll see what happens." If Jones can get himself into NFL shape, it will be interesting to see whether he can resurrect his career at the still young age of 26.

Kevin Mawae, C

Why he’s available: Mawae turned 39 in January, and the Titans decided not to re-sign him after he became a free agent. Mawae still believes he can be an effective starter, but his phone has not been ringing with offers.

Where he fits: He could be a Plan B after a team suffers an injury at center.

Terrell Owens, WR

Why he’s available: After well-publicized breakups with the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys, Owens is a lightning rod for controversy and no longer in his prime at age 36. It may take an injury to a starting wide receiver for anybody to take a chance on Owens.

Where he fits: Seahawks. He’d be a veteran target for Matt Hasselbeck and take pressure off T.J. Houshmandzadeh. In his first year, Pete Carroll has the juice to jettison if Owens causes any trouble.

Adalius Thomas, LB

Why he’s available: After signing with the Patriots as a big-money free agent, he never seemed comfortable in their scheme and clashed with the coaching staff. The Patriots finally cut him last week.

Where he fits: Jets. Another player on their radar, Thomas had his best seasons playing for the Ravens when Ryan was defensive coordinator. "If you can use him all over the place as a defensive end, an inside ‘backer, an outside ‘backer, a safety, he’s special," Ryan said. However, Ryan made it clear the Jets were not desperate to get Thomas, 32. "We’re pretty good," Ryan said. "I think with him, we’ll end up first in the league in defense, and without him we’ll end up first in the league in defense."

Brian Westbrook, RB

Why he’s available: He suffered two concussions last season and has reached the age‹he turns 31 in September‹where many running backs begin to decline drastically. The Eagles have gone young and decided to let Westbrook go.

Where he fits: Rams. He has already passed a Rams physical and worked with coordinator Pat Shurmur in Philadelphia. Westbrook would have a role as Steven Jackson’s backup, but he may wait to see if an offseason injury somewhere opens an opportunity.

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

The NFL’s never-ending news cycle keeps churning. Here are five postdraft questions to ponder as we move toward minicamps:

It seems likely that Jason Campbell will start for the Raiders this season.

1. Does the Jason Campbell trade signal the end for JaMarcus Russell with the Raiders?

Acquiring Campbell from the Redskins puts Russell on notice. He has been a disappointment since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Raiders in 2007 — a quarterback maligned both for his lack of improvement and lack of work ethic.

Campbell has said he expects to start, and he should. Raiders coach Tom Cable did not name Campbell the No. 1 quarterback when speaking with reporters following the trade, but it was clear Cable was delighted to have Campbell.

"We’re going to have a great competition," Cable said. "There will be some decisions made in the next month or so. We feel like adding Jason to this football team was very important. He’s a guy in need of a fresh start. He’s proven that he can do some things and have some success in the NFL."

Asked if there was any way Russell could win the starting job, Cable said, "Sure, if he competes for the job, if he’s doing all those things that your starting quarterback is supposed to do."

To this point, Russell has not done all the things a starting quarterback is supposed to do. He could be released within the week. The Raiders owe him $3 million no matter what they decide, but they would owe him $6.45 million if he makes next season’s roster.

Unless he agrees to a pay cut, Russell can probably kiss Oakland goodbye. And many Raiders would probably say, "Good riddance."

2. Can the Redskins and Albert Haynesworth coexist effectively?

G.M. Bruce Allen denied that the star defensive tackle had been shopped during the draft. Now that Haynesworth is still with the Redskins, will he be the dominant player the Redskins are paying him to be as a nose tackle in coach Mike Shanahan’ 3-4 scheme?

The best-case scenario for the new-look Redskins is that Haynesworth buys into his new role. The worst-case scenario is that Haynesworth does not and becomes a distraction. We will see how willing Haynesworth is to move forward, now that he is still a Redskin.

"We know where Albert stands, and he knows where we stand," Allen said. "We look forward to having him have a productive season"

3. How will the turmoil surrounding Ben Roethlisberger impact him and the Steelers’ season?

The Steelers did not trade their franchise quarterback, so now they must continue to deal with the repercussions of Roethlisberger’s behavior, including his six-game suspension. Director of football operations Kevin Colbert had this response when asked about his franchise quarterback following the draft.

"We can’t defend the behavior or actions, and as an organization we won’t," Colbert said. "But we do defend his opportunity to make right. And that’s the right thing to do. The guy has helped us win two championships and he’s made some mistakes, but he also deserves the opportunity to rectify those mistakes, and I know we stand behind his opportunity to do that."

How the Steelers deal with Roethlisberger’s absence and eventual return will continue to be one of the NFL’s main story lines.

4. How long will it take the Rams to sign Sam Bradford?

The quicker Bradford signs, the better his chances of making a first-year impact. Avoiding a lengthy holdout is a key to any rookie’s season, particularly a quarterback. If Bradford wants to start for the Rams, the sooner he gets into training camp the better.

"I realize that I have a lot of work in front of me," Bradford said. "It’s important to be out there with my teammates, start building chemistry. I’m going to trust my agent. He knows it’s very important to get me into camp as well."

5. Can Jimmy Clausen prove that he should not have dropped to No. 48 in the draft?

It will be interesting to see whether Clausen can challenge Matt Moore for the starting quarterback job with the Panthers. With coach John Fox in the final year of his contract, this will be an intriguing season in Carolina.

"If you’re a head coach in the NFL, you’re on a one-year contract," NFL Network analyst and former Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "I don’t care what the length of your contract is. All that means is you’re going to be paid if you get let go."

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

NEW YORK — The big buzz in the big city Thursday night centered on Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Oklahoma players at the top and Big 12 players in general.

Trent Williams one of 10 Big 12 players selected on draft’s first day.

Five things that made the first-round of the NFL draft compelling:

1. Bradford goes No. 1. The Rams did what most expected, taking the Oklahoma quarterback with the No. 1 pick, counting on him to help rejuvenate their franchise.

"You dream of hearing your name called on draft day, but to actually have it happen, it’s a feeling that really unexplainable," Bradford said.

2. Tebow goes in Round 1. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels made a likely make-or-break career move in Denver, trading three picks to the Ravens to get the No. 25 pick to select Tebow. Tebow’s wait is over, but the debate about him will continue.

3. The Big 12 has a big night. Five of the top six picks were from the Big 12, and 10 players from that conference went in the first round.

"Great competition, week in and week out," said defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska, selected No. 2 by the Lions. "It’s something you can’t take away from that conference."

One of the Big 12 players taken was offensive tackle Trent Williams of Oklahoma, who went No. 4 to the Redskins.

"Trent Williams is a player we targeted who can play not only the left, but the right side as well, and he played the center position," Redskins coach Mike Shahanan told reporters. "We thought he’d fit in very well. Hopefully he can come in here and compete right away."

4. More trades. The 49ers traded up to No. 11 to take Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis. The Chargers traded up to No. 12 for Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews. The Eagles traded up to No. 13 for Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham. And the Cowboys traded up to No. 24 for wide receiver Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State.

Iyer: Recapping the Day 1 trades

5. Surprises. The Jaguars took defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (No. 10), a player that many scouts rated as a second-round player. If Alualu does not have an immediate impact, the pick will be second-guessed. Meanwhile, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was not taken in the first round, nor were Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap, USC offensive tackle Charles Brown, USC safety Taylor Mays and Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate.

More: Revised second round mock draft | Third round

Clifton Brown covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

1. What will the Rams do at No. 1?

2. What will the Steelers do with Roethlisberger?

3. Where does Clausen go?

4. What do the Raiders do at No. 8?

5. What happens to Tim Tebow?

Five places where the impact of the Denver’s trade of wide receiver Brandon Marshall to Miami will be felt:

Brandon Marshall has caught at least 101 passes in each of the past three seasons.

The AFC East

Look at some of the big names that have entered the division this offseason. The Jets have acquired cornerback Antonio Cromartie, wide receiver Santonio Holmes and running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The Dolphins have landed Marshall and inside linebacker Karlos Dansby.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are the defending division champs and hold four of the first 53 picks in the draft, giving them ammo to trade or to stockpile young talent.

"We’ve already received calls relative to our second-round picks, so teams are interested in those," Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters Wednesday.

This division should be fun to watch next season. Pity the Bills, who seem to be falling further and further behind.

Denver Broncos

They wanted a first-round pick for Marshall but certainly can live with getting a second-rounder this year (No. 43 overall) and second-rounder in 2011.

Trading Marshall rids them of a player who caused many headaches for coach Josh McDaniels. Marshall, however, also made a lot of plays. He is one of the NFL’s best receivers, catching at least 101 passes in each of the past three seasons. Talent like that is not easy to find, no matter how many draft picks you have.

Since McDaniels arrived, the Broncos have traded two young offensive players, Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler, who had the potential to be franchise cornerstones. The pressure only will increase on McDaniels to prove that dealing Cutler and Marshall will help the Broncos long term more than it will hurt.

Miami Dolphins

Finally, they have a consistent big-time threat at wide receiver. Quarterback Chad Henne must be screaming for joy. Marshall adds balance to an offense that already has a potent ground attack featuring Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, although Brown is on the trading block.

If Marshall stays healthy and out of trouble, Henne-to-Marshall should be one of the league’s most productive quarterback-receiver combos. Meanwhile, wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., a big disappointment since being the No. 9-overall pick of the ’07 draft, becomes even more expendable.

"To me, Ted Ginn is a kick returner," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Wednesday during a conference call. "He’s not a No. 1 or even a No. 2 wide receiver.”

The draft

With Marshall no longer on the trading block, the market for the top-rated wide receiver in the draft, Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, could get extremely hot. There are character concerns about Bryant, but there are teams with high draft picks that have a need at receiver.

The Seahawks (No. 6 and No. 14 picks), Browns (No. 7) and Broncos (No. 11) surely are interested. Meanwhile, teams like the Bengals (No. 21) and Patriots (No. 22) might be willing to trade up to get Bryant.

Seattle Seahawks

Don’t be too quick to trash the Seahawks for losing out on Marshall. They brought him in for a visit last month and were genuinely interested. But they did not want to part with a first-round pick or multiple second-round picks. So the Dolphins swooped in to land Marshall.

Getting Marshall would have helped the Seahawks next season, but they are rebuilding and a long way from winning a Super Bowl. How new coach Pete Carroll fares long term will depend on drafting well and finding a young quarterback to lead the offense, whether it’s Charlie Whitehurst or somebody else.

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

The plot has thickened in the NFC East.

The Redskins have a new look with coach Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb.

The Eagles shook up the division, trading Donovan McNabb to the Redskins. Dealing a starting quarterback to a division rival? That’s gutsy. But the Redskins also gambled, giving up valuable draft picks and putting McNabb behind a shaky offensive line.

"The Redskins boxed themselves into a corner," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said during a conference call. "When you commit three or four years to McNabb, you better use that fourth pick on an offensive tackle."

With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, here is a closer look at the ever-changing, always-competitive NFC East.

Cowboys

Key moves: They released left tackle Flozell Adams and safety Ken Hamlin.

Draft needs: Offensive line and safety need to be addressed. With the 27th pick, possible targets include South Florida safety Nate Allen, USC offensive tackle Charles Brown and USC safety Taylor Mays.

"In the second round they could get a safety, maybe Allen, Morgan Burnett from Georgia Tech, maybe Major Wright from Florida," Kiper said. "As a former tight end, Brown is very athletic. You wish he had a little more explosiveness, but he’s a guy I think could be a very good pass blocker."

Status: Still the team to beat, but they could regret letting Adams go.

Eagles

Key moves: Kevin Kolb is the new starting quarterback, and veterans McNabb, guard Shawn Andrews, cornerback Sheldon Brown, linebacker Chris Gocong and running back Brian Westbrook are gone.

"They’re rebuilding, and they’re going young," McNabb said. "I never knew 33 years old was old, but I guess I’m too old."

Draft needs: With 11 picks, including three in the top 55, the Eagles hope to rebuild a defense that slipped in 2009. Cornerbacks Kareem Jackson of Alabama and Kyle Wilson of Boise State, along with Allen and Mays, should be on their radar.

"They have a lot of choices, and they need a lot of help in the secondary," Kiper said. "Front and center for me at No. 24 would be Maurkice Pouncey, the center-guard out of Florida. If he’s gone, then Philadelphia is probably looking for a corner. Then come back in the early second round with the pick from Washington and maybe look at Major Wright, the safety from Florida, or Nate Allen.

"They have some holes, and they have the draft choices. Andy Reid is big on the draft. He studies the draft, he really loves the draft process."

Status: They are talented but have many question marks.

Giants

The Giants addressed their secondary needs by signing Antrel Rolle.

Key moves: They signed safety Antrel Rolle, cut linebacker Antonio Pierce and replaced fired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with Perry Fewell.

Draft needs: They’ll be looking for linebacker help, and they could find it by taking Rolando McClain of Alabama or Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri at No. 15.

Status: A contender if their defense improves.

Redskins

Key moves: They added McNabb, head coach Mike Shanahan, general manager Bruce Allen and running backs Larry Johnson and Willie Parker.

Draft needs: Did we say offensive line? Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung is an obvious choice at No. 4 if available.

"Everyone assumes we’re going to address the offensive line because it was clearly a problem for us last year," tight end Chris Cooley said. "In some way, shape or form, whether it’s free agency or trade, we’re obviously going to address that position. I don’t think anyone is going to panic at any time in April saying, ‘We don’t have our guy right now.’ We’ll get someone that fills that spot."

Status: They could be one of the NFL’s most improved teams if they provide McNabb adequate protection.

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

Trading quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins is the biggest gamble ever taken by Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid. Here are five reasons why:

1. McNabb can get quick revenge. Sending McNabb to an NFC East Division rival is a bold decision that could backfire big-time. Imagine the heat Reid will take if McNabb beats the Eagles twice next season or if the Redskins make the playoffs and the Eagles do not.

"That’s what makes this so intriguing," ESPN analyst and former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski said Sunday night. "If Donovan had gone to the Raiders, or Buffalo, or St. Louis, he wouldn’t be in position to hurt the Eagles as badly as he can with the Redskins."

The Eagles still have to deal with the Cowboys and Giants, too, and McNabb gives the Redskins a proven starting quarterback. At age 33, McNabb could make the Eagles pay, not only this year, but for seasons to come.

The glare now falls on Kevin Kolb with Donovan McNabb out of Philly.

"He’s going to help the Redskins be a better football team," Reid said on a conference call. "Time will tell on the rest of it. I’m pretty confident that this is the right thing to do."

2. Kevin Kolb might not be ready. Kolb, 25, only has two career starts and will face far more pressure now. The city of Philadelphia can be hard on starting quarterbacks. Just ask McNabb, who never totally won over Eagles fans despite leading the team to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl.

"I was impressed with Kevin’s accuracy last year, but now it’s time to go out and play," Jaworski said. "No matter how many reps you get in the practice and in preseason, your whole world changes when you become the starter. We’ll see if Kevin can handle it. I’m not even sure if Kevin knows, but we’ll find out soon enough."

Not only does Kolb have a tough act to follow in McNabb, but backup Michael Vick is eager to become a starting quarterback again as well.

"I have a heck of a lot of respect for Michael Vick," Reid said. "He’s back in the swing now. Last year was great for him. We’ll see how Michael does as we go on."

If Kolb struggles in preseason, expect a full-blown quarterback controversy in Philadelphia.

3. The Eagles still have holes on defense. Even if Kolb plays well, the Eagles’ defense must improve for Philadelphia to become a Super Bowl contender. The Eagles dealt McNabb for the No. 37 pick in the 2010 draft plus either a third-round or fourth-round pick in 2011. That gives the Eagles 11 picks in this month’s draft, including five of the first 87 picks. With such ammunition, the Eagles could trade up to select a player they covet.

"You kind of sit there and you analyze — do you move up, do you move back, do you stay there, do you trade into next year?" Reid said. "We do need players on this football team. I’m sure we’ll look into maneuvering."

4. The Eagles are in transition. Suddenly they are one of the NFL’s youngest teams. They have unloaded a host of veteran players during the offseason — McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Shawn Andrews, Sheldon Brown, Kevin Curtis, Chris Clemons, Chris Gocong and Darren Howard to name a few.

The Eagles have gotten younger, but it might take a year or two for them to get better.

5. The Eagles had few options. If the Eagles had traded McNabb a month ago — before several teams addressed their quarterback needs — they might have gotten more in return. Instead, the Eagles spent weeks mulling offers for McNabb, Kolb and Vick. Once McNabb’s name surfaced in trade rumors, they almost were forced to deal him.

"It would’ve been very difficult to bring him back once they made it public they were entertaining offers," Jaworski said. "When you dangle your starting quarterback out there, the relationship really gets splintered." 

This story appears in the April 5 edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only sports digital daily, sign up today.

Clifton Brown covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.