Story will be posted below, but first let me start off by saying thank you Brian Westbrook for everything that you have brought to this team and also to my passion of being an Eagles fan. While I have loved watching you breaking necks and ankles for sometime now I am very sorry to see this journey come to an end. I hope that you heal well and have a chance else where, although I know the thoughts of retirement have entertained your mind a lot lately. Hopefully it does not resort to this. You have helped this team more then you have ever known and while I’m sad to see this era of the Eagles that I’ve watched for the past 8 years come to an end I’m also very happy to see the Eagles of the future being. But again, thanks so much for everything it is that you have done for this team. I hope someday you can come back to this organization and help out in one way or another.
Now about this move. Eagles fans, please do not sit there and start pointing fingers, which I am sure you are already doing. Going out and saying things like “our front office never allowed older people the chance blah blah blah blah”. Well it’s true, so just deal with it already but this situation is a bit different. With players in the past, with the exception of Runyon the Eagles have let everyone go before their career was over, and luckily for them it was perfect timing. Did it suck last year watching Brian Dawkins leave? Oh hell yeah it did, and you could say he had a DECENT year, a mediocre year at best. Maybe if he was in an Eagles uniform it would of been better? Who knows what I do know is he didnt have a BRIAN DAWKINS that bleeds GREEN year. And with all these players that were let go in the past, I really cannot sit there and think of ONE guy that came back and bite them in the arse… or even had a “typical” year. I’m talking about players like Trotter, Douglas, Staley….this list goes on and on. Bottom line is this, its a business. The Chargers proved that this week by cutting one of the best running backs of all time and surely the best of the modern era. The Eagles saw a RB that struggled last year with health, hell the past 3-4 years with health and with his ankle and knee problems now in the mix too its hard to roll the dice on that. The Eagles cleared up 7.2 + million dollars by doing so, for a running back of his calibre (IF HEALTHY) is a dumb move, but the shape he is in right now I think, sadly, it’s something they needed to do.
So heres a tip of my glass to the Eagles of the past and heres a nod of the head to the Eagles of the future that are re-gaining my respect back. Lets keep in mind people, the Eagles have managed to pretty much completely replace their SuperBowl team with the exception of a handful of peeps, and still remain in the running for a team that has that chance of going all the way. Good for them, good for us and good for football.
Heres the article from philly.com
The Eagles released Brian Westbrook, one of their all-time greats, today.
The 30-year-old running back’s decorated career with the Eagles is now officially over after eight seasons.
Head coach Andy Reid is scheduled to meet with the media at 3 p.m. A message left with Westbrook’s agent, Todd France, was not immediately returned.
Westbrook was due to make $7.25 million if the Eagles were to bring him back for next season, but that high price tag coupled with his decreased production made the move an obvious one. The Eagles could try to bring back Westbrook at a lesser salary, but that scenario appears unlikely.
Westbrook played in only eight games last season, missing seven because of two concussions. He returned for the final two regular season games and a playoff game, but was hardly used in the postseason loss to the Cowboys. He finished the season with 61 carries for 275 yards rushing and one touchdown and with 25 catches for 181 yards and one score.
Westbrook, who played in two Pro Bowls following the 2004 and 2007 seasons, ends his Eagles’ career with 5,995 yards and 37 touchdowns rushing and 3,790 yards and 29 touchdowns receiving. He will surely go down as one of the franchise’s best all-around weapons.
Westbrook was recently quoted as saying that he wanted to play next season. He was non-committal about his future with the Eagles, however.
There was a report last month that Westbrook’s left knee was so damaged that he wouldn’t likely pass a physical with another team. Westbrook has dealt with a number of injuries over the years, but this past off-season he had arthroscopic surgery on his knee and had bone spurs removed from his right ankle.
There were plenty of signs that the Eagles viewed 2009 as likely the last for Westbrook in an Eagles’ uniform. They drafted LeSean McCoy in the second round of the April draft and gave him a significant amount of responsibility early last season. The Pittsburgh product is now the No. 1 tailback. McCoy ran for 637 yards on 155 carries during his rookie season.
Westbrook’s departure, meanwhile, closes the book on a wonderful tenure. Drafted out of Villanova in the third round of the 2002 draft, Westbrook was mostly used as a returner during his rookie season. But with each year his load increased. He split reps at running back with Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter initially, but by his third season he was the primary ball carrier for the Eagles. That season the Eagles reached the Super Bowl.
In 2005, Westbrook’s season was cut short by injury, but in the next three years he became one of the best running backs in the NFL. In 2006, he rushed for 1,217 yards and caught 77 passes for 699 yards. In 2007, he topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage (1,333 rushing and 771 receiving).
By 2008, however, he started to show signs of slipping. Westbrook gained 936 yards on the ground, but his 4.0 yard per carry average was his lowest since 2005. Two off-season surgeries followed and Westbook’s 30th birthday in September loomed. Thirty has often been cited as the age when lead running backs begin their decline. Westbrook’s fall was rapid, although he might suggest that he has something left.
That remains to be seen.
More to come …
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