For Eagles & Vick, The Time To Win Is Now

I think it’s safe to say that Michael Vick’s public image has come a long way. From his dog fighting scandal to his heroic playoff sun last year, Vick has taken full advantage of the second opportunity that the Eagles have given him. But as amazing and flashy as last season was, Vick and the Eagles ultimately fell short in the playoffs and failed to bring this city its’ first Super Bowl title.

Providing there is an NFL season, going into free agency and training camp Vick and the Eagles need to have a winning now mindset. Last year the Eagles went 10-6 and proved to everyone that they are very close to winning a Super Bowl. In the playoffs the Birds lost by just 5 points to the Green Bay Packers who eventually went on to hoist the Lombardi trophy. Think about how close that Packers game was. A couple bounces go their way and who knows maybe the Eagles wind up playing in the Super Bowl. From what I’ve seen during the lockout I think this Eagles organization fully understands how close they are to the promised land.

So far during this lockout the Eagles have already proven that they are committed to winning. Why else would Reid draft a soon to be 27 year old in the first round of the draft? Clearly they are focused on winning this year rather then planning for the future. Vick has also shown his commitment to winning by holding several workouts during the lockout. Vick is showing that he is willing to go that extra mile in order to get better individually and as a team.

But will the Eagles pull the trigger when it come to free agency? Will they make the necessary acquisitions to put them over the hump? Some players that the Eagles may be interested include Jason Babin, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Plaxico Burress.

Babin would be a great option as he has expressed interest in playing for both the Eagles and new defensive line coach Jim Washburn. And considering his only great year was last season the Eagles could get him at a relatively cheap price. Asomugha could be pricy but he is one of the best corners in the league and paring him with Assante in the backfield could easily make the Eagles secondary one of the best in the league. Although wide receiver is not a position that the Eagles need to upgrade, having Plaxico as a jump ball option inside the 20, could give them an extremely dangerous red zone threat. The Eagles offense sometimes stalls when they get inside the redzone primarily because they lack that big tall receiver. Even if they don’t throw to Plax, just his presence on the field could open up the rest of the offense. To read about other free agents the Eagles may be interested in click [HERE]

In the past the Eagles have pulled the free agency trigger. In 2004 the Eagles went out and got Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse. The moves paid off as the Eagles finally reached the Super Bowl but eventually lost 24-21 to the New England Patriots. The Eagles have also paid big money for other big name free agents like Assante Samuel and Jason Peters. The Eagles know how to spend, the question is will they spend the big bucks this year.

The time for the Eagles to win is now. Hopefully once free agency hits the Eagles will spend the money necessary to get this team over the hump.