The Inquirer's Bob Brookover has been following the pulse of the Eagles closely the past few days and today he tells us that the Eagles have agreed to a new three year deal with back up A.J. Feeley.The Eagles, according to a league source, completed negotiations on a three-year contract extension with quarterback A.J. Feeley this morning, which ended any chance for Jeff Garcia to return to the team in 2007.This move all but ends any chance Jeff Garcia will return next season in Eagles green. The next stop in Jeff Garcia's career could lead him to Denver or Tampa Bay.
Feeley, 29, has been told that he will be the backup to starter Donovan McNabb after spending last season as the No. 3 quarterback behind McNabb and Garcia. Details of the deal were not immediately known, but Feeley is now signed with the Eagles through 2010 because he had a year remaining on the two-year contract he signed with the team last summer after being released by the San Diego Chargers.
I can't say I'm shocked over the Eagles decision to get a deal done for Feeley. As far as we can tell, the Eagles never even made a contract offer to Garcia. It's unfortunate that after the promising run he took the Birds on last season, they can't even make him an offer. On the flip side, Feeley is younger, cheaper, and has shown flashes of star qualities when he had limited chances on the field for the Eagles.
The only other question I think this could lead to is whether this was a strictly football and money decision? If the Eagles brought back Garcia, you absolutely know the first pass Donovan McNabb threw at the feet of Reggie Brown fans would be barking for Garcia. This could certainly have been in part a move to avoid that controversy.
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I am not at all surprised at this deal. Given all of the Eagles' needs this off season and the cap issues that look to be facing, signing Garcia was not in the cards. Instead, they get a younger Feeley who is fairly proven for roughly half the money.
Now they need linebackers.
I feel so sad for Garcia. McNabb has not had the best seasons in the past yr is very injury prone. Garcia gave the Eagles a very interesting end of season showing he can still play at top notch and almost pulled it off. I have always watched and admired Garcia over the yrs. Hopefully he will find a much better team then the Eagles and put in their face with a Superbowl team.
I have always liked to see Garcia play from the time we were in SF and saw him with the 49ers. He is great, gutsy player. A good leader. Unfortunately, he is also getting up in years and the best option was to sign Feeley. Feeley has been and will continue to be a very good backup QB. Best of luck to Jeff. He is not done yet--by any stretch--and I hope he signs with a team that can and will use him.
This is the coward's way out by the Iggle brass, coddling McNabb by throwing Garcia out of the nest so there's no more 'hurt feelings' or competition. Garcia had the respect and admiration of both his teammates and the fans, something McNabb doesn't have.
And this will only strengthen the boo-birds when McNabb starts panicking and making bad decisions on the field.
The Eagles have done just about what the idoit Ravens did with Trent Dilfer, when he helped them win the Super Bowl. They dumped him. McNabb will sustain another injury next season, too, you can count on it and there won't be a top caliber QB to bail out the team. About Jeff's age, so what, his talent trumps the age issue. I was hoping the Eagles would go farther into the playoffs, so T.O. would have to eat his words. MJ in Fresno
Now we won't have to hear Wilma Mcnabb complain on her blogs anymore....Once again the eagles brass kisses Mcnabb's ass.....God forbid Dononvan would feel threatened in any way... What a joke
Considering that Garcia's agent insisted on a 5-day grace period at the start of free agency in order to gaurge the market, it's hardly suprising the Eagles let a 37-year old QB who doesn't want to be a backup leave. For the Eagles to get involved in any sort of bidding war for Garcia would be foolish.
I think it was a good chance for Garcia to get a better deal than the Eagles.Coaches'll jump at him.
Letting Garcia go is good for Garcia, but bad for the Eagles. He deserves to go to a team that can use him and where he can make a difference. Unfortunately, the Eagles are stuck with McNabb for a few more seasons. Feeley may or may not be a good backup, with McNabb's break down history we'll soon find out.
Garcia will be missed, there will be a real leadership void without him on the team and there's nobody to take his place.
People are going to make a much bigger deal about this than they should.
The reality is, if they don't fix the defense and maintain a balanced offense, they won't win a Super Bowl anyway.
Garcia is a luxury, but you can live without him, especially if McNabb stays healthy. God, I hope he stays healthy.
RE: McNabb has not had the best seasons in the past yr
What do you mean? McNabb was having a MVP caliber season last year until he was injured. Sure the guy isn't a perfect QB but neither is anyone not named P. Manning. TMC is correct. The Eagles coaches need to call a balanced game on offense and the personnel office needs to beef up the defensive talent. After that the Eagles have as good a shot for next year as anyone.
Jeff Garcia was let go by the Eagles because of his age and the fact that A J Feeley is younger and there won't be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia.
Now we can put this puppy to rest!, meaning, the "quarterback controversy",made only that way by the bleeding heart fans, sports media, and management! Time to turn the corner and MOVE FORWARD! and not worry about what the bleeding hearts of the area think, or feel, about the signing of Feeley! He has been "red shirted" long enough and it is also time for both Donovan McNabb and A. J. Feeley to "put up or shut up!" If Donovan possesses all of these "leadership" qualities that the bleeding hearts of the area "believe" he has, then just like any JOB, and that's what it is people a JOB, then with his future looming on the horizon, and if he is honest with himself, he knows he is only one more injury away from hanging them up and again that falls into the category of honesty, it is time for him to "mentor" Feeley and start to "lead" him. He himself came to the Eagles as a "young buck" and took his lumps, both on and off the field!, so it's time to "pass the baton". Speaking in "football" terminology, " He took it to the one, time to let someone else carry it over the goal line!"
Kudos! to you Side Show Bob, finally, the voice of "reason!" I've "bashed" McNabb and with this signing of Feeley, and if you read betwee the lines, so to speak, Management is tipping their hand and letting the fans know that the "wheels of change" have been placed on the "Big Green Machine" and with the new traction, they're ready to "CONTEND" once again! They too are tired of just "spinning their wheels!"
Lets see, Mitchell talked about McNabb Gone, T.O. talked about McNabb Gone, Jeff Garcia show us whata real quarterback is Gone, McNabb Has not done a thing for the Eagles so why do we keep him ?
Seems to me that the new Eagles "theme" song's not going to be, "Fly Eagles Fly,....." but that oldies tune done by a Philly group, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, "People get ready, there's a change a comin',........"!
Yeah boy, there is a "change a comin'" and seeing that there is a "music title" theme, going on here, how about using that song done by "The Chambers Brothers" titled "TIME HAS COME TODAY!", with that being said,"It's about time!!". Gonna hafta git me sumpin to eat later when I sit down and start reading those "How could they do this...??" comments. Well, at least it won't be about Andy and his problems because those were starting to get{yawn..} BORING!!
This makes this upcoming draft important but also questionable, personally, I'd like to see them draft a "mule" running back to take some of the heat off of Westbrooke or a "beast" for the linebacker squad, you know, somebody that at least knows how to tackle!!! Andys' gonna hafta re-subscribe to his "How to manage your time" magazine too.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and all ships at sea, this reporter has just learned that while Donovan McNabb was playing "YatZee", he had learned of A. J. Feeley signing with the Eagles and when he threw the lettered yatzee dice, he made the word "Gracia" thinking that he was thanking the Eagles management for signing Feeley. Is it me or are they the same letters in the name "GARCIA", place this item in the "things that make you go hmmmm???" file for reference at a later date.
It is time to let AJ challenge for the job. Let him split time with McNabb and go with the statistics. I thought Jeff Garcia was very inspirational when he took over. He is to be congratulated for his effort, but AJ not playing all year and being stuck with second stringers against Atlanta's starters showed he is ready to take over. Just think if the Eagles would have decided to start AJ instead of Garcia. They possibly could have gone further in the playoffs, not taking anything away from Jeff Garcia.