I keep hearing about the Dream Team.
I keep seeing the Eagles’ 2022 offseason acquisitions compared to the disastrous big-money mismatch in 2011, which Vince Young jokingly called the “Dream Team” in Lehigh nearly 11 years ago. “.
As far as the unfortunate Eagles quote, Young’s, “wow, dream team! “Right there,”for whom, for what” and”I had to pick candlesticks. ”
Who are the key players on the Dream Team? Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, Cullen Jenkins, Donald Lee, Steve Smith, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Evan Mathis.
Let’s talk about that group.
Asomugha is over for three straight Pro Bowls, but he’s 30 years old and has lost a step. or six.
Babin, 31, has changed teams for the fifth time in six years.
Brown is 30 years old and is having the worst season of his career.
Jenkins, 30, played seven seasons in Green Bay without making the Pro Bowl.
Li is 30 years old, and his numbers have declined for four years in a row.
Smith is only 25 years old but has only one good season in his four years with the Giants.
DRC is also only 25 years old and has had three very good seasons with the Cards, and the real value of this move is that it allows the Eagles to offload Kevin Kolb. In fact, the DRC had a good two years here.
And then there’s Mathis, 31, who really didn’t get to be a part of the Dream Team because he didn’t pay anything, and he hasn’t even been a full-time starter in five years. Of course, he’s the only person in the group to be represented for the Eagles — an All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler.
But in reality, almost all of them carry red flags. Either production is down, they’re getting old, they’ve lost a step, haven’t held consistent records over the years, or they’ve been showing clear signs of age before they got here.
Compare with this group.
AJ Brown has been very productive and consistent throughout his three NFL seasons. Haason Reddick has combined two consecutive sack seasons. Kyzir White has improved every year in the league. James Bradbury is one of only two corners in the NFL with at least 15 interceptions and 80 pass deflections over the past six years.
Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens and Nacoby Dean are all promising rookies just getting started. Davis and Jurgens are 22 and Dean is 21.
There is no comparison. not any.
The dream team includes six people in their 30s. The oldest man in the group is Bradbury, who is 28 years old and has only signed for one year.
The 2011 player collection had another very important thing to contend with.
shutdown.
Remember, there was no free agency in the spring of 2011. Players were not allowed to change teams during the lockout, and the Hawks’ signing spree didn’t begin until July 28, when they acquired Rogers Cromarty. A day later, they signed Asomugha, Babin, Lee and Young, and the next day they signed Jenkins. Brown followed two days later and Smith a week later.
None of these people have an OTA or mini-camp. No one has a summer to learn offense or defense and get to know their teammates and coaches. Heck, there isn’t even a full training camp, because training camp starts days before any action.
Sign a bunch of frail veterans, don’t give them the offseason, and start the regular season 39 days after they’re here? In retrospect, no one should be surprised that this was a disaster.
Now, it’s likely that not all of the Eagles’ acquisitions in the 2022 offseason will be successful.
Maybe one of the veterans will be disappointed. Maybe one of those picks won’t fit into the NFL game. That’s the reality of the NFL, that’s the essence of what makes a team. You don’t hit everyone. Nobody will.
But the process went smoothly. The logic behind these moves really seems to make sense. The red flags we saw 11 years ago are gone this time.
This is not a dream team. It’s just a bunch of good football players who should help make the Eagles a better team.
