Former All-Pro guard Andrew was released by Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles finally made their decision to release the former All-Pro right guard Shawn Andrews, making it clear that they are going to move on to rely on someone else who could be more reliable than Andrews.


The move on Wednesday was expected as Andrews missed the entire 2008 training camp because of depression and played in just two games over the past two seasons because of back injuries. The first-round pick in 2004 draft did offer his efforts and contributions to the Eagles but he just became expendable while the team is moving in another direction.

Andrews has been considered to be eccentric since putting on the Eagles jersey because of his interest in music and offbeat personality. He posted some videos on YouTube last summer while he was sitting out practices, and sported faux-hawk haircuts that sometimes were dyed blonde or red, and often wandered through the locker room singing out loud. He missed rookie season after breaking a leg in the season opener but managed to rebound and emerge into one of the best players at his position by making the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2007 and winning a contract that ran through 2015. He deed has the talent in football, so he has said that he would continue playing after being released by the Eagles.

What if Browns have a trade with Eagles?

As Mike Holmgren’s first personnel action after joining a new team was always to make a trade for quarterback, like trading for Brett Favre after joining the Green Bay Packers and acquiring Matt Hasselbeck after moving to the Seattle Seahawks, a lot of people have been guessing what he would do with quarterback when he took over as the president of the Cleveland Browns last month.


A reasonable guess is to get a quarterback from the Philadelphia Eagles because Browns’ new general manager, Tom Heckert, came from the Eagles. As McNabb would not agree to a contract extension to join the Browns, the most likely choice for Browns would be Kevin Kolb. Heckert loved Kolb when he was in Philadelphia, was responsible for drafting him and can accurately describe him to Holmgren with regard to work habits, character and, most important, his potential as a full-time starter.

What Browns would cost if they decide to trace for Kolb? It has been guessed to be Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers. Why? First of all, the first-round, the seventh overall pick would get full attention from the Eagles; and secondly, with Rogers putting on Eagles jersey, the Eagles could close the gap between them and the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are in lack of a dominating inside player and Rogers would be the very player they are looking for.

Eagles have new punter Durant Brooks

For a two-year contract, former Washington Redskins punter Durant Brooks put on the No. 8 Philadelphia Eagles jersey and brings two Eagles incumbent punter Sav Rocca, a third-year Pro who has spent all his last three seasons with the Eagles.


Brooks played two seasons at Georgia Tech and won the Ray Guy Award given to the top college punter in 2007. He was picked by the Redskins during 2008’s sixth-round draft but he totally played only six games for the team. And during those six games, he had a gross average of 39.6 yards on 26 punts. Leaving the Redskins, Brooks joined practice squad of the Green Bay Packers in 2008 but was released by the preseason.

By comparison, veteran Rocca should have gotten the feeling of competition. Having a net average of 38.3 yards per punt last season, Rocca really needs some improvement in order to keep his current job over new comer Brooks.

Former Eagles star DB Brookshier died of cancer

A 78-year-old man died last Friday night after a bout with cancer. His name is Tom Brookshier, and he will be remembered by the Philadelphia Eagles fans as one of the greatest defensive back.


Putting on Eagles jersey in 1953 as a 10th-round draft pick out of Colorado, Brookshier had eight interceptions in his rookie season, tying with Bibbles Bawel for the Eagles' single-season interception record. And he had 20 interceptions in seven seasons with the Eagles and earned All-Pro honors in 1959 and 1960. He retired in 1961 after sustaining a compound fracture in his leg and the Eagles retired his No. 40 jersey after his retirement, one of the seven numbers the Eagles retired in team history.

His most impressive season came in 1960, when the Eagles held on for a 17-13 victory over the Mighty Green Bay Packers, a team Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi played for at that time, on Dec. 26, winning their last NFL championship where there was no one believing the Eagles could beat the Packers.

Eagles QB McNabb plans to start Sunday game against Buccaneers

Despite still feeling discomfort, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is ready to put on his No. 5 eagles jersey to start the Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will also put on a protective jacket to absorb punishing hits.


After breaking his rib in the season opener over the Carolina Panther, McNabb has not played and missed two games before the Eagles had their bye week last weekend. Kevin Kolb played at McNabb’s position and threw for 327 yards against Kansas City and 391 against New Orleans in his two starts. As the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards in his first two starts, Kolb still has to return to his backup role as McNabb decided to be back.

Although the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback still feels some discomfort when he laughs, coughs, sleeps on his side, sits and stands for extended periods, McNabb just practiced on Wednesday along with running back Brian Westbrook, who will also be able to play on Sunday after sitting out the Eagles’ last game with knee injury. And McNabb expects to be fully recovered for another two to four weeks.

Eagles former QB Cunningham will be introduced into honor roll

The Philadelphia Eagles planned to introduce former quarterback Randall Cunningham to the team’s honor roll at halftime of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which is the first time this decade the team will add to the honor roll.


Cunningham was a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and played for the Eagles from 1985 to 1995. During the 11 years of career playing for the Eagles, he threw for 22,877 yards and 150 touchdowns, and rushed for 4,482 yards and 32 touchdowns. He spent his later part of career with the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens.

The ceremony will be on Sept. 27, and Cunningham will be present along with his wife Felicity, his four children and his brother Sam, who played for the New England Patriots. The last former player to go into the honor roll was the late Jerome Brown in 1996.

Eagles will decide Tuesday if Vick plays Thursday

During the Philadelphia Eagle’s Sunday practice, quarterback Michael Vick threw tight spirals with plenty of velocity, looking good in the offense. And coach Andy Reid will probably make a decision Tuesday on whether Vick will play in Thursday’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Not playing in two years, there are a lot of things Vick needs to learn from the beginning. It seemed that Vick managed to make a fairly seamless transition. According to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, Vick made improvement every day after he joined the Eagles. And by so far, a lot of the practices have been to get him into football shape.


“I think he was in decent shape coming in, as far as in general. But moving, cutting, lateral movement, throwing the football, moving while he’s throwing the football, that’s what we needed to see.”

Vick blamed himself for the humbling experience

In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday night, Michael Vick said that he cried in prison because he felt guilty about involved in dogfighting and blamed only himself for losing the time and money.


The three-time Pro Bowler who spent six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons served 18 months in federal prison for running a dogfighting ring and lost the $135 million contract that made him the NFL’s highest paid player. He was reinstated conditionally last month by the NFL and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

“I was disgusted, you know, because of what I let happen to those animals,” he said. “I could’ve put a stop to it. I could’ve walked away from it. I could’ve shut the whole operation down.”