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Eagles provide a blueprint

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - The Bucs have arrived at the scene of some of their highest highs and lowest lows, a place where their partner in destiny - the Philadelphia Eagles - awaits today to dish out, oh, a seal-clubbing to the winless men of pewter?

Yeah, sad but true. Games between the Bucs and Eagles usually mean a lot. A loss to the Eagles in the playoffs got Tony Dungy fired. The Bucs and Eagles closed decrepit Veterans Stadium in the NFC Championship Game, and we know what happened there. They played the inaugural regular-season game at Lincoln Financial Field in 2003; the Bucs pitched a shutout.

Ah, the memories come flooding back of Matt Bryant's 62-yard field goal at the gun to beat the Eagles 23-21 in 2006. But with the Bucs at 0-4 and flailing, oddsmakers say expecting a victory today would be the pinnacle of wishful thinking. The Eagles are favored by 15 points.

You see, this is a typical Philly team - tough, experienced and always with the expectation of success. If the Bucs can't beat the Eagles, perhaps the smart play would be to model them as they try to rebuild.

Former Bucs general manager Rich McKay used to say he would rather be in the hunt for a championship every year than blow the whole thing up to win just once. He may have been thinking about the Eagles when he said that.

"Year in and year out, they're at the top of the league. They've had their share of great years and great players, and we know what they've been like on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn't matter how their season is going, you're always going to get a physical, tough Philadelphia team," Bucs running back Earnest Graham said.

"They always find a way, man. It's a credit to their organization. Whether they start bad or start great, they always find a way to finish and be right there. They're always in the playoffs or right there with a chance. The Patriots come to mind as a great organization or the Steelers, but the Eagles are right there."

Since 2000, Philly is 94-52-1. The Eagles have had seven playoff appearances, five division titles, five trips to the NFC Championship Game and one Super Bowl appearance. They had just one losing season.

The Bucs have that Super Bowl trophy and three playoff trips under Jon Gruden, but they also have a losing record since winning it all. It was the inconsistency that led to the regime change we now see.

"Everybody is going to have a down year, but when you look at the Eagles you see an organization that has that consistency year in and year out," Graham said.

Consistency? Try this: Andy Reid was hired as head coach in 1999 and has been there for this remarkable run. That was the same year Donovan McNabb was drafted as quarterback, and he's still there. The Eagles have drafted eight players since 1999 who turned out to be Pro Bowlers, sixth-best in the league.

Their core of McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook and just about everyone on defense - 10 of their projected 11 starters - came either through the draft or as a rookie free agent. Yet for those who say throwing gobs of money at a problem can fix everything, consider this nugget: Philly ranks 15th in the NFL in total payroll. Obviously, the Eagles spend smartly.

"You have to have a good group here to develop the young group you bring in. ... When you draft new guys, they can pattern their games after (the veterans) and watch how they work and prepare each week to play at a high level," McNabb said.

"They can watch how they prepare in the offseason to come in and have a great season. That's how you have success over the years. It's not just a one (year) thing and then you have to wait a couple of years. You can always rely on veterans to do the right thing and lead these guys in the right direction."

The Bucs are in their current mess partly because they got too old, as the purge that swept out Derrick Brooks, Jeff Garcia, Warrick Dunn, et al. suggests. In doing so, they went from one of the oldest teams in the NFL to one of the youngest basically overnight. That's tough to do unless you're committed to a few years of taking lumps.

By drafting Josh Freeman at quarterback, they're on the same path Philly was with McNabb - take a young quarterback in the first round and let him grow. Roy Miller should be a fixture on the defensive line. Aqib Talib had three interceptions last week. They released last year's second-round bust Dexter Jackson rather than compound a draft mistake by holding on. Defensive end Gaines Adams is on notice to produce or else.

The renovation is under way.

Now they just have to draft right, develop the talent and show patience. It's the way another team built to a championship back even before the Eagles. That was the Bucs, who rode the likes of Brooks, Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Mike Alstott and others to the top of the NFL.

Knowing that probably won't make what happens today any easier to watch. If the Bucs need a blueprint on how to get out of this mess, though, they won't have far to look. It's right there on the other side of the ball.

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