"I'm actually proud of the fact that we've always put, at least in our judgment, what gave us the best chance to win ahead of maybe what looked the best or what was safest," said Eagles president Joe Banner.
Inside the NovaCare Complex, endless film study and analytical debate are devoted to the Eagles' own roster. Every assistant coach writes up detailed postseason reports on each player under his supervision. Coordinators add their own detailed reports. General manager Howie Roseman writes up his evaluations after each game and looks back at them after the season. In the NFL, injuries typically aren't used as mitigating factors in a player's favor. They are more likely to be a reason for dismissal.
In the NFL, personnel decisions obviously are about value. Eagles head coach Andy Reid has to make hard calls on which players have lost a step. Banner is asking hard questions about the proper length of the next contract.
"You don't want to get into a situation where a lot of teams have, to go back to ground zero and start from scratch and come back up," Roseman said. "We've always thought we could retool this on the fly. Find guys that we thought maybe didn't have a lot of time left, and replace them with guys that kind of fill similar roles - good players. Do that instead of taking a year on the chin."
End comes quickly
Think about recent Eagles rosters. How many former starters have hung on as backups? It's not the way the franchise does business. Backup roles are for the up-and-comers, with a rare spot saved for a special-teams ace such as former Eagles linebacker Ike Reese. If Eagles players often take their time getting to the top of the mountain, there is no gentle descent.
