Brian Dawkins

Donovan McNabb has spent the last couple of weeks telling anyone listening that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and while he was at it, to take the time to discredit a couple of his contemporaries who have already made the Hall. A couple of days ago, when presented with the possibility that he might go to the Hall of Fame, Brian Dawkins got choked up. And therein lies the difference between an Eagles player universally accepted by the fans as one of their all-time favorites, and another who will forever be on the outside looking in. Brian Dawkins officially retired last week from the National Football League.

Connie Dawkins didn't know what to expect. Her family was flying back to Philadelphia from Colorado for some sort of Saturday news conference at the NovaCare Complex, because her husband was retiring from football. They'd been in Denver three years. This seemed like a lot to go through just to pose for pictures and talk to reporters. "He's been gone for a while. I just said, 'I hope they haven't forgotten you.' We're in Denver, we don't hear the [Philadelphia] radio or see the papers," Connie said Saturday, after the Eagles announced they will retire Brian Dawkins' No. 20 in a Sept.

Despite the open invitation, Brian Dawkins said he had not yet decided whether he would retire as an Eagle. It was almost as if he were saying to the Eagles: "You had your chance. " Yet Dawkins, 38, spoke with Philadelphia-area reporters during a conference call organized by the team and agreed to travel to the NovaCare Complex for a Saturday news conference, which showed that the wounds were healing. Dawkins, who announced his retirement from football earlier Monday, said there was "always going to be pain" over the end of his 13-year run with the Eagles when he departed for Denver via free agency three years ago. "You forgive and you forget or you forgive and you still remember and it does not hurt as bad as it did at the time because you're in the moment," Dawkins said.

YOU CAN REDUCE Brian Dawkins' career to numbers on a sheet of paper, if that is your preference: Pro Bowls (eight), sacks (26), interceptions (37), forced fumbles (37). For some, that undoubtedly is all he was. Even the people who saw him on television sometimes, while living in Yuma or Utah or the Yukon, and saw the way he could simultaneous unite one team while dismembering the other, did not entirely understand. You really did have to be here. As arguments go, it is kind of weak.

Here is a sampling of reaction to Brian Dawkins' announcement that he is retiring after 16 seasons in the NFL. NFL comissioner Roger Goodell: "Congrats Brian Dawkins on a successful 16-year career. Great player, great family. More importantly, great man in community and locker room. " Broncos head coach John Fox: "Brian Dawkins is one of the best to ever play the game, a future Hall of Famer who changed the way his position is played. In many ways, he helped my job as a coach with his great leadership and preparation.

DeMeco Ryans finally loosened the mint-green tie he had grabbed hastily to accent his green-checked shirt and navy suit before an unexpected flight to Philadelphia on March 21. His voice had gone dry and scratchy, despite swigs from a nearly empty water bottle that crinkled in his grip as the questions kept coming. On his first day as an Eagle on March 21, Ryans sat in the team's offices finishing the final round of a gauntlet of interviews with reporters and radio hosts.

The Eagles are deep at cornerback, need to upgrade at linebacker and should get younger on the defensive line. But what about at safety, where the directive is much less clear? For that answer look to Nate Allen. The Eagles, before they launch their plans at the position, must gauge their confidence in the third-year safety for next season. Do they believe in the Allen that aggressively made tackles all over the field at Buffalo and finished last season on the upswing?

INDIANAPOLIS - The agent for defensive tackle Derek Landri planned to meet with the Eagles on Friday night and said his client would like to remain with the team. The Eagles have also expressed interest in bringing Landri back, said his agent, Harold C. Lewis. Of course, the desire on each side hinges on getting terms that are mutually pleasing, but that should be a far easier task if they both want the same thing. (No deal, though, can be signed until after the new league year starts on March 13)

SEATTLE - In one year, safety Nate Allen and defensive end Brandon Graham have gone from budding rookies to injury-plagued disappointments. It's too early to label the Eagles' top 2010 draft picks as busts, but that hasn't stopped the masses - already in pitchfork-and-torch mode after a disastrous season - from tossing Allen and Graham in with the rest of Andy Reid's draft flops. At this point, however, it's hard to argue with the assessment. Both players suffered season-ending knee injuries last December.

There was nothing particularly admirable about Trevor Laws' late hit on Eli Manning. There was nothing particularly smart about the taunting penalty that DeSean Jackson drew for flipping a football at a Giants coach. There was nothing tasteful about Brian Rolle's machine-gun gesture. If you were coaching young players, these would be prime examples of things you would not want them to emulate. And yet, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that these three offenses, all of which drew fines from the league office, were inextricably linked to the Eagles' upset victory over the New York Giants last Sunday night.