Oh This Isn't Good

"Sports hernia" has replaced "plantar fasciitis" as the innocuous-sounding injury we should most be afraid of. 

And it's back:

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis will "be out for a while" and will undergo surgery Thursday for a sports hernia, head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. Reid had no specific timetable for Curtis' recovery, other than that he expects Curtis back with the team during the regular season.

Curtis suffered the injury during last Friday's game against Carolina, and tried to play through it.

"We're trying to not wait and do that whole thing," Reid said. "We're trying to get on it. We've identified (the hernia) as the problem, and we're trying to get it taken care of."

Guys, we're not going to get Anquan Boldin.  Ain't happening.

Hank Baskett, your moment is on line one.  Please pick up the phone.

Comments

[johnnyshaka]

Is it wrong of me to long for the days of Thrash and Pinkston?!?! (joking...sortof)

[Tracer Bullet]

Considering the number of recurring hamstring injuries and sports hernias, I have to wonder if Burkhalter is at fault. It certainly appears that certain injuries are endemic to this team, and that falls on his head.

I don't think getting Boldin is impossible. It will be expensive and the Cardinals have no particular motivation to be flexible, but the guy is probably the best young receiver in the game and I think he's worth the price.

[Me]

Here's the problem with Boldin. The Eagles clearly went sniffing around every single quality wide receiver in the league who had even a hint of dissatisfaction with their situation. Boldin was on that list.

If the Cardinals weren't willing to move Boldin in the spring, when would still have had time to fill the talent hole and incorporate any new acquisitions into their schemes, why would we think they'd be reasonable in their demands _now_ -- when the potential trading partner may have such a clearly defined need.

Lots of stuff can change in a year. Grudges vanish. The Cardinals know that Boldin will show up and be a professional, they only need to hope he changes his mind.

In the next three years.

[johnnyshaka]

Cards have even MORE incentive to deal now...if there wasn't a need for WR in Philly before...there sure as hell is one now and I'm sure the price has escalated accordingly.

With that said, I still don't think it's going to happen. Reid isn't going to overpay even if the Cards do decide Boldin could be had for a price. I genuinely think Reid likes what he has at receiver and figures that he can make Westbrook earn that raise he whined about this summer...to the tune of 150 catches or something ridiculous like that. LOL!!!

[benZ]

Boldin for Buckhalter and the second of our two first round picks in 2009. Hunt moves into change of pace slot with Booker spelling Westbrook on screen pass/ other BW plays. They get a #2 RB that's almost as talented as Michael Turner to platoon with Edge and a shot at a top rookie WR next year.

But, I agree, it'll never happen.

[MSE69]

Dear Andy,

Please, please continue to throw 65% of the time with this group of wide recievers. You know you wanna do it. I know you want to do it. A 160lb. rookie, "Gimpy Ham" Brown, and the Afterthoughts are perfect. Hold tight until Curtis returns, hell LJ and Donovan looked like they never missed any time when they returned from the same injuries. Right? Im not an engineer but if you can combine the warmth produced by the Eagles arrogance and the resulting howl from doing what I asked, can we become energy independant? Will it overtax the telco system with calls to 610 and 950?

[Tracer Bullet]

Buckhalter is not in Turner's weight class and he's 30 in October. Besides, the Cards aren't really looking for RBs. I'd offer #2 and Reggie Brown and work up from there.

[Eagles Fan in San Fran]

I have dismissed the Boldin trade talk as pure fantasy...until now, given the events of the past couple of days.

Boldin now wants out of AZ (egged on by his agent, Mr. Next Question, no doubt) and, if reports can be believed, has stopped talking to his Head Coach who he believes helped screw him. That's an untenable situation, so his days are numbered there, no matter what the team might say publicly.

Now, no matter what midnight fantasy AR may have, Curtis going down does put us dangerously close to "Thrash and Pinkston" days as was noted above. Jackson may (and I stress may) be good, but he's a rookie and will make rookie mistakes and while I think Brown is a good receiver, for whatever reason he has never clicked with McNabb.

Botton-line: AR needs to stop BS-ing around and act and act now, unless he wants to usher in the Kolb era early, as if nothing is done, McNabb will be the next one saying "I want out of here." Plus, a non-move just might usher in the post-AR era as well.

Sure a trade will cost us big time - Brown or Lito plus next year's #1, I would guess, but sometimes you just gotta pay the price no matter what it is.

[Phil]

It really bugs me when Reid responses to these sort of incidents with the implication that all receivers are equal in the West Coast Offense.

I'm not convinced any "system" is good enough to have Baskett replace Curtis and say "it won't be a threat to what we do."

[Eagles Fan in San Fran]

From Yahoo Sports:
"Reid said the Eagles aren’t looking to acquire another receiver. He said the team is not looking at veteran Joe Horn, who was cut by Atlanta on Tuesday, and wouldn’t comment on the possibility of trading for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin, who has asked to be traded."

Note the subtle difference: "not looking at" Joe Horn versus "no comment" on Boldin. Something is brewing - can our prayers be answered???

[buckwampum birds fan]

no comment because then the birds would get hit with tampering charges by the cards thats the subtle difference

[Me]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

I'm sure the Eagles are going to make some calls. They always say they're happy with what they have right before they make a move.

But any offer to Arizona is going to have to be better than better than (not a typo) what was likely offered in the winter/spring.

[Eric]

People need to realize the Cardinals really have no money to satisfy Lito even if they wanted him. They were basically broke this off season when they needed to fill some major holes.

[Dan]

I'm always astonished by how many people buy the eagle’s machinations hook line and sinker. OF COURSE WE COULD GET BOLDIN IF WE WERE MOTIVATED TO DO SO. If we offered Arizona on of our two first round picks we would get him in a second. And don't give me this invaluable first round pick is better than a proven player. Show me the first or second round WR we have drafted who is better than Boldin, a top 10 or 15 WR. We have a pretty damn old team with McNabb, Westbrook, B-Dawk, Runyan, Thomas, etc. This is not a rebuilding year that should not be given up on. The issue is Boldin wants to get paid. The Eagles are at their own budget now (like the Phillies) and won't pay. There's a reason the Eagles keep trading down - they don't want to pay first round picks. Meanwhile, they are WAY UNDER THE CAP. When the Cap was tight their cheapness was an asset, with the cap loose this administration will NEVER compete. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m still waiting for the evidence.

[sitko]

Eric - are you kidding? - there is no team that would give up Boldin while he is one of there starting WRs for a 1st round pick - why would they do that. They know exactly what you do - that a proven Pro Bowl player in his prime is better than an unknown draft pick. Get the Boldin trade out of your head - you cannot force loose players that teams feel are key parts of their team...also, you need to look into how the cap works. Every team soends their entire cap every year - you do not get to keep the money if you don't spend it...they aren't cheap - they just spend money on value - and I agree, they are not wanting to drop big dollars on 1st round draft picks who don't deserve it - may I point to McDougle for a starting point of this philosophy from AR.

[Me]

Dan, you say the Eagles could get Boldin for their number one pick. Then you say that they should make that trade because they're not going to get anyone as good as Boldin with they're #1 pick.

So why would Arizona trade Boldin for our #1 pick?

[Eagles Fan in San Fran]

Dan: Good post!

I can side with the Eagles most times in that, in this salary cap era, it is a constant juggling act to spread the money around to field a reasonably complete team without putting too much money into certain players who then go bust (see Alex Smith) or are injury-prone (see Eagles treatment of Lito). Thus, I can usually deal with their moves (or, more often, non-moves).

But you hit the nail on the proverbial head in:
"OF COURSE WE COULD GET BOLDIN IF WE WERE MOTIVATED TO DO SO"

Well, this is the one time that they should be motivated to do so. The “window” is closing and could well be shut if they don’t do this (or something similar, like somehow pry Roy Williams from the Lions).

Before yesterday, reasonable expectations for this year would be 10-6, in the playoffs, and, depending on your view of the Cowboys (let’s take a dim view here), potentially Division champs with just as much of a chance to go to the Super Bowl as any other NFC playoff team.

Without Curtis (and we all know, even if he were to come back in the minimum time of 6 weeks, he’d be pretty darn ineffective, a la LJ Smith), that sets us back at least 2 games to 8-8 at best and, even if we were to somehow make the playoffs, have no realistic shot at making the SB. Plus, given the competitiveness of the NFC East, we could well end up in the basement again.

But beyond this season, look at the potential domino effect a “no move” can have. As I stated above, a “no move” can well result in McNabb finally saying “Enough already, ship me to Chicago or anywhere else.” With DMac gone, we could well see the older players you mentioned - B-Dawk, Runyan, Thomas – retire and, worst of all, imagine the effect on Westbrook, who surely knows that RBs have a limited shelf life and does he want to waste the remainder of it on a rebuilding team. Thus, this could all go sliding downhill in a hurry.

Thus, this is a defining moment for AR - and the Franchise. Rich Hoffman has a great piece in today’s DN calling out Lurie on his supposed “pedal-to-the-metal” philosophy, saying to him “But if not now, when?” in regards to getting in another WR pronto.

Bottom-line: This will either get done within the next week (AR might just be crazy enough to want to see how it goes vs the Pats tomorrow before he gets serious) or it doesn’t get done at all (as, after the last preseason game, I think the Cards will just grit their teeth and bear it with Boldin for the year – and he will as well).

[Eric]

sitko, no idea why you directed that at me. All I said was the Cardinals don't have the cap room to appease Sheppard. I never said a thing about Boldin. Reread who you're responding to.

[Eric]

P.S. I think people way overvalue Roy Williams - both the receiver and the safety. Hmm... maybe the two names Roy and Williams do something psychological to people that make them think they are better than they actually are.

[Eric]

P.P.S. Why would McNabb want to go to Chicago? I understand he's from there, but that team is in worse shape than the Eagles in all aspects of the offense - especially the receivers.

[Dan]

Sticko,

Arizona is not in the same situation as the Eagles, they ARE REBUILDING. They need first round draft picks and they have a notoriously cheap ownership that doesn't have nearly the revenue that the Eagles do. Moreover, Bolden has called out the coach. That is the last thing you need with a relatively new coach and a young rebuilding team. Also, look at what players are going for right now. Other than Shockey no veteran fetches much when traded for a pick. I also think Arizona has a little better track record drafting wideouts than us, I hope you'd agree that Boldin, a 2d round pick, Larry Fitzgerald, and even Bryant Johnson for a time are better than any of our wideout picks with the possible exception of Jackson, but it is way too soon to adjudge that. Also, I wasn’t talking about first round picks generally, as teams who draft top-flight guys from big-time programs readily prove that first round picks are worth a great deal. Which brings me to my last point, the truth is the Eagles philosophy is to treat high picks like they are gold bullion only to waste them on players on draft day that could have been had in the later rounds, AKA Kevin Kolb (don’t get me wrong I have no idea if he can play or not, but he could have been had much later), Matt McCoy (drafted in second round, not invited to combine), Freddie Mitchell (only the Eagles would have taken him in the first three rounds nevertheless the first considering his 40 time), Matt Ware (not on anyone’s radar), Billy McMullen (slow stiff from Virginia), Trevor Laws (Notre dame defense you’ve got to be kidding me in the high second round), Tony Hunt (a big slow stiff without a position), Chris Cocong (many analysts thought he was a late second day pick and that he was really a 3-4 pass rusher, but no the Eagles intend to convert him and show the world),etc. The Eagles arrogance is on full display come every draft day. They think they will find somebody nobody is even considering in the high picks because they know better than everyone else, linebacker from Miami (Jonathan Vilma) or Florida State (Ernie Sims), a Tackle from Vrigina Tech (Wilfork), nah too obvious. We need some dude from Cal Poly and another from San Diego State. Now occasionally you’ll land a Brian Westbrook, but on balance that doesn’t fly. Complete unadulterated ARROGANCE!!!