Yeah, I'm Angry

No, not about the Cowboys getting Roy Williams.  The guy's a perennial underachiever who has one season better than what Kevin Curtis did last year.  This is a desperation move by the Cowboys:

The Cowboys on Tuesday traded a first-round pick in 2009, plus a third- and sixth-rounder that year for Williams and a seventh-round pick in '09.

Whatever.  This is clearly just prelude to the Cowboys cutting Owens at the end of the season and replacing him with Williams. 

Or maybe you think Terrell will suddenly stop acting like an idiot now that his starting quarterback is hurt and there's another prima donna wide receiver sharing the locker room?  Hardly.

No, what I'm pissed about is this:

The Eagles signed linebacker Tracy White. To make room for White on the 53-man roster, the team released RB Tony Hunt.

A six-year veteran, White (6-0, 238 pounds) spent the last two-plus seasons with the Green Bay Packers before being released on 10/7/08. Originally signed by Seattle as an undrafted rookie in 2003 out of Howard, White played in 20 games (two starts) with the Seahawks, recording 26 tackles and one sack. He spent the 2005 season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, before signing with the Packers in 2006.

A strong special teams performer, White has racked up 68 career special teams tackles in 69 games, including two in the 2007 postseason, as well as a forced fumble on 1/20/08 vs. NYG. He also recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for a touchdown on 9/9/07 against the Eagles.

First of all, Mr. PE.com writer guy, the first line of that story should be:  "The Eagles today released RB Tony Hunt, replacing him on the 53-man roster with linebacker Tracy White."

Secondly, congratulations Eagles organization.  Way to waste a draft pick on a guy who turned out to be EXACTLY THE SAME PLAYER he was in college.  Personally, I'm shocked he didn't morph into Brian Westbrook after you signed him.  That's typically what these guys do, right?

Finally, this is your big move?  You cut Tony Hunt and replace him with a deep-depth linebacker?  Why not just bring up Andy Studebaker?

Here's an idea.  If you want to improve the special teams, why not audition a placekicker? 

Now for my lead-pipe lock guarantee.  Within a year many, many Eagles fans are going to be asking one question:  "Why exactly did we cut Tony Hunt so we could keep Lorenzo Booker?" 

Book it.

Comments

[johnnyshaka]

Double "ARGH"!!!!

[shlynch]

I disagree that Tony Hunt is going to make anyone miss him. RBs are too fungible for him to get another legitimate shot, let alone be able to take advantage of it.

That said, you are dead on with your questioning of the motives behind drafting him in the first place. I mean, the only reason I could see that the Eagles would want the guy was as a short yardage situational specialist. But they didn't use him there. He isn't an Eagles style RB at all, really. What was the thought process there?

In the end, Hunt didn't deliver on STs like they needed. He couldn't block at FB (or RB, really) and they didn't trust him to run at RB. In the end, he had zero value to the team. The decision to draft him was baffling. The decision to cut him shouldn't be.

Finally, what this means to me is that now that everyone is healthy, with the exception of Andrews, they are going to be deactivating two of the following four players: JR Reed, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, Lorenzo Booker. I would guess that Tank and White are now STs specialists.

It might also mean more time on defense for Akeem Jordan as well, and less on STs -- which could be an attempt to bolster the TE defense. Just speculation there, of course, but the pieces do fit together somewhat.

[BrianS]

Ugh. I'm really frustrated here. As a PSU fan, I really wanted Tony to succeed as an Eagle.

Since the "Tony Hunt Experiment" didn't seem to be working out so well for either party, I don't think this is a move we're going to really regret in terms of its impact on the team so much as the wasted draft pick.

Hopefully, Tony catches on somewhere else, preferably in the AFC.

[Ninja Im from Dallas!! We blow kush, ride leather...]

HAHAHAHHAHA..

too all you iggles fans...

Bet you wish you had Jerry as your owner!!

Who's your daddy, who's your daddy!!!!

[Coatesvillain]

It's a good thing we have a reserve RB in Lorenzo Booker who doesn't play special teams. That's not a waste of a roster spot at all.

[Derek]

Reading comprehension continues to be challenging for the Dallas fans who show up here.

[Eagles Fan in San Fran]

Putting your man Hunt aside for the moment, about Tracy White:
"White has racked up 68 career special teams tackles in 69 games"

That sounds like awfully good ST production, is it not?
And our ST coverage continues to, er, suck big time, does it not?
Thus, a good move from the standpoint of bringing in this guy, isn't it?

[Grippin wood wheels...]

Feel free to hate on Dallas Cowboys...

How long has philly BEEN needing a WR1?...

Gotta love Jerry Jones!!!!!

GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Derek]

How long has Dallas been needing a playoff win.

Check back when your owner actually manages to buy one of those.

[Mark Rampulla]

Amazing...I sure hope they know what they are doing. It would be nice to know the method behind this madness.

Not too worry about the Dallas trade. They are getting ready to implode anyway. All of Jerry's money still couldn't keep T.O. to shut his mouth or PACMAN to stay in the house!

[BrianS]

Didn't Dallas need a CB more than another WR?

And I'm happy with DeSean Jackson as our #1, thank you very much.

**** Jerry Jones.

[c]

good thing that SG was way off about your boy friend andy reid

[Philly fan]

Who are we kidding, we need a WR1 and 2 for that matter. R. Brown is ALWAYS hurt. The other WR are not even worth mentioning...Desan is more like a slot but I'll take him, have no choice....

We have a great QB in McNabb and we are not putting him in the best position to win. Very frustrating.

Dallas fans have a right to come in here and rub it in our face!!!!

GO Cowb.. ugh, iggles..

[Derek]

We're talking about the same DeSean Jackson, right?

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&statisticPositionCategory=WIDE_RECEIVER&season=2008&seasonType=REG&experience=null&tabSeq=1&qualified=true&Submit=Go

Let Dallas accomplish something past December, then come here and talk.

[Ryan]

As much as I wanted to like Hunt, the Eagles don't seem willing to play a smash-mouth style of running game, and the guy was clearly not an NFL fullback. This comes down to the eagles liking Booker, BWest, and Buck better. I still think Booker can be an impact player on offense, but he has been used completely incorrectly so far. He should not be asked to block, ever - he just can't do it! He needs to be in space against linebackers or corners to get room to operate. By the same token, the Eagles haven't sent DeSean deep as much as I'd like to see - he isn't going to be very effective in the red zone but should be good for more long TDs. The birds' "big plays" seem to be down this year, since the first 2 games.

[Eagle Scout]

I think what your ignoring is a man by the name of Correll Buckhalter. Hunt was drafted to replace Buckhalter, not Westbrook. It's really not the front office's fault that Buckhalter is a freak of nature. Nobody in their right mind would expect Buckhalter to be what he is today.

[Gabe from BountyBowl]

Are there really Dallas fans here? Why? Go find your own message board. Plenty to talk about -- Greg Ellis dissing the coaches, Pacman's suspension, injuries to Romo and your punter, and this ridiculously silly trade. Was wideout a position of need? Not so much.

Anyhoo, let me agree completely that Lorenzo Booker is an absolute liability whose presence on the field threatens the safety of the other players.

[adam]

Wow. I think there's a major flaw in your analysis of Hunt.

"Personally, I'm shocked he didn't morph into Brian Westbrook after you signed him."

He wasn't drafted to replace Westbrook, he was drafted to replace Buck. But hey, Buck surprised everyone by resigning with the team and remaining a damn good backup RB to Westy. Instead of getting all pissy that a 3rd rounder didn't pan out as hoped, why not be content that a veteran defied the odds and remained a contributor?

The big story of the Hunt cut should be this. For once, the Eagles went with the veteran over the young guy brought in to replace him.

[Derek]

Buck re-signed in March 2007: http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=12032

Draft happened in April: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_NFL_Draft

It's not about Buck. It's the guy behind the guy.

[Eaglecrazy]

Hunt was drafted to be new Duce

[Sundar]

Ok, Derek I know you're pissed. So am I but, the Cowboys aren't cutting T.O after just giving him a HUGE 4 yr contract. Jerry Jones may make bad personnel decisions, but he is a savvy businessman. That would be too huge of a cap hit for them to cut Terrell. I'm not too concerned about Roy Williams either. They just added another volatile ego to the disruptive stew brewing in Dallas. Now, cutting Hunt pisses me right off. I go to Colorado, but I support Penn State football just like you and this sucks. However, he doesn't fit the system, and it was a poor decision to draft him that high. This is the real mistake. It seems Reid thinks he's Midas with every reach of a 3rd round pick he makes AFTER Westbrook.

[Tracer Bullet]

Oh please. Show a person who didn't expect Hunt to get cut after training camp and I'll show you Tony Hunt's mother. I would have kept him instead of Booker, or brought Collins up from the practice squad instead of signing White, but are we really freaking out about a third-string RB and the Cowboys grossly over-paying for a guy who's only had more than 1,000 yards and played a full schedule once in four full seasons? A guy whose stats this year are nearly identical to Hank Baskett? Get a grip.

[jeff]

I love the cowboys trade. Roy might marginally help them this year but isn't his contract up soon?

Those multiple high round draft picks for one guy (especially an often injured guy with one good year to his name) never pan out. Cowboys will be feeling the pain of this trade for the next 5 years at least.

[Eaglecrazy]

TJH is on its way out of CIN. Who needs RW. The only downside RW will be another headache for JimJ still better than TonyG and Burress on the same side tho.

[GFF]

In general, better to have LBs on special teams than WRs or RBs. But sorry to see Hunt go rather than, say, the 3rd TE, 6th WR, or 6th DE.

[Rich]

Eh...

Best we purge ourselves from the perenial losers out of the PoSU.

I have to admit that while I didn't see much of Hunt in college, if his dismal effort as an Eagle personifies EXACTLY THE SAME PLAYER that he was at school, then that speaks volumes about why that program consistently produces NFL bust after bust.

Oh, and thank you, Reid, for wisely avoiding taking another bust in that Poz chump and drafting Stew Bradley in his stead.

[Derek]

What's with the idiots today?

Bradley's doing a nice job for the Eagles. Pos is leading the 4-1 Bills in tackles and seems to have picked up exactly where he left off before the injury.

Two n's in perennial, dude.

[Rich]

Hit a wee bit of a sensitive spot there, Derek?

I don't think I've ever seen you insult a reader like this before. Not even the Cowboys fans that occasionally lurk on your boards.

And while I can't hide my disappoint in your response, I understand and forgive the passion that would cause you to lash out at someone like that. My post was very anti-PSU. Yes. But this is an Eagles site, and a superior one at that, imho. And excluding the rare instances when you veer Nittany Lion, I've read and respected your posts on a daily basis since the 2007 off-season, and will continue to do so as long as you continue to grace us with your excellent analysis.

You are obviously allowed to post whatever you like, but why insult me like that when I'm attacking some other team not named the Philadelphia Eagles?

Either transform yourself into a trash-talking Brian Mitchell-like attack machine and slam down any dissenters that show up or continue to take the high road and react cooly and nonchalantly to any garbage.

Just don't call me an idiot, you idiot (and I mean that with the utmost love and affection).

[Derek]

I deserve the idiot rejoinder for losing my cool. I'll take that.

With that said, your first point speaks greater volumes about your unfamiliarity with I'm guessing most of this list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penn_State_Football_Players and your second point is simply wrong on the merits. Furthermore, if we could stick Pos in the middle and replace our current SAM with Stewart Bradley, I'm guessing we would be pleased by the results.

[jhavrk8]

Can I call him an idiot then? As a fellow reader?

And Rich, what about the QB of the last undefeated team in the NFL, Mr. Kerry Collins??

Joking aside, pretty dumb post.

But anyways, here's to hoping "that Tracy White guy" can make some plays somewhere to contribute to the team.

Also, looking forward to some rewinds with Tracy White circled...

[Derek]

Just wait until 2009 when I start doing "Tony Hunt Rewinds."

[Eric]

Derek, you saved me from another Penn St. rant.

[Jeff]

Penn State = over-rated
I really don't care much for college football, and I haven't watched a single PSU game, but be real. #3 in the country? If they played anybody good (non-Big10) they'd have a loss by now. Guess we'll have to wait to see if they can run the table on the Big 10 in a down year - and then figure out which SEC team they'll get blown out by.

Oh yeah - go Eagles.