The 76ers were able to get a deal with Louis Williams done.  Williams has signed a 5-year deal, but financial details have not been disclosed yet.

Now, let’s work on the Iguodala deal and the Sixers should be set.

In other 76ers news, they were able to sign G Kareem Rush to help out in the 3-point shooting department.  Rush spent last season with the Pacers and averaged 8.3 PPG.

From the Desk of Jay Vaidya

I purposely arrived late at camp today (around 8:30am) so that  I could go through the trials and tribulations of parking far away and making the long walk with other Eagle fans to the Lehigh practice field.  Today, Saturday July 26th, marked the first day that the entire Eagle team (including RB Brian Westbrook and CB Lito Sheppard) practiced in full contact drills in front of more than 15,000 passionate and die hard Eagle fans.  As I sauntered through the crowds making my way to the main practice field where the offense was going through some drills, I stopped and talked to some of the Philly faithful about their thoughts on this glorious day.  “I’m here with my boys to finally see some hitting.  We have all waited long enough to see some football,” said Dave of Wilmington, DE.  The nest was surely a buzz. Angela from Philadelphia added, “This is my first year ever coming to camp.  It reminds me of a Woodstock-like concert.  There are so many people here.  My boys and husband are happy that they are able to see some of the new players on the team.  This Eagles camp is probably the best professional training camp in the country.  Don’t you think?”

Angela could not have been more right in her assessment of Eagle camp.  Eagles training camp is not probably, but definitively the best NFL camp in the nation.  Where else can you find passionate fans in the tens of thousands, driving up to 5 hours from their homes in places such as Virginia Beach (VA), Wilmington (DE), Lancaster (PA), Harrisburg PA), etc. just to see some guys they cheer for on weekends practice?  I mean…we’re talking about practice.  Not the game, not the game….but practice.  (Thanks again for those words A.I., you are truly missed)

The first thing I saw as I reached the stands to watch the actual practice was Donovan McNabb throwing a dart across the middle to a cutting Hank Baskett in stride for a 15 yard gain.  McNabb looked great and poised, and so did this year’s probable receiving corps of Kevin Curtis, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, as well as new comers DeSean Jackson, Shaheer McBride, and Bam Childress.  Not only that, but our secondary looked great as well.  Led by Brian Dawkins, the corners and safeties also put in great work picking off and deflecting numerous passes from our QBs (this is not to say that the QBs played poorly).  For example J.R. Reed made a great read on a McNabb to Curtis route and jumped the route to pick of Donovan and take the ball back 20 yards.  This play was then immediately followed up by a delayed handoff to Brian Westbrook, who received a clamorous cheer from the gallery as soon as he touched the ball.  B-West was cutting and weaving past the linebackers and headed directly for the secondary before he decided to get out of bounds on many of his touches.  What followed was truly amazing.  Fans began to stand and yell comments from the gallery such as “Don’t worry Brian, we will pay you”, “Don’t hold out on us Brian”, “We need you Brian”, and “We love you Brian” for about 3 minutes after his 7 second run.  This got me thinking.  Should the media saturate the airwaves with talk of holdouts by Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook (as once reported here by me) along with contract disputes, rather than talk about other more pressing issues (i.e. what to make of an offense who struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone) surrounding the team and the players who are content with their roles on the 2008 Eagle squad.  So, to get an idea of what Eagle nation thought about this issue I decided to ask some fans for their thoughts on the subject and then relay their thoughts to you the reader.  What I found was that there were two schools of thought regarding this matter.  On one hand we had Eagle fans that were fed up and disgusted with the media who at times made more of these distracting contract issues then the players themselves did.  Conversely, on the other hand we had fans that were adamant that contract “hoopla” is important for fans to know about and discuss as part of Eagle nation.   “I’m tired of all this contract stuff,” complained Joe of Malvern, Pa, “If I hear that garbage on TV or the radio, I simply switch the station.  Fans shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff.”  When asked specifically about the B-West and Lito contract disputes Will of Lancaster, PA replied, “The media makes more of it than they do.  It’s all infuriating.”  Rob of Bethlehem, PA agreed with Joe and Will but also added, “All these NFL guys are way overpaid.  I honestly don’t think any of them are worth even a million dollars.  I mean, it’s a million dollars we are talking about here!”  Not all fans, however, saw the media’s role as “distracting” to the real issue at hand; getting to the Super Bowl.  “The players and the media are only as noticeable as the fans want them to be,” explained lifelong Eagle fan Nate L. of Sicklerville, NJ, “Take a look around.  How many #5, #20, and #36 jerseys do you see walking around?  We (the fans) all pay upwards of a $100 for tickets and jerseys and most other Eagle paraphernalia, and take more than 3 hours plus a week cheering on the team during the regular season.  Don’t you think, especially in today’s economy, that that money could be spent in other places?  But no, we the loyal Eagle fans see ‘being a fan’ in a different light.  In a way, through spending our hard earned money on the Eagles franchise, we become shareholders of this company called the Philadelphia Eagles.  When they win, we win.  When they lose, we lose.  It’s a mindset and a lifestyle each one of us has chosen.  Therefore, when asked should the fans care about contract ‘stuff’ and the media’s role in telling us about that ‘stuff’, I think we the fans must have a say, and be fully briefed on what is happening.  In a way, these players are being paid with our money.”

It was now 10:15am, and I turned away from the practice field to take a minute in the shade to reflect on what I had heard from you, the Eagle fans, and also gather my thoughts and then jot them down in a notepad.  My attention was then suddenly taking away by the joyous yelping of young Bird fans playing in the designated play section located about 100 yards away from the practice field.  Every little kid’s face I observed playing on the moon walk, participating in kick, pass and punt competitions, or simply eating Italian ice was one of delight and happiness.  This is what it should all be about I thought, Happiness.   These kids probably cheer our team, the Eagles, just as hard as you and I.  When we (adults) concern ourselves with contract disputes, what player said what, and who is hurt or not, we take away the element of happiness from our lives.  Rather than concern ourselves with the above mentioned distractions, we should all learn from the children and just enjoy.  We have a great team and a great fan base, and that alone should make us all happy.

– Jay Vaidya

(Thanks to every fan and person that took time out of their day to stop and talk to me.  I learned a lot from you guys and appreciate it.)

QUICK EAGLE NOTES:

– Shawn Andrews is still a no show at practice, citing personal reasons.  There is no word on when he will arrive at Lehigh.

– Asante Samuel’s practice was cut short when he re-aggravated his hamstring.  This injury has plagued the $10mil a year Pro-Bowl cornerback ever since his arrival in Philadelphia.  No further information was given about this injury.

Jay’s Day 1, Morning Practice Review: A perspective other than Dave Spadaro.
Donovan McNabb/DeSean Jackson:

After viewing the Eagles morning practice today, I was pretty impressed with what I saw.  I began the day, obviously, by watching Donovan McNabb in action to see how our franchise player looked.  He began his practice by throwing some quick outs and flare patterns, followed by launching some deep balls to the rookie wide receivers including DeSean Jackson.   I mention Jackson specifically, since his presence on the field was very apparent to the point that it almost seemed as though McNabb was targeting the first year rookie, out of California, during the drills.  This is great to see since good QB/WR chemistry (especially with a rookie WR) is a huge factor in determining how well the offense will get things done this coming season.  Although McNabb’s knee injury seemed not to bother him, I couldn’t help but notice the signs of rust from his shoulder injury that he and the team have been calling a “non-issue” during the QB drills.  But it was not only me who felt this way.  Perez and Jordan from Downingtown, Pa said, “He (McNabb) seems to be in the best shape we’ve seen him in the last three years.  His arm strength was great, but his throws seemed to come out a bit wobbly”.  Jeff of Emmaus, Pa added, “Donovan looked to be in great shape and threw some great deep balls to DeSean Jackson.  I must admit, however, that he wasn’t throwing a very pretty ball”.  Like Jeff, I was a bit discouraged by #5′s throws but was amazed by the pure speed and agility of DeSean Jackson.  The only knock on the rookie today was the many drops I witnessed during his workout.  Let’s hope these drops only last another few days until he learns the “ins and outs” of Marty Mornhinweg’s offense.  Joe, a veteran Eagle fan from Philadelphia said of Jackson, “Although DeSean looked good and had some spectacular moves and catches, I’m afraid he’s gonna turn out to be a ‘hot dog’ on the field”.  When asked what he thought about the Eagle QB situation Joe replied, “McNabb may have looked rusty, but that’s normal.  He is a proven veteran and leader and will be ready for opening day.  But what really stood out to me, was how good Kevin Kolb looked.  To me, he had just as much zip on the ball as Donovan, and at times seemed to outplay him (McNabb) and Feeley on this first day of training camp”.

The Linebackers:

After watching the offense for a good 35 minutes, I got up and walked over to where the rookie linebackers were getting some work in.  I must say that I was completely blown away by how good our young LB corp looks.  The presumtive starters at the LB position include 2nd-year man Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong, but any of the other six LBs could fill the void if one of the starters were to go down.  The only problem I can think of concerning the LBs is that there is no possible way that we will be able to pay and/or keep all of these young studs, and will inevitably lose some of these guys to other contenders in the NFL that need help at the LB position.  The Eagles must decide decisively and quickly which of these linebackers they need to keep around the huddle.

To conclude, practice ended a bit early, around 10:25am, just as the heat began to wear down not only the players, but the spectators as well.  Afternoon practice is scheduled for 3:30pm.

– Jay Vaidya

From the Desk of Jay Vaidya

Even as the price of a gallon of gasoline nears $5 and heat indexes soar above 100 degrees in the Lehigh Valley, Eagle fans are once again expected to converge at Eagles Training Camp 2008 on the campus of Lehigh University in record numbers.  Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the summer amongst the fans and the media is nothing new to Coach Andy Reid, who will be preparing for his 10th year as head coach of the Eagles.  Yet controversy and concerns still loom amidst an anxious and eager 2008 Philadelphia Eagle squad before the pads even go on.  As all of Eagle nation knows, six of Coach Reid’s past Eagle teams have found their way into the post season with limited success (aka one Super Bowl appearance) and four of them have forever been deleted from our memories (not to mention the lingering  void from not reaching the playoffs in two of the last three seasons).  This all of course is in addition to the salty taste and anger that has been brewing in Southeastern Pennsylvania ever since David Tyree’s “immaculate reception” in last year’s Super Bowl.

Topping the list of the afore mentioned concerns include the contract dispute of disgruntled Pro-Bowlers RB Brian Westbrook and CB Lito Sheppard, the health of Donovan McNabb, and rookies WR DeSean Jackson and DT Trevor Laws.

(1)          To begin, both Westbrook and Sheppard have fired their current agents and have re-signed with different agents in order to gain leverage against Eagle management, since their previous representation could get nothing done during talks in their favor before training camp.  At the “Welcome to Training Camp” press conference, Coach Reid made it clear that he has been in contact with Westbrook in the past few days, but has not spoken with Sheppard since the discontent cornerback skipped Organized Team Activities (OTA) last month.  To me, although the Eagles can survive and thrive in a season without Lito Sheppard (a la Sheldon Brown), a season without Brian Westbrook would mean disaster.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope that a Westbrook holdout is not in the near future.

(2)          Moving to less turbulent news, Coach Reid also noted (as reported here at www.allphiladelphiasports.com by Zach Zawarski) that Donovan McNabb’s shoulder problems are now in the past.  #5 has spent the last few weeks rehabbing his injury and training in Arizona (as he does every year) along with teammate Brian Dawkins and has been quoted as saying his shoulder ailment is a “non-issue”.  It is good to see the captain of our offense and the captain of our defense spending some of the offseason together butting heads in attempts to get the Eagles Team focused on another Super Bowl run.  Once again, we should all pray that both these cornerstones of our team remain healthy for the duration of not only training camp, but the entire season.

(3)         Finally, we move to the contract situations with rookies WR DeSean Jackson and DT Trevor Laws.  It is my pleasure to report to you that as of July 21st both these explosive players, one on each side of the ball, have inked 4-year deals with the Eagles.  (NOTE:  DT Trevor Laws will likely miss a portion of training camp due to what’s described as a “foot injury”, however this injury does not seem to be a major concern to either Laws or the Eagles’ staff)Near the end of his press conference, Coach Reid announced his new “30 Plus Club” policy.  This policy is specifically targeted at older veterans (i.e. Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, and Jon Runyan) to keep them fresh and ready for the start of the regular season.  Basically this means that after these players workout back-to-back days, they will receive the following next day “half-off” in order to relax, recuperate, and keep from getting fatigued in the intense summer sun.  Players over 30 not included in the “30 Plus Club” include Donovan McNabb and AJ Feeley, since they wear the protective red jerseys, and don’t get as physically into the practices as the rest of the players do.

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE NOTE: Over the next three days, the Eagles will work out their rookies and some select veterans (27 in total), including throwing sessions with Donovan McNabb, AJ Feeley, and Kevin Kolb so that these select players are ready for when the pads go on this Saturday July 26th.

All of the Eagles’ rookies can report to camp except Trevor Laws.  Laws is the only Eagles rookie that remains to be signed by the team.  The Eagles signed Jackson to a four-year deal earlier today.

This comes via the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The Eagles were confident this afternoon that second-round draft picks Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackson would be signed in time to join the other rookies who are scheduled to report for the start of training camp tomorrow night at Lehigh University. By late tonight, Jackson, a wide receiver from the University of California, had agreed to a four-year deal, leaving Laws as the team’s only unsigned draft pick.

Division Tracker:

– The Giants trade Jeremy Shockey to the Saints [ESPN]

– The Redskins signed Jason Taylor [Bleeding Green Nation]

In other Eagles news:

– Westbrook wants more money [Bleeding Green Nation]

– Lito hires Drew Rosenrat [Inside the Iggles]

– Kevin Kolb Interview [Inside the Iggles]

Training camp starts tomorrow, which gives today the feeling of the night before Christmas as a kid.  Rookies and selected vets report tomorrow and practice starts Tuesday 8:45 a.m.  The long offseason is finally over and now there will be some real Eagles news to report.  It’s about time!

Fortunately for me, and for you, training camp happens to be in my backyard.  I’m literally 5 minutes away from all the action at Lehigh University.  However, I’ve been shipped off to parts unknown and have had my head buried in law books this summer.  Fortunately, we have a very special guest correspondent who will be attending Eagles practices and will be reporting his first-hand account on his thoughts from the Eagles training camp.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll be getting first-hand information from the man himself — Jay Vaidya aka King Vaidya aka Van Vaidya.  I hope you enjoy.

Eagles 2008 Training Camp Schedule

After first hearing about the Elton Brand signing, I was thrilled, but was a also little disappointed that the Sixers didn’t opt for Josh Smith instead.  I thought Smith’s youth and speed would be a better fit for Philadelphia’s style of basketball.  However, the acquisition of Brand was definitely the better move.

First, Josh Smith wasn’t a guarantee because he was a restricted free agent, so going after Smith instead of Brand would be a huge gamble.  Second, Brand gives the team a leadership figure that the other forwards (Thaddeous Young, Jason Smith, Marreese Speights) can learn from.  Third, Brand will help the team’s half-court offense more than Smith could have, which was something that really hurt the Sixers in the Detroit series.  Fourth, Brand and Dalembert will get more blocks and rebounds than Dalembert and Smith would have.  Sixth, Brand’s command for double teams will give Dalembert more opportunities to score.  My only concern: I just hope that Brand isn’t another Chris Webber.

This Philadelphia Inquirer article notes how thrilled the young Sixers are to have Elton Brand. The article also mentions that the 76ers played their first NBA Summer League game and the 76ers young rookie Marreese Speights impressed: 23 points, 13 rebounds.  Thaddeus Young also had a solid game: 27 points, 6 rebounds.  Jason Smith had 11 points and 9 rebounds.  However, the Sixers lost to Golden State 96-89.

Training camp is officially 1 week away.  That’s right, 7 more days until there is some real Eagles news to report.  Despite the slow days in Eagles news, I was able to come across a few pieces of Eagles news to share.

First, Donovan McNabb has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at Yardbarker.   McNabb discusses the Elton Brand signing, the Phillies, and more.  Here’s an update on his offseason and his health from the man himself:

Speaking of the Eagles, fans might be happy to know that I’m in Arizona working out with Brian Dawkins. Next week some other players will come out and we’ll work together for a few days before training camp opens. I’m feeling great, the shoulder is fine, and I can’t wait to get started this season.

Also, here’s a short but sweet NFL Network video on the Eagles 2008 outlook.  Finally we get a guy in the media who gives Donovan a little credit for what he was able to accomplish in his last 4 games of the 2007 season.  Thank you Jamie Dukes.

One last point to make, DeSean Jackson and Trevor Laws remained unsigned.  However, that is not unusual since only three first-round picks and no second-round picks are signed.  Once other second round deals fall into place, the Eagles will be able to make their offer based on those.  I.e., I wouldn’t expect to see a Bunkley-like holdout from either Laws or Jackson.

As a Sixers fan, you can’t help but love the way the 76ers roster looks on paper: (1) Andre Miller, (2) Andre Iguodala, (3) Thaddeus Young, (4) Elton Brand, (5) Samuel Dalembert.  That has the look of a truly complete team.  And don’t forget the talented young reserves such as Louis Williams and Jason Smith who are both developing well.

It seems that the Sixers are only a sharpshooter away from being considered a top 3 team in the East and one that can seriously challenge Boston and Detroit.  Hopefully, the Brand acquisition will attract one of those Eastern European dudes who are just so good at shooting the 3.

Here are some interesting quotes from NBA journalists.  These come via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
ESPN.com’s John Hollinger says the Sixers are instant challengers in the East, and uses his mathematical formula to project 52 wins for them next season:

Are the Philadelphia 76ers, as presently constituted, good enough to win the East in the 2008-09 season? Doubtful.

But are the Sixers good enough to win a playoff series or two and scare the bejeezus out of Detroit and Boston? You bet. And if they add a shooter and get another year of growth from all their young studs, will they be in position to win the conference in 2010? Absolutely.

SI.com’s Ian Thomsen says Brand is a better fit for the Sixers than Josh Smith:

One alternative to signing Brand was for the Sixers to make an offer big and front-loaded enough to pry restricted free agent Josh Smith away from Atlanta. But imagine starting a new era with Smith and Iguodala as your max players. Smith, 22, hasn’t established the self-discipline to manage the responsibility of being the highest-paid player in a market like Philadelphia. And whatever salary Smith might have received from the 76ers would have served as a new threshold for Iguodala, who would have demanded even more as a restricted free agent.
Henry Abbott of ESPN.com blog TrueHoop praises Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski and says his next move could be to add an outside shooter:

What’s more, the team clearly needs to add some reliable outside shooting, and Brand could be a free-agent magnet. (Remember last month when he did that for the Clippers?) Some free agents really want to win. With Brand, Philadelphia might be in the running for people who have other options.

That would be the icing on the “Welcome Back to Relevancy” cake they should be serving this morning at Sixers headquarters.

Charley Rosen of FoxSports.com gives the Sixers an A+ for the addition of Brand:

Coupled with his ever-improving mid-range shooting, Brand is simply one of the most dynamic scorers in the league. If he’s neither a superb passer nor (despite his penchant for blocking shots) a defensive ace, Brand figures to transform the Sixers into a legitimate challenger to Boston’s supremacy.

Here is the full article.

“Lights Out” Lidge is locked up for another 3 years.  The Phillies signed him to a 3-year $37.5 million extension.  19 saves and a 1.00 ERA in half a season will get you a nice pay day.  Good work by the Phillies front office.

In other Phillies news, Chase Utley announced that he will be competing in the home run derby.  Utley has hit 25 HRs on the year and currently leads the MLB in HRs.

Quick Standings Update: After the Phillies cooled off towards the end of June, the rest of the NL East failed to capitalize off the opportunity and the Phillies remain on top of the standings.  They lead the Marlins by 1.5 games and the Mets by 2.5.