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Brian Dawkins will always be remembered as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. But it looks like he will be spending the remainder of his career with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos signed Brian to a five-year, $17 million deal today. The contract includes $7.2 million in guaranteed money. And so distraught were the Eagles (but apparently not enough to keep Brian with the team), that team Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie released the following statement upon the official news of Brian’s departure:

“Brian Dawkins has been one of the pillars of this franchise for 13 years. He helped lead us to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. Brian embodies everything you look for in a professional athlete and human being. I have been fortunate to witness his impeccable character, his passion for the game of football and his commitment to being the best player he could be. I look forward to continuing a close relationship with him once his playing days are over. His legacy as an Eagle will last forever and will ultimately land him in Canton as a Hall of Famer.”

I’m not sure how Brian will fare in Denver. I know he’ll bring his hard-nosed style with reckless abandon week-after-week because he only knows one way to play the game — with tremendous passion and heart. But will he thrive in Denver the way he did in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s system in Philly? One thing’s for sure. The Eagles defense won’t look right without him.

Source: PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Broncos Sign Brian Dawkins

Defense wins championships, of course. And if you’re in the playoffs, chances are you’re playing it pretty well. Like the Philadelphia Eagles. In a 23-11 NFC Divisional Playoff win over the N.Y. Giants this afternoon, it was the Eagles’ defense that stepped up to the challenge of stopping the NFL’s best rushing offense en route to the NFC Championship game next week at Arizona.

For all the deserved hype that was the Giants’ “Earth, Wind and Fire” (running backs Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw) this season, the Eagles had other ideas. Sure, Brandon got 92 yards on 19 carries, but on two crucial 4th down plays, it was Eagles’ defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley who played the role of earth mover, causing the Giants to turn the ball over on downs. This Eagles defense is something of a no-name group. Among household names like Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel, you’re looking at guys like Stewart Bradley (the team’s regular season leader in tackles and in on 11 stops today), Quintin Mikell and Chris Gocong. Together, they rattled Giants quarterback Eli Manning into completing about half of his passes for just 169 yards. Still, Brian Dawkins wasn’t exactly savoring the moment:

“I won’t say satisfying. Satisfying is for when it is all said and done, and it’s not. We have more work to do.”

Source: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Eagles Defense Makes Crucial Stops

Here is the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Starters are listed in bold.

OFFENSE

QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals; Drew Brees, Saints; Eli Manning, Giants
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Michael Turner, Falcons; Clinton Portis, Redskins
FB: Mike Sellers, Redskins
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Steve Smith, Panthers; Roddy White, Falcons,
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys; Chris Cooley, Redskins
T: Jordan Gross, Panthers; Walter Jones, Seahawks; Chris Samuels, Redskins
G: Chris Snee, Giants; Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Leonard Davis, Cowboys
C: Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Shaun O’Hara, Giants

DEFENSE

DE: Justin Tuck, Giants; Julius Peppers, Panthers; Jared Allen, Vikings
DT: Kevin Williams, Vikings; Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Pat Williams, Vikings
OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Lance Briggs, Bears; Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers
MLB: Patrick Willis, 49ers; Jon Beason, Panthers
CB: Charles Woodson, Packers; Antoine Winfield, Vikings; Asante Samuel, Eagles
S: Nick Collins, Packers; Adrian Wilson, Cardinals; Brian Dawkins, Eagles

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: John Carney, Giants
P: Jeff Feagles, Giants
KR: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers
ST: Sean Morey, Cardinals

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

2009 NFC Pro Bowl Roster

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Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae was elected president of the NFL Players Association today. As a 14-year veteran and someone who has been on the union’s executive committee for the past six years, Kevin’s a great choice. He’ll replace Troy Vincent, whose term recently ended and who last played for the Buffalo Bills before retiring. Kevin called his election by the player representatives an honor with serious issues looming, referring to the the collective bargaining agreement:

“The players are well informed of the potential cancellation of the CBA by the owners. They are committed to doing what it takes to preserve our game ….. That is of most importance, because the players need to know what they are facing and also how to react. In the end, it goes back to educating players of our past, how we’ve accomplished what we’ve gotten and having a plan for taking care of our business.”

The union also elected Domonique Foxworth of Denver, Drew Brees of New Orleans and Mike Vrabel of New England as new members of the executive committee. Re-elected were: Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia), Jeff Saturday (Indianapolis), Mark Bruener (Houston), Tony Richardson (Jets), Kevin Carter (Tampa Bay), Keenan McCardell (free agent) and Donovin Darius (free agent).

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Kevin Mawae Named NFLPA President