They've added a few pounds, for sure.

Praying that Dick Stockton is nice to him.

But Andy Reid and the quarterback he drafted to rebuild the Eagles, Donovan McNabb, have some pretty good memories to share when they get together in Kansas City this weekend.

McNabb is the Fox TV analyst joining play-by-play veteran Dick Stockton this Sunday when Reid and the Chiefs entertain Jeff Fisher and the Rams. Fisher, of course, was an assistant with the Birds.

Remember when they were Don's teammates?

The Rams (2-4) are coming off an epic upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The Chiefs (3-3) are trying to keep pace with the Broncos and the Chargers.

McNabb will weigh in on it all ... Big Red, Fisher and quarterbacks Alex Smith of the Chiefs and  Austin Davis of the Rams. And we're sure he'll have something to say about Nick Foles, Chip Kelly and the Eagles.

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McCoy, Samuel before 2011 Patriots game at Linc.

Cornerback Asante Samuel reacted on Twitter Friday to a zing from Eagles head coach Andy Reid.

Reid apparently told Philly.com that Samuel was in deep decline and didn't fit the Eagles' system. Samuel was traded to the Falcons for a seventh-round draft pick.

Asante Samuel ‏@pick_six22 I just finished reading the story on coach Andy Reid! All I can say is WoW! #fueltothefire #riseup

 

Asante Samuel ‏@pick_six22

Men lie women lie numbers don't

Samuel intercepted 23 passes in four seasons with the Eagles, leading the team in the category every season but  2011, where he had just three picks.

Reid is 38-25-1 with Samuel on the roster but just 18-14 over the last two years.

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy backed his former teammate in a tweet:

Lesean McCoy ‏@CutonDime25

@pick_six22 u still the truth bro

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Big Red has final say in football matters.

The Eagles told  their employees in an  email early this morning that Joe Banner is out as team president.

This follows reports in Delcotimes.com that Banner had stepped aside and Andy Reid, the head coach/vice president of football operations, was back firmly in control of football operations.

The Eagles confirmed through football media relations director Derek Boyko that Don Smolenski, formerly COO, succeeded Banner as president.

Boyko revealed Eagles employees were sent an email at 5:28 am announcing  the changes and a news conference to address the matter at 2:30 p.m. today.

Evidence of the change in leadership has been apparent for months.

Embattled defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is back, proof that Reid flexed his muscles with the power he has over his staff. A source said Reid was preparing an exit strategy in case the Eagles let him go following the 8-8 season.

The often contentious renegotiations with veteran players that were part of the Banner era have all but ended, the team  making DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy happy with long-term deals. Several other vets were rewarded as well.

Reid sat in with Roseman during negotiations with McCoy's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to make sure that deal got done. Rosenhaus was floored by Reid's involvement, unprecedented in his numerous dealings with the Eagles.

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No doubt about it, Big Red is The Man.

Andy Reid was the guy a chunk of media thought of when the words "I take full responsibility for that" popped out of  the mouth of the Sixers' head coach Sunday night.

You thought they had problems?

But it was really a veiled cry for help from Doug Collins, who knows his basketball team is stuck on playing just well enough  to lose close games to good teams.

It happened again in a 96-91 loss to the Chicago Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center.
Collins took responsibility. He also refused to blame the non-superstar composition of his team for the close losses although several of his post-game comments subtly suggested he was reaching the end of his rope.

“There’s an old line in basketball,” Collins said. “A coach’s notoriety is demonstrated by his team’s ability to execute under pressure. And my notoriety right now isn’t very good. Because we’re not winning any of these games. And I take full responsibility for that. I’m paid to win games. That’s what (owner) Josh Harris pays me to do.”

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The relationship between the Eagles' front office and head coach Andy Reid has hit another ugly low.
Steve Spagnuolo's decision to accept the  defensive coordinator job with the New Orleans Saints is the latest smoking gun.
Spagnuolo and Reid are represented by super agent Bob LaMonte. If Spags sees more opportunity in the French Quarter it's because Reid told him exactly how difficult it is working at One  NovaCare Way these days. If the Eagles didn't pitch the job to Spags, whoever said no should be summarily fired.
Who Reid has on his staff is his prerogative. Unless the Eagles over-achieve in 2012 his loyalty to first-year  defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who struggled last season, will cost him his job.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie made it clear just days after the season ended without a playoff berth that Reid's coaching and the performance of the team were  unacceptable.
At a bizarre news conference Lurie reamed Reid out on a level that made you believe he was going to ax Big Red. Moments later the owner did a (180) and said he would keep Reid for 2012.
Sounding detached, Lurie openly questioned Reid's decision to switch Castillo from the offensive line to defensive coordinator. Lurie indicated Castillo may not have been in a position to succeed.
It was embarrassing for all.
Meanwhile the Eagles put Reid's end of season news conference on hold until the coaching situation was squared away. Oh, and Johnnie Lynn was axed as defensive backs coach to open the door to bring in a defensive authority like Spagnuolo, who, knowing Reid and having the same agent  obviously wasn't interested.
Did we mention that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is bailing? He's interviewing for a head coaching position in Oakland.
What's clear is the Eagles are at odds  internally, Reid is a lame duck and the 2012 campaign only is delaying the inevitable - the end of the most successful era in the modern history of the franchise.
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(Below, like Andy Reid,  Mike Vick's days with Eagles also may be numbered.)

Fans express themselves at season finale.

At some point you realize that no matter how much work you put into it the relationship isn't working.

Then the pain intensifies.

This is why Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Andy Reid are giving it one more try.

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Offensive line coach told Eagles players he was coming back to coach them got the 2012 season.

Mudd wouldn’t do that for just anyone as  Andy Reid lured him out of retirement.

Reid has two years left on his contract. To save his job he might have to fire or reassign defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. There is preliminary evidence his staff will change.

Adding to the intrigue is Reid won’t confirm he's back or have his usual Monday press conference. It will be  held later this week per an Eagles spokesman.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie also will address the media later this week.

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Big Red with Sean McDermott.

NBC Sports-Profootballtalk.com's s Mike Florio says if Eagles head coach Andy Reid wants to keep his job, he has to choose between Michael Vick and Juan Castillo.

Here's the excerpt Florio offered Sunday on NBC Football Night In America:

“Michael Vick will be back and he will want Andy Reid to be back. I am told Andy Reid will keep his job if he will admit that hiring Juan Castillo to be the defensive coordinator was a mistake, and move on from Castillo. If he doesn’t, Reid will be fired.”

Earlier Sunday The National Football Post floated a similar  speculative report.

Trust me, only Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and team president Joe Banner know which way they're leaning. But as the losses have worsened and the frustration has mounted it hasn't  helped them think of the right plan to sell Reid for 2012. I'm not so sure the defensive coordinator end around is the answer.

I don't know how Reid could stick around next year if he followed  the order to fire Castillo, the epitome of hard work and unwavering loyalty. It would be like disowning family.

I don't know how Reid could walk into that Eagles locker room after canning Castillo and be respected and effective.

The coaching staff is a head coach's prerogative. Reid abruptly canned Sean McDermott, his last defensive coordinator, after the 2010 season and resisted hiring an outside guy, preferring to switch Castillo from the offensive line.

If Reid complied with this order, he'd better be prepared to get help with his clock management, too.

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Nnamdi Asomugha knows dysfunctional teams.

The National Football Post's Dan Pompei says Eagles head coach Andy Reid will stay on the job next year unless ownership forces him to change his coaching staff.




(Reid already changed  his staff Dan.)


I don't think Pompei knows how bad it is for Reid, reduced to attacking the NFL Network for the way it portrayed diva wide receiver DeSean Jackson and the dysfunctional Eagles. Big Red won't survive this season unless he makes the playoffs or gives up every last ounce of influence he has, plus his company parking place.


Here's Pompei's take. Keep in mind Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post used to negotiate contacts for the Eagles.


*No matter what they chant at the Linc or how badly the Eagles play, it appears that Andy Reid is safe, according to those who are close to the situation. There appears to be only one scenario in which Reid could be let go: if Eagles ownership tries to force Reid to make a staff change he does not want to make (hello, Juan Castillo), Reid could refuse and put the target on his own back.


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CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf made it clear during an appearance on the WIP morning show Monday he would not speculate on the future of Eagles head coach  Andy Reid.

But Dierdorf worked the Eagles-Patriots game Sunday, and had a lot on his mind.

Dierdorf, who called the play of the Eagle  secondary "soft" in the 38-20 loss Sunday to the Patriots, hinted the  talent didn't match the team's 4-7 record.

"Sometimes it's just time," Dierdorf said in general of a coaching change.

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(below, LeSean McCoy, Asante Samuel talk about the season)

The Linc last Sunday without DJax

Sounds like DeSean Jackson, Eagles head coach Andy Reid and the front office aren't on the same page.

Sounds like there really is  some sort of  power struggle going on based on Michael Irvin's NFL Network interview of 

Jackson, part of which ran Wednesday.

Jackson was scratched Sunday after missing an 8:30 a.m. Saturday meeting.

Reid said no one, himself included, was above the team.
Jackson apologized to teammates. Four days after being disciplined, he suggested he was made an example of. And not necessarily by Reid.

Irvin: “You missed the special teams meeting, but you got there for a team meeting. You were 20 minutes late, 25 minutes late. Is this protocol to not let the guy play at all?”

Jackson: “Honestly, I’ve never seen Coach Reid do anything like that. I’ve never seen him bench anybody for missing a meeting.”

Jackson later said his lateness was unacceptable.

"But I’ve never been a problem, never been a distraction," he said. "I just come to work and do my thing.”

Two weeks ago Asante Samuel said  there was a power struggle among Reid, team president Joe Banner and general manager Howie Roseman.

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Andy Reid did his impression of a hostile witness under oath at his post-game news conference Sunday.

Overwhelmed by questions about injured quarterback Michael Vick, who suffered a broken right hand the week after sustaining a concussion, Big Red said he wanted to talk about football.

Bad idea. What could he say with even a hint of optimism after overseeing a 29-16 loss to the Giants, who aren't very good when they're healthy?

After the loss Reid's players questioned his judgement. How could he send Vick into the middle of the line in short yardage after he got the concussion in his last start?

How could the Eagles run three straight times into the middle of the Giants line on a goal-to-goal situation when the opposition was playing a defense daring them to run outside?

Andy Reid ripped into his guys after the game. Players said he was angry. He was angry at them, angry at the media. Most of all he was mad at himself for a very ugly Eagles 1-2 start.

Time to get back on their feet.