I Hate Mondays: The Eagle Way

Regrets? The Philadelphia Eagles have had a few. But then again, considering their success over the past half-decade, too few to mention. But there were times, I'm sure you knew, when they bit off more than they could chew.

That appears to be the case right now as they fight through their never-ending soap opera with Terrell Owens.

To say that the Eagles regret acquiring Owens would be inaccurate.

Lest we forget their first year of marriage, where No. 81 sparked the Eagles to a 13-3 record and propelled them past the impassable NFC Championship Game to only their second Super Bowl appearance ever.

In his second season, there are qualms, but in his first season, there was only joy, so the Eagles cannot completely regret the acquisition.

But a decision they do regret, is their decision not to establish a contingency plan.

There is no question that the Eagles have done things their way throughout Andy Reid's tenure. They have played hardball with prized free agents, they have managed their salary cap extremely well and they have unexpectedly cut reliable veterans in training camp.

But they have always had a backup plan.

When they parted ways with stalwart cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, they had Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard lined up. The Eagles have also cut ties with heart-and-soul players like Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter, and Duce Staley, but they had competent fill-ins who were ready to step in.

But with Owens, the Eagles knew that they were getting themselves into a combustible relationship, which was re-emphasized by Owens prior to this season when he whined about his contract, but they refused to acquired a secondary receiver just in case.

As the season kicked off, former Cincinnati Bengal and first-round pick Peter Warrick became available, but the Eagles showed no interest. The Atlanta Falcons sent a former 1,000-yard receiver packing, as well, when they cut Peerless Price, who was quite familiar with the West Coast Offense (similar to the offense that the Eagles run), but they still were content with their receiving corps.

Even wideouts like Koren Robinson and Andre Davis were on the market.

What makes this a peculiar decision — or non-decision — is that the Eagles feature their passing game so much and they could have invested in one of the aforementioned receivers without compromising their precious salary cap.

A guy like Price was affordable, could have complemented Owens quite well when they did play together, and should Owens flare up, like he is now, the Eagles would have an insurance plan in place.

Instead, as the Eagles face the final curtain, they are dealing from a position of weakness instead of strength.

Right now, Greg Lewis is the team's top target. Although he has improved significantly this year, he is overmatched going against the opposing team's top cornerback. Rookie Reggie Brown has also taken great strides this season, but he too is not ready to be a full-time starter.

Considering the Eagles are throwing the ball twice as many times as they are running it and considering they are playing in a drastically improved division, they have no choice but to look to Owens for help.

Regrets? The Eagles have had a few and right now, they are regretting that they did not add another capable wide receiver when they had the chance.

Frank Sinatra and the Philadelphia Eagles mix like Mondays and me.

"Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night — be it prayer, tranquilizers, or a bottle of Jack Daniels." — Frank Sinatra