Eagles flying from plan for Reid?-OT, Cowboy blurb

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Eagles flying from plan for Reid?
Sunday, May 16, 2004
MARK ECKEL
How come when a player, be it Duce Staley, John Welbourn or anyone else who has outperformed their contract asks for a new one, the Eagles' reaction is to scoff?

The quotes you hear from the offices at the NovaCare Complex is about the sanctity of the contract, how nobody put a gun to the player's head to sign that contract, and that the player was very happy when he received his contract way back when.

With that in mind, how come the same Eagles are ready to reward head coach/general manager Andy Reid with a new contract and a huge raise even though he still has three years left on his current deal?

Or are they?

According to an Eagles spokesperson, a Philadelphia Daily News report last week of an imminent deal with the team to reward Reid with a new contract was way off base. And according to the spokesperson, all of the quotes in that story about the new deal were from January. Finally, the same spokesperson said that Reid is fine with his current contract, and while he wouldn't turn down a raise (who would?) he is not actively pursuing one.

Reid's current contract, which pays him a guaranteed $2.5 million, ranks below Bill Parcells' $4-plus million a year in Dallas, and Joe Gibbs' $5-plus million a year deal in Washington.

By the way, Parcells and Gibbs had to be coaxed out of retirement to take their current jobs. Reid is under contract for three more years with an Eagles team that made him a head coach after being a position coach in Green Bay.

Parcells and Gibbs also have been to a combined seven Super Bowls, winning five. If you're counting, that's seven more appearances and five more wins than Reid has as a head coach.

For whatever it's worth, Reid ranks second on the post-1967 list of playoff wins without ever reaching a Super Bowl, with five. Only Chuck Knox, who went 7-11 in 18 playoff games and never got to the big game, ranks ahead of Reid in that category.

Reid has done a very good job in his six years as head coach, there's no questioning that, and he has been paid well for his work. Does he deserve a raise and three or four more years on the end of his contract?

That decision belongs to team owner Jeffrey Lurie. It's his money and there are probably worse ways he could spend it. He just has to keep it in mind the next time a player under contract wants a raise.

Because no matter how good a coach is or his system is, the bottom line is - and always will be - that it's the players who win games.

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Word around the league is the 49ers just might use their option and return defensive end Brandon Whiting to the Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick in next year's draft.

The 49ers are so salary-cap strapped, even after moving quarterback Jeff Garcia and wide receiver Terrell Owens, they still don't have enough room to sign their draft picks.

If Whiting is returned, they will gain $1.1 million of cap room.

San Francisco is looking for other ways to gain cap space, because they would prefer Whiting to the pick in next year's draft.

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If you bought a No. 25 Troy Vincent Buffalo Bills jersey, you either wasted your money or got a rare collectable.

After the team's recent minicamp, Vincent, the Trenton native and five-time Pro Bowl player, decided to switch back to his old No. 23.

"It just didn't feel right," Vincent, who has worn No. 23 his entire career with the Dolphins and Eagles, said. "I had to go back to 23."

Buffalo safety Pierson Prioleau, who offered his No. 23 when Vincent signed with the Bills back in March, was happy to give it up - for a price.

"There's always a price," Vincent said.

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Dallas backup quarterback Chad Hutchinson is playing well enough in NFL Europe that he has a good chance to either be in the Cowboys' mix or on another roster this fall.

The Cowboys are into Drew Henson as their quarterback of the future, still have starter Quincy Carter, and are expected to sign veteran Vinny Testaverde after June 1.

Don't be surprised if the Cowboys try to move Hutchinson for a conditional 2005 draft pick. -- -- --

Another young quarterback who could be on the move is Detroit's Mike McMahon, the former Rutgers standout.

McMahon never will be more than a backup to Joey Harrington with the Lions and could leave as a free agent next season. The Lions may try to get a draft pick for him before that happens (a la A.J. Feeley).

Part of the problem is two teams who may be interested are Chicago and Green Bay, both of whom are NFC North rivals of the Lions. Teams generally do not like to trade within their division.

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Wide receiver Plaxico Burress skipped Pittsburgh's mandatory minicamp last weekend and blamed it on the timing.

Burress spent Mother's Day weekend with his two brothers. Their mother passed away recently and he felt the need to be with his family that weekend.

Nice gesture, for sure, but it would have been nice if he called the Steelers and told them he wasn't coming.

Oh, by the way Burress, also is in the final year of his contract, wants a new deal and has been the subject of trade rumors.

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While it's the feel-good story of the offseason, Eagles running back Reno Mahe's employment at Chickie and Pete's this offseason also could be considered disturbing.

Mahe, the Eagles' No. 3 running back, earned $226,500 last season and is scheduled to earn $310,600 this season. While that's low by NFL standards, it's high by real-life standards. Does he really need the second job at Pete's or could that go to someone who really needs a job in these tough economic times?

NOTE: Mark Eckel is a Times staff writer.