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Arrington, Dawkins size up NFC East
Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and Commanders linebacker LaVar Arrington were on the set of NFL Total Access to talk about the NFC East with host Rich Eisen. NFL Total Access airs Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET/PT (aired June 30, 2004).
Eisen: Did any of you guys during the offseason sit around and say, "Wow, this division is stacked more than ever?"
Dawkins: Yeah, absolutely. With the amount of guys we had coming into this division, and not just the guys but the coaches also that have been placed into this division and each coach you look at their winning percentages and it's pretty good. So it's definitely going to be stacked and it's definitely going to be a tougher division.
Arrington: I think it's great for football. Parcells versus Gibbs again, and then you got Andy Reid, who has been to the division championship all these years is the new kid on block again, so he's got something to prove against Parcells, Coughlin and Gibbs. It's just stacked. I mean they bring in T.O. as if they didn't already have enough talent in Philadelphia. They bring in "The Freak" which is sickening! I think the Commanders did alright, I think we did okay.
Dawkins: Oh yeah, they brought in some big talent. They're not just bringing in just decent guys, they bringing in big-time players. So when you have that, and hopefully they'll get that family unit camaraderie together -- that's the way you do it. Once you get that together you can run with it.
Eisen: Is there a franchise in Washington?
Dawkins: I don't think so!
Arrington: Richest franchise in sports.
Dawkins: I don't know how he does it, but I don't think he has one.
Eisen: The Dallas Cowboys have also brought in Keyshawn Johnson into the division. Who would you say is the team to beat? Would you still say it's the Eagles?
Arrington: They have to be just because they've proven every year consistently that they're the team to beat. So until you come on the block and knock the bully off, they're the team to beat.
Dawkins: I mean it's never easy. You may look at the records and whatever, but it's never easy to go out and do what we've been able to do. It's a tough thing to go out and do every year, to try to get to that point we've been talking about. You add these type of guys and these type of coaches and it makes it that much more tough. So guys hopefully are at home preparing for a real tough season this year. You can look at your schedule and say that it's not as strong, but you never know which team is going to be the one that's going to jump up and be the one that much more tougher than they were last year.
Eisen: Remove both your teams' acquisitions now and put them to the side. The most important acquisition, the one that you think is wow that was the best move out there would be?
Arrington: It's got to be Terrell (Owens). People can feel the way they want to feel about him and say the things they want to say about him, but he's a proven playmaker. I've always been one to say if you're going to talk it, at least walk it. If you're not going to back up what you're saying, then please just keep your mouth closed because it doesn't do anything but make you look bad. There's nobody that can say that Terrell Owens doesn't do what he's going to say he's going to do. By far I would imagine he's the biggest pick up. It could be Jevon (Kearse) if he stays healthy. It could be very close.
Dawkins: Wow. I would think it would be two running backs: Clinton Portis and Julius Jones. Jones could come out and give Bill Parcells the type of running game he wants, the one that controls the clock and can eat up the clock running the ball. Whoever's going to be at quarterback they don't have to be winning the game for them. If those two guys can get some ground game going for those two organizations I think they're going to be better off.
Eisen: If I can add my two cents I would go with Joe Gibbs in a way. I still can't believe that he's back.
Arrington: That man has the Midas touch and it seems he still has it. Everything he touches just turns to gold. I'm excited to play for him.
Dawkins: You know what else happens? When you have a guy that has won numerous times and is known for winning, it's just an attitude that he brings and it's completely different. You can totally believe in this guy because you know he got it done at one point so you know what he does, you know, it has some merit to it. Hopefully those guys buy into his system fast. If you buy into his system fast then you're going to move fast.
Eisen: Plus he's replacing a guy like Steve Spurrier. How bad did it get, LaVar?
Arrington: I just think with coach Spurrier we just needed guys to be a little bit more professional, and Steve isn't the type of guy that's going to be very confrontational and be all up in your face and pointing at you and telling you you need to do it a certain way. I think Steve believes that you're a professional, that you're here making money to perform and that's you're responsibility, that's your job. It's your duty to do it and I just don't think that we quite grasped that as a team and it kind of made it an awkward fit for a coach in their first year with the team.
Eisen: And again, that's been rectified
Arrington: I'll tell you what, these coaches from day one have set the tone for how things will be conducted and if you have a problem with it you can take it up with the ownership and go from there. Pretty much you can do it their way or you can hit the highway.
Eisen: Especially since the owner has been dreaming about this since he's been watching football in front of a TV as a kid.
Arrington: This is the final frontier. If coach Gibbs can't do it ... I hate to put this pressure on you, coach, but if coach Gibbs can't do it, I can't see anybody that would be able to do it. I think Joe Gibbs has really done a great job to bring all those doubts and to bring all the questions to ease in players minds.
Eisen: I can't wait.
Arrington: I can't wait. I'm excited because I'm in the division. Obviously all the attention is going to be on us because ... I don't think its hype. I really believe it going to be what people really think it's going to be so I'm excited.
Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and Commanders linebacker LaVar Arrington were on the set of NFL Total Access to talk about the NFC East with host Rich Eisen. NFL Total Access airs Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET/PT (aired June 30, 2004).
Eisen: Did any of you guys during the offseason sit around and say, "Wow, this division is stacked more than ever?"
Dawkins: Yeah, absolutely. With the amount of guys we had coming into this division, and not just the guys but the coaches also that have been placed into this division and each coach you look at their winning percentages and it's pretty good. So it's definitely going to be stacked and it's definitely going to be a tougher division.
Arrington: I think it's great for football. Parcells versus Gibbs again, and then you got Andy Reid, who has been to the division championship all these years is the new kid on block again, so he's got something to prove against Parcells, Coughlin and Gibbs. It's just stacked. I mean they bring in T.O. as if they didn't already have enough talent in Philadelphia. They bring in "The Freak" which is sickening! I think the Commanders did alright, I think we did okay.
Dawkins: Oh yeah, they brought in some big talent. They're not just bringing in just decent guys, they bringing in big-time players. So when you have that, and hopefully they'll get that family unit camaraderie together -- that's the way you do it. Once you get that together you can run with it.
Eisen: Is there a franchise in Washington?
Dawkins: I don't think so!
Arrington: Richest franchise in sports.
Dawkins: I don't know how he does it, but I don't think he has one.
Eisen: The Dallas Cowboys have also brought in Keyshawn Johnson into the division. Who would you say is the team to beat? Would you still say it's the Eagles?
Arrington: They have to be just because they've proven every year consistently that they're the team to beat. So until you come on the block and knock the bully off, they're the team to beat.
Dawkins: I mean it's never easy. You may look at the records and whatever, but it's never easy to go out and do what we've been able to do. It's a tough thing to go out and do every year, to try to get to that point we've been talking about. You add these type of guys and these type of coaches and it makes it that much more tough. So guys hopefully are at home preparing for a real tough season this year. You can look at your schedule and say that it's not as strong, but you never know which team is going to be the one that's going to jump up and be the one that much more tougher than they were last year.
Eisen: Remove both your teams' acquisitions now and put them to the side. The most important acquisition, the one that you think is wow that was the best move out there would be?
Arrington: It's got to be Terrell (Owens). People can feel the way they want to feel about him and say the things they want to say about him, but he's a proven playmaker. I've always been one to say if you're going to talk it, at least walk it. If you're not going to back up what you're saying, then please just keep your mouth closed because it doesn't do anything but make you look bad. There's nobody that can say that Terrell Owens doesn't do what he's going to say he's going to do. By far I would imagine he's the biggest pick up. It could be Jevon (Kearse) if he stays healthy. It could be very close.
Dawkins: Wow. I would think it would be two running backs: Clinton Portis and Julius Jones. Jones could come out and give Bill Parcells the type of running game he wants, the one that controls the clock and can eat up the clock running the ball. Whoever's going to be at quarterback they don't have to be winning the game for them. If those two guys can get some ground game going for those two organizations I think they're going to be better off.
Eisen: If I can add my two cents I would go with Joe Gibbs in a way. I still can't believe that he's back.
Arrington: That man has the Midas touch and it seems he still has it. Everything he touches just turns to gold. I'm excited to play for him.
Dawkins: You know what else happens? When you have a guy that has won numerous times and is known for winning, it's just an attitude that he brings and it's completely different. You can totally believe in this guy because you know he got it done at one point so you know what he does, you know, it has some merit to it. Hopefully those guys buy into his system fast. If you buy into his system fast then you're going to move fast.
Eisen: Plus he's replacing a guy like Steve Spurrier. How bad did it get, LaVar?
Arrington: I just think with coach Spurrier we just needed guys to be a little bit more professional, and Steve isn't the type of guy that's going to be very confrontational and be all up in your face and pointing at you and telling you you need to do it a certain way. I think Steve believes that you're a professional, that you're here making money to perform and that's you're responsibility, that's your job. It's your duty to do it and I just don't think that we quite grasped that as a team and it kind of made it an awkward fit for a coach in their first year with the team.
Eisen: And again, that's been rectified
Arrington: I'll tell you what, these coaches from day one have set the tone for how things will be conducted and if you have a problem with it you can take it up with the ownership and go from there. Pretty much you can do it their way or you can hit the highway.
Eisen: Especially since the owner has been dreaming about this since he's been watching football in front of a TV as a kid.
Arrington: This is the final frontier. If coach Gibbs can't do it ... I hate to put this pressure on you, coach, but if coach Gibbs can't do it, I can't see anybody that would be able to do it. I think Joe Gibbs has really done a great job to bring all those doubts and to bring all the questions to ease in players minds.
Eisen: I can't wait.
Arrington: I can't wait. I'm excited because I'm in the division. Obviously all the attention is going to be on us because ... I don't think its hype. I really believe it going to be what people really think it's going to be so I'm excited.
I'll gladly admit that I wouldn't mind seeing Terrell grasp a broken leg in midfield. It would be payback for the star and it would help get rid of the only receiver worth a damn on Philly.
