Anyone who thinks the Eagles are the Gold Standard and one of the more classy organizations in the NFL better run that by former Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver.
Weaver found out he was cut Thursday night, from a reporter. “The kicker behind that is the organization didn’t call me. I had to find out by a reporter.” Weaver Tweeted. “ Now I have mixed feelings about that because I gave everything I had to the organization, and I would think they would at least call…”
Weaver, who suffered a torn ACL last September, was expected to need at least nine months to recover. The Eagles decision to cut a recovering Weaver is exactly why fans should not blame Desean Jackson for holding out and demanding to be paid.
At the time of Weaver’s injury the Eagles were more than happy with the fullback, one knee injury later he is tossed to the dumpster like yesterday’s trash.
As a player I’d never turn my back on them and no, I don’t blame Jackson. I question if his strategy is best for him but, it’s clear that players can’t trust the Eagles any more than any other team.
He failed his Physical, how can you expect to be on any teams active roster if you can’t pass a Physical.. Everyone has known for the last 4 months that will his multiple surgeries and nerve damage to that knee that the likliehood that he would be able to return to a football field were slim to none.. It is a shame though not to be told by your Coach/GM face to face ..Wish him the best and I hope he saved a lot of $$$ from his big signing Bonus he received when he signed that overvalued contract last year.. Hope he can hook up as a Coach in Training to remain with the Orgainzation but if this is how it went down, than that’s very unlikely…
What ever gave you the impression or idea that the Eagles are a classy organization? Money and financial success doesn’t = class. None of the powers to be can be considered to be classy other than in their own mutual admiration society. When I see Banner, I see a rat A man who mocked a fan on the Eskin show. When I see Lourie I see a guy who looks like one of the Marx Bros with that rediculous half a head of teased hair. When i see Reid I see a pompous glutton who was absolutely rude to a friend of mine who was offering him and the team hospitality and when I hear Roseman speak I hear a girly- man.
Jerry, quite possibly the least balanced article I have ever seen disguised as journalism. You have no clue what happened other than a cut player’s version of the situation. For all you know they called him 15 times today and he dropped his phone in a port-a-john yesterday. There are a million things that could have happened. You are supposed to be a reporter, go uncover some actual facts, and report them. Did somebody in the Eagles FO screw up and not make a call they were supposed to make? Was the list of cut players leaked out before the team had time to get in touch with everybody on it? Did the list come from the Eagles or the league? It was hardly “one knee injury”. He shredded every bit of connective tissue in that leg, why in the world would the team keep him? He signed a really decent deal just last year, he got paid plenty from it. No team in the league would have kept paying his salary if it counted against the cap and he is never, ever going to have any shot at all of ever putting on a uniform again.
anderson – The team and ideally the coach you played for should give you the professional courtesy of telling you your no longer a member of the organization. Professionalism engenders trust. Frankly, over the years, there have been many stories regarding the Eagles not treating their players with professional courtesy so this story is not out of character or out of left field.
Ok, what stories? Name names, dates, actions, etc
I bet his “slave” comments had something to do with it…
That’s ridiculous Jon S,
The man cannot pass a basic Physical to play Football anymore..Anyone who knows his injury situation knew that he would not be able to play in 2011 ,(outside of a miracle) and that his furture career was in serious jeopardy, this is not news even to the casual fan.. 3 Surgeries on that knee in 4 months, nerve damage, the perfoming surgeon (whose name escapes me) stated that in his almost 20 + Years of perfoming knee surgeries on countless athletes, that L Weaver’s Ligaments,Cartilidge,Tendon damage was the worst he ever seen in his Medical Career.. He has had subsequent Nerve Damage as a result of these surgeries and damage which could lead to oesteoarthritis which would severely limit any athletic,physical activity, let alone being a Professional Football Player..
Anderson he didnt slant the article, what is false? its the 21st century how do you not get a hold of a player before cutting him?
Weaver said he was cut foudn out from a reporter – True
Weaver tweeted a quote – true
Desean Jackson should hold out in case of injury, weaver is the example – also – true
Not telling a respected veteran he is cut is classless – true
What probally happened is they told the media then Weaver which is classless!
Pman – I agree weaver being cut, not news, the way he found out is news, because it is telling how this organization operates…Andy Reid goes to pressers and is Mr. cant tell you this or that becuz of the player’s interest and then he is too busy to let a guy know he is cut?
Did he call the Eagles for a comment? Would anybody at the Eagles even take his call? Has he spoken to Weaver personally? Is this normal procedure for players who fail there medical exams? Who released the news? Has the eagles organization made an apology for an oversight or a mistake? Was his agent informed? Who is responsible for initial communication with injured/waived players? He has one person’s tweet, nothing else. If I got him on the stand I’d rip him apart, nothing he would say would ever be admitted as evidence. He has a tweet, nothing else, and with nothing else, it is heresay at best.
On the stand??? HAHAHAHAHAHA you clown…He reported Leonard Weaver tweeted he found out he was cut by a reporter… that’s the story! Oh god, please…go watch a UFC fight or somthing or an episode of Law and Order…ESPN uses people’s tweets and makes stories out of them everyday, christ…that’s all the NFL lockout was players tweets…get a clue..
The guy may not ever play again, who cares. I agree they should have called him, but didn’t he see this coming? Who cares get over it & go away.
Fast food journalism,
Weaver should have been told, but like Anderson said how do we know what the timeline is here. Lets say snoopy report skimming the team finds out and tweets before the Eagles can officially make proper face to face.
Like Anderson, I also would like to have names and whens, of the Eagles not being classy. Okay how about keeper buck around when most teams would have given up, or Victor, or that DE that was, stabbed etc.
Listen we know that the Eagles are corporate cold at times, but Reid has shown the love more than most coach front office men.
What I see is a few fan basers who love to hate. Now if this story is true, then I am saying here forthright that I am insanely upset with the Eagles for their actions upon a player that laid it down for them. And you other guys are right DJax needs to take care of himself and business, and not be open to cold corporatism.
Not disagreeing with you other guys, just a different point of view, for you to view. No I will not be dominated by a single post, and how do I know that the qoutes of Weaver are even correct.
Anyway just in case for this time there will be no “Long Liv………. noop not this time, bad Eagles, baaaaaad.
DJax Relax….don’t even walk in the pool until they pay the maximum of Shekels…We’re with you.. These guys traded away a nice sized contract in Kolb abd got in return a corner that’s due to make 950,000 this season….They signed Babin who is getting 6 million guaranteed on a 5 year deal that say 26 million but anyone with eyes know it’s a 3 year deal if he’s lucky.
This is what they are selling as a big splash in Free Agency.
DJax hold out buddy ..we are behind you 100%
Let’s see if they actually get Tullock who will demand a real contract.
not cool
Songs, Nice contract in Kolb? Kolb was making a little more than what DRC will be getting….Kolb’s pay day year was 2010 for the Eagles…His contract really had no impact on what happens with DJAX…
Isn’t it possible that the Eagles called him and he wasn’t picking up his phone so they left a message – but then the news leaked? That’s what I heard and it would point to an unfortunate situation but none that indicates any lack of class or disrespect.
Was there any time constraints such that they had to cut him before they had a face to face meeting with him? If not there is no excuse for this, completely low class and the eagles fo and reid deserve all the bad publicity.
According to the eagles – two employees contacted Weaver and informed him – Philly.com could not get a hold of Weaver to confirm or deny the report that the Eagles did in fact inform him a head of time –
had a friend I played with in college have a knee injury like Weaver had (his was worse – happened on MNF) that Weaver got released should be of no shock to him, he won’t play football again. He had a great year for the Eagles and signed biggest contract for a fullback ever – and then got hurt – loose-loose for everybody.
Monoliths – some good points – the original ‘Gold Standard’ comment was not about the team – it was about the large number of civic projects that the organization is involved with – the Eagles I think were only one of 6 teams that did not cut staff or salaries during the strike – try to look at the whole body of work – the stories when Andy Ried sat and cried with Trotter when he cut him – the fact Ried called Trotter the Redskin when he blew his knee out.
Maybe Weaver thought he was going to get another year on the IR or PUP to try and make it back –
Dude should have known he was no longer an NFL player let alone an Eagle as soon as the Dr. told him his knee was shredded cheese…This is Business it aint personal…You guys act like he showed up for training camp and couldn’t get pass the security…LOL
you guys are missing the pont here, weaver was a story, from the horrific injury, 1st game of season, to the rehab process, he is a good guy, a favorite of the town on some levels, and if this fo is the gold standard they should have handled this one differently, no leak of any kind until someone spoke with him, preferably reid, face to face, that’s the gold standard
Monolith – I agree with your comments and a little bit of Anderson Silva’s comments. Commonsense thinking because we really don’t know all of the parameters surrounding what really happened outside of weavers tweet; though I believe the Organization is a corporate money hungry giant that will cut you at the knees (no pun intended) if you don’t perform whether on the field or in the office.
Hold out DJAX for your money buddy – The need to Pay da Man now.
jakedog – no leak of any kind until – your saying that you think the Eagles either leaked it intentionally or had complete control over potential leaks – that’s crazy! A ‘leak’ is by definition info that comes out before the team wants it too. To suggest that this was intentional or that they made a concious decision not to put any effort into letting Weaver know is wrong. You’re comments show that you’re just trying to fit this into your perception of the the FO as being bad.
I have absolutley no problem with Weaver being cut. Especially knowing his health condition. This is the NFL. IMO, the onus is on the Eagles for not telling him directly BEFORE the information became public and this is IMO unprofessional. Thats all. I’m not an Eagles hater. In fact, I’ve been a big fan since the mid 70’s and if I weren’t a fan I sure as sh&% wouldn’t spend any time on Eagles sites like this!. IMO being a fan doesn’t mean that I agree with everything they do or how they do it unlike other fans that trust and believe everything the Eagles FO as true and filled with goodliness and wholesomeness…
MTC – Points taken. But if circumstances make it difficult to reach him and they expend all their efforts, which it sounds like they did, then it’s possible that this was inevitable. I just don’t think placing blame and accusations of classlessness/unprofessionalism are entirely fair here.
schill – I hear ya and it’s nice when some leave room for differences of opinion without requiring a deposition, documentation and legal representation. Boy, wouldn’t this site be boring as hell if we all agreed!
you don’t cut the man til you talk to the man. period.
mtc – ha, one thing is for sure – anyone calling this site boring is a MORON
You have 5 messages:
Beep – Hello, Mr Weaver, Hi Justin here from the Eagles FO. I am calling to try and schedule you an appointement with Coach Ried.
Beep – Hello Mr Weaver, Hi Tina from the Eagles – are you available today at 3pm to meet with Coach Ried
Beep – Hello Mr Weaver – Hi, Justin calling again, Coach Ried would really like to talk to you some time today. If you could get back to me, I would appreciate that very much
Beep – Hello Mr Weaver – Coach Ried has been trying to contact you. Please all us when you can
Beep – Weavs – Coach Ried here, hey, wanted to talk with you in person but I guess your cell phone in the whirlpool during your last rehab. List of cuts is going to come out in about an hour and we are going to have to let you go – sorry.
Weavs – Damn – left my cell phone back at the house. Let’s see – rehab, the gym, hit the grocery store – what excuse me what – the Eagles cut me – bastards didn’t say a word to me!!!! That sucks –
Gents – I am out for the week – off to the sunny beaches of Wakiki Hawaii for the next week – enjoy
This site is anything but boring. The hysterics alone, is worth the price of admission, & makes my day.
NAVY, you bastard, WAIKIKI, really? You suck! NAH, enjoy dude.
Navy – haha, enjoy the South Pacific man!