The time has come. After roughly two years filled with injuries, inconsistency, and debate, the Eagles have made a big decision and executed what was somewhat of a predictable, yet impacting move nonetheless: offensive lineman Shawn Andrews has been released. In spite of signs early in his career that pointed to a lengthy, successful, and dominant tenure in the NFL, the blocker struggled with personal issues and recurring physical pain over the last few seasons, and finally reached the end of his short-lived stint in midnight green that not too long ago was projected to be magnificent.

Originally selected in the 1st-round of the 2004 Draft, Andrews (pictured) became a fan favorite in his first few seasons as an Eagle. A massive figure on the field at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds, the Arkansas product demonstrated many glimpses of quality play in practice and games. After missing nearly his entire rookie campaign because of a broken leg, the Guard returned in ‘05 as a top-tier lineman. He earned a Pro-Bowl appearance and went on to assist RB Brian Westbrook gain over 1,000 yards on the ground in the coming years. His excellent blocking also helped Donovan McNabb achieve great measures at the QB position, and he benefited in the team’s ability to allow a low number of sacks. Andrews also went to the Pro-Bowl in 2007, and seemed to be on his way to sure stardom when he received a contract extension from the Eagles that was set to keep him in Philly until 2015. However, a sudden bout with depression emerged into his life, and multiple injuries began to sideline him for extensive periods of time. He played in only two games in 2008, and missed all of them in ‘09 after being placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve list.

Despite a load of potential and the distinct possibility that he could have returned in 2010 in a dominant form once again, Andrews clearly had not done enough this offseason and during the 2009 campaign to convince the organization that he can still be of assistance. Therefore, he was cut in a transaction that was both somewhat projected and also a bit of a shock, considering his high status around the league and early-career achievements. Money may have also played a big factor in his release, for Andrews was among the top recipients of salary space. His long-term contracts surely made up a good chunk of the team’s financial pool.

Shawn’s older brother Stacy was brought onto the team last offseason via free agency, and it was hoped that he could play many years alongside his sibling. However, that clearly will not happen (barring the extremely slight chance Shawn returns to the team at some other point in time). Stacy is likely to remain an Eagle, though, as he agreed to restructure his contract earlier in the offseason so that some money would be freed up and his lack of production in 2009 would be payed for, in a way.

The Bengals were among several teams mentioned as potential landing spots for Andrews, and the SB Nation internet affiliate of the team even considered the possibility.

“We appreciate the efforts and contributions of Shawn while he was in Philadelphia,” head coach Andy Reid said. “We have, however, decided to move in another direction.” That other direction Reid mentioned is believed to involve Winston Justice, a 4-year veteran Tackle who made played in Andrews’ position for the entire ‘09 season, and performed quite well. In fact, he received a new deal as a result of his success, and was–even before the season came to a close–expected to take over a leading spot on the offensive line.

(picture source)


Categories :


Tags: ,

0 Comments

Dear Guest, please login to comment

Login with BlitzNation account

Create New Account | Forgot password?

OR login with Facebook


Please keep the comments clean by not posting advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks. Terms of Use.

Popular Blog Posts

Most Commented Posts

Newsletter

Categories


Archives



Follow Us


Tips

We love to hear from our users! Let us know what you'd like us to write about at tips@blitznation.com.

Contests

Current: Coming Soon!

Past: Madden 2010 Video Game or Game Controllers

About BlitzNation

BlitzNation is a community for passionate NFL fans from all across the nation, sharing their love of football with other die hard football fans. We'll cover every angle of the game, from the start of kickoff till the final whistle, all from a fan's perspective.