Bethlehem, Pa. - Now, he took his skills in South Philly, Nnamdi Asomugha angle background star (Notes) - Award Fast and the Furious, the post-closure of the NFL free-agent class of 2011 - it is the task of stop before: trying to contain the virus hype that precedes the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl-or-bust season.
If the cynics skeptical about franchising is a gust of wind reached acquisitions are looking for an excuse to give a new team the Miami Heat treatment Asomugha, who received the gift of sound-bite from the gods, when a new backup quarterback Vince Young ( notes), a former Tennessee Titans starter wants to download its once promising career, called Dream Team of the Eagles' "in his press conference last month.
Asomugha, Raiders' former All-Pro, which has yet to sample the series after eight NFL campaigns, understand the bad connotations caused by such a statement in 2011, and has no desire to be branded as LeBron James in his sport.
However, he is not opposed to devote a little 'magic and imagine the birds soaring through the rarefied air.
"We are certainly not" The Dream Team, "but we are well and this team could be pretty special," said Asomugha Saturday afternoon after a training-camp practice at Lehigh University. "If you want to talk about the real Dream Team '92 Olympics, would you [tag]. But you do not want [to be associated with] what has happened recently. "
In other words, do not expect to join Asomugha Michael Vick (notes) and DeSean Jackson (notes) to exit from a tunnel filled with smoke, Lincoln Financial Field with "YES WE DID" comes from the Jumbotron.
Try as they might avoid being prematurely anointed - and you better believe that Coach Andy Reid is doing everything possible for his players to stop the spread of the "Dream Team" history - the Eagles' collective sense of optimism seems very appropriate.
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When Vick's spectacular revival, and MVP-caliber 2010 regular season, Philly finished 27 feet away from pulling off the first round playoff victory at Green Bay Packers, to effectively end the Champs Super Bowl toughest test of their feathers.
After the season, in addition to replacing defensive coordinator Sean McDermott Juan Castillo tested the Eagles brought in a couple of coaches in popular position: Jim Washburn (defensive line) and Howard Mudd (Offensive Line), in the late Titans and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. Several players and coaches insisted Eagles camp that has already been a noticeable difference on both sides of the ball.
"One of the opinions expressed during the lock out was that when no one else would have had the opportunity to get better, in fact we have significantly improved our team," Eagles president Joe Banner said Monday. "When Washburn and Howard - and Juan, it still needs to prove it - we've already heard that we had done a very significant movement."
Then last month, the blockade ended, and the general manager of Howie Roseman - performance on a promise to generate some "action" - started busting moves like Young MC.
First Roseman has trade should quart Kevin Kolb (notes) - the presumed successor to last year's Donovan McNabb (notes) before an injury the first game, and Vick is excellence changed the plan - to Cardinals of Arizona in 2012 second-round draft pick and former Pro Bowl corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (notes). Considering that the Eagles had a Pro Bowl corner Asante Samuel (notes), none considered it a serious candidate to sign Asomugha, making it even more shocking when they landed with a five-year, $ 60 and one million deal.
Although Samuel Roseman bought potential suitors - sources said he was asked by a couple of second round in return - the GM said Monday that he was comfortable keeping the three high-profile corner in the list in 2011.
Asomugha is after the signing of the hits kept coming via free agency on what Reid called "the New York Stock Exchange rate." Among the newcomers who may have an immediate impact: Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin (notes), who had 12 ½ sacks in 2010 playing for Washburn, Tennessee, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (notes) (seven sacks in 11 games for the Packers last year), defensive end Anthony Hargrove (notes); tackle Ryan Harris (notes), half-back Ronnie Brown (15,100 yards rushing games in six seasons with the Dolphins), Young, backup tight end Donald Lee (notes) (Packers), and former Giants wideout Steve Smith (107 receptions in 2009).
Apart from that, the Eagles did not really do much to try to improve his team.
"The additions are really important to help us get where we want to go," said the star wideout DeSean Jackson, who skipped the first 11 days of camp because of contract related recalcitrant but returned last week while his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and attempts to develop a banner lucrative extension. "The last few years have we been so close, but we just had a few pieces missing."
Banner said: "We are very, very happy with [free agency]. Frankly, I did better than we expected."
If the Eagles get better offensively, the result could be downright scary. Last year, with a high-powered attack with Jackson, wideout Jeremy Maclin (notes) (it is not yet the practice this summer because of an undisclosed illness), tight end Brent Celek (notes ) and half-back LeShon McCoy, Philly led the league in plays over 20 yards and scoring drives of four plays or less, second in total offense and third points.
"Our attack is great," said Vick. "We just need to find a way to put it together, man."
Defensively, Vick has already noticed a difference, starting with the ability to lock receivers Asomugha.
"It's a hell of an athlete," said Vick 6 feet 2 inches, 210 pounds-. "You do not know what I go through every day in practice against this defense. It's like a game every day . When we played against Baltimore [opens in preaseason last Thursday, a 13-6 victory in Philly], it seemed really game a little slow in comparison. "
Vick is the smooth performance early in the game the Ravens have done nothing to stop the hype machine, although some people in the organization seemed willing to do so during my visit.
Reid: "The reality is that we have here and work. Do not get caught up in labels. The [Dream Team] started with the type of Vince to tell jokes, and people ran with it. But nothing has changed."
Samuel: "Is not no Dream Team, we had a lot of big names of the athletes, but that's all on paper right now .."
Banner: "I'm not even remotely embrace this quote Nothing good can come of it My enthusiasm is high, but I put everything in terms of unfulfilled desires, we won division titles and played in five championship games, but the unmet need ... here is to win a Super Bowl. "
All that ensures that if the Eagles sold out - even if, as the heat 2010-11, finished second - to review the results have been less than dreamy.
"We can be a dream team," Young insisted on Monday that "if we are working."
Vick, for example, you can close your eyes and imagine a positive outcome. "Vince made the comment that we are a dream team - hey, we try to live with those standards," said "We know what we have here, and we feel we must do a good drive .. we all believe. This is the key."
Now, like Magic, Bird, Air Jordan & Co. for nearly two decades, it's time for Eagles to go for the gold.
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