In an article today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jevon Kearse said his rehab is going well and he’s excited to get back on the field.

THIS JUST IN: Jevon Kearse stepped out of his ride at the NovaCare facility and suffered a stress fracture in his foot. He’ll miss the first 6 weeks of the season.

In all seriousness, this is  a guy who Eagles fans were excited about when the Eagles signed him in the offseason before the 2004 season but what kind of production can we really expect from ‘The Freak?’ He’s very much a shadow of the guy he was when he had 14 1/2 sacks in his rookie season but he showed a flash last year when he came out and had 3 1/2 sacks in two games before getting injured.

I think that Kearse could be a very vital part of a rotation at defensive end for the Eagles that could include Trent Cole and Juqua Thomas (sorry Jerome McDougle).

Reading some of what Kearse had to say yesterday, you gotta love his enthusiasm and how ready he is to get back on the field but you have to wonder whether or not he can play a full 16-game season plus the playoffs and how soon it will be before Trent Cole or Juqua Thomas is starting opposite Darren Howard. Staying healthy all year isn’t something The Freak has done since he’s been with the Eagles but boy, they sure need him to.

I love NFL football as much as the next guy. I’m a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan and I’m pretty sure I’m going to die an Eagles fan. I’ve told friends that if I loved any girl half as much as I loved the green and black, then I’d marry her on the spot. But I REFUSE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT SCHEDULES!

If we’ve learned nothing from the NFL in recent years, it’s that anything can happen. The Saints went from one of the most pitiful franchises in the NFL post-Katrina and was one game away from the Super Bowl last year. Anything can happen. Any year could be the year for your team. And that’s what makes the NFL great. So how do you expect me to be able to look at a team’s schedule in APRIL and get excited about, let alone consume hours worth of meaningless speculation about said schedule? Enough is enough.

And then there’s this today in the Philadelphia Daily News, where Hall of Fame coach Don Shula is flabbergasted by “how fans eat up NFL news.” But Don, I don’t need a two-hour special with pyrotechnics and juggling gophers to announce the schedule.  In fact, I’m perfectly with happy to go to the team’s website say in AUGUST and check out who my teams playing in ‘07. I don’t need that information in April. I just don’t.

We love the NFL, don’t make us start hating it.

TAKEO SPIKES IS AN E-A-G-L-E!

Despite the fact that Eagles management has claimed that there’s nothing wrong with the linebacking corps, it appears they were exploring their options and landed two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes for defensive tackle Darwin Walker and a conditional late-round pick in next year’s draft.

Ignoring for a moment the obvious continuing ineptitude of the Bills’ front office, this is a great move for the Eagles. Being a fan, I’ve long complained that the linebacking corps has been the weak link of the defense. The front office still believed in Mark Simoneau  long after fans had given up on him for being too small to stop the run and too slow to be effective in pass coverage. Dhani Jones was kind of a sexy acquisition after the departure of Carlos Emmons to the Giants but as it turns out he dresses much better than he plays. Matt McCoy is a tough player but maybe more of the Larry Izzo mold and is not a starter in this league. The Eagles drafted Chris Gocong last year but I remain skeptical that he can make the jump from college defensive end to NFL linebacker. There are players who have made that jump but the Eagles need to keep in mind that not every player has the ability of Demarcus Ware.

Finally a deal that makes sense. As a fan, I’m worried that they passed on re-upping Donté Stallworth (who may be headed for trouble) to give Kevin Curtis, a lifetime slot receiver, number 1 or number 2 receiver money but this Spikes deal makes all the sense in the world.

If Broderick Bunkley can wake up from his coma and Mike Patterson continues to come on, in addition to the signing of Montae Reagor, Walker becomes obviously expendable. Kelly Holcombe is also a proven backup who can come on if A.J. Feely comes out and stinks on ice.

As an Eagles fan, I applaud this move. We got a great player and didn’t give up our first round pick (which we should use on Reggie Nelson… I’m just saying.. or Aaron Ross). As the friend of a Bills fan, I feel bad… and I’m over it.