About a month ago, Tommy Lawlor with Iggles Blog (and PhiladelphiaEagles.com, and several other places) jumped into the rebuilding debate, or non-debate as it were, seeing as practically everybody else concluded long ago that's the business the Eagles are in these days. His point was that choice in words is usually reserved for when an organization has to blow up what they've got and start over completely.
Basically, just picture the Detroit Lions.
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You can tell we've had it pretty good here for quite awhile when transitions at quarterback and a few other positions cause people to use the same terminology they are in Detroit.
The Lions have won two games over the past two seasons. Nearly every player drafted prior to 2009 is gone. They brought in new talent evaluators and coaches. What they are doing there is purging the entire foundation of the team, and beginning again almost entirely from scratch.
They are rebuilding the roster from the ground up.
On Sunday, the Eagles only started five players who weren't regular contributors last season (or expected to be, in Bradley's case). The coaching staff remained largely the same, and their new general manager was promoted from within the organization. That's called stability.
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The previous offseason saw the Eagles replace two tackles who spent a total of 20 years in midnight green, trade a disgruntled cornerback, and allow one of the most beloved players in franchise history exit via free agency. They finished 11-5 with a trip to the post-season. Was that a rebuilding season?
Change is a continual process in the NFL. It's the teams that don't anticipate change that always wind up rebuilding. The Eagles' front office typically are forward-thinkers, often drafting before a particular position becomes a need. They develop young talent with the goal that it eventually supplants their aging veterans.
Call it rebuilding if you want, but by that definition you could classify almost any season that way, and not just in Philadelphia. The Patriots, Colts, and Steelers all do it the same way. Those teams don't tear down the house every year; they renovate a few rooms at a time.
My timing is a little suspect after the brutal week Kolb had. Nothing will accelerate a rebuilding process faster than problems at quarterback. Still, making the change, and perhaps even suffering through a tough season for it, is nothing compared to the long road back to respectability clubs like the Detroit Lions are facing.
Maybe that's where the Eagles are headed. Right now, there appears to be a solid core in place, and the same cannot be said for the true rebuilding teams in the NFL.