In the next few weeks, we will be unveiling our all-time Eagles team.
We enlisted the help of Eagles reporters Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro, Quick Slants hosts Derrick Gunn and Barrett Brooks and Quick Slants producer Mike Mulhern for voting.
We asked each person to rank their top five players at 16 different positions. A 1st-place vote was worth five points, a 2nd-place vote was worth four, and so on.
Up today: Tight end
Complete voting:
1. Zach Ertz = 24
2. Pete Retzlaff = 19
NFL
3. Pete Pihos = 14
4. Keith Jackson = 12
5. Bobby Walston = 3
6. Brent Celek = 2
7. Chad Lewis = 1
The breakdown:
Ertz was close to being the unanimous first-place selection but Retzlaff got one first-place vote, which he probably deserved. In fact, tight end is a pretty strong position for the Eagles. The fact that Ertz won out over Retzlaff and Pihos shows just how impressive his career has been. This will be Ertz’s eighth NFL season and he should pass Harold Carmichael for first place all-time in Eagles receptions. He’s an all-time great player and still in his prime, making the last three Pro Bowls.
Did we get it right?
Not a knock on Ertz, but you can certainly make a case for Retzlaff or Pihos to take the top spot. Retzlaff played a decade for the Eagles, making five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. Retzlaff retired as the Eagles’ all-time leader in receptions and yards. He was a member of the 1960 championship team and his No. 44 is one of nine retired numbers in team history.
And Pihos is no slouch either. He was a member on two championship teams and was a six-time All-Pro. He also led the NFL in receptions in three straight seasons from 1953-1955. He’s an Eagles Hall of Fame and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team from the 1940s.
Complete team:
We will fill in the team as we go.
QB: Donovan McNabb
RB: LeSean McCoy
WR: Harold Carmichael
WR: Mike Quick
WR: Tommy McDonald
TE: Zach Ertz
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