Michael Irvin wants to be a homer. But he also knows when he’s talking to a home audience.
During an appearance on Philadelphia’s WPEN, the Cowboys Hall of Fame wide receiver declared the Eagles the favorites in the NFC East, primarily because of the relative strengths of their respective running back positions.
“Philly is the favorite in the NFC East,” Irvin said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You have to be able to, and it’s a difficult thing, to separate my head from my heart. You cannot tell me and you’ can’t convince me that you can just stick anybody back there.
“And if they [the Cowboys] had drafted a Melvin Gordon, or drafted a [Todd] Gurley, then, I’d go, ‘wait a minute, wait a minute, this might be something.’ But with Darren McFadden, and he may have some great things going, but right now I would take Philly, and then Dallas in the NFC East.”
Of course, the Cowboys are also stronger in other areas of the roster than the Eagles, Irvin is putting a lot of emphasis on how much the Cowboys will miss DeMarco Murray.
“What did I do to you, man? Why do you want to rub salt in that wound I have right there?” he asked the host. “Listen, I’m just, I’m telling y’all, now listen to me, I’m just getting over the depression of losing DeMarco Murray. I’m just coming out of the depression and I really thought, and felt like I was in a depress-ious state. I want to upchuck sometimes when I hear the thoughts of others as they speak on things around the league. ‘Oh you can put any running back behind that offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys.’ I say, ‘Oh really? Why they hand the ball to DeMarco Murray 392 times? Why did they stick anybody back there last year?’ Because they already knew that’s not the case.
“I’ve said this and I’ll say this now. Philadelphia upgraded immensely in that department.”
While his prediction might not play as well in his old home, the priority Irvin’s putting on the running game also doesn’t match up with Jerry Jones’ this offseason.