When Jevon Kearse signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, owner Jeffrey Lurie called Kearse “truly one of the best players in the National Football League.” Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid called the signing of Kearse “a slam dunk for our side.” As Josh Barnett of Philly.com put it, “It’s probably safe to say they envisioned more than the 22 sacks Kearse recorded with the team.” Even more, they probably did not envision that Kearse would be blaming the Eagles’ defensive scheme for his four lackluster years.

According to an article in the Tennessean by staff writer Paul Kuharsky, Kearse doesn’t think he’s any different then he was the last time he played for the Titans. “I’m still the same player, but that scheme up in Philly was different. All I’ve got to say is proof is in the pudding, so I can’t even talk about it. Just watch and see.”

Even more ridiculous is the idea that Kearse has become something of a running joke here in the City of Brotherly Love. According to Titans’ defensive line coach Jim Washburn, “I think he sort of realizes it wasn’t for the money as much as it was to sort of restore his name a little bit. He’s a punch line of some jokes. In Philadelphia, he’s a joke. I still think he has some ability if he can stay healthy. ”

I don’t know of any jokes about Kearse. All I know is that he was a complete let down for the Eagles. This was largely due to his inability to stay healthy. I think the real joke here is that it was Jim Johnson’s defense that is to blame for his decline, not his fragile body. His only good year in Philly was 2004, despite not being as good a year as was expected out of him. He notched 7 1/2 sacks and put pressure on opposing teams’ quarterbacks, and the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. The next year he again made 7 1/2 sacks, but he did not look as good. In 2006 he looked like he finally made the turn, getting 3 1/2 sacks in the first two games. However, he tore up his knee before the end of the second game and was out for the rest of the season. Last year he played in 14 games, but still only managed 3 1/2 sacks. His time here was not bad, but was a definitive letdown for a player as highly tauted as Kearse.

There is some speculation that Kearse is reacting to comments made recently by Johnson. “Yeah, I think it’s been a good offseason. If you get Asante and Chris Clemons, those are two playmakers,” Johnson said. “I told our defense that we are on a three-game winning streak. We beat Dallas and New Orleans on the road and Buffalo here, and we didn’t really lose any players. We picked up some more players and had a good draft with what we wanted draft-wise, so you feel good and you feel positive.”

Most likely Kearse is just upset that he did not live up to expectations in Philly and is looking to clear his name. “Back in ‘99 I had a chip on my shoulder,” Kearse said. “Ten years later, that chip’s turned into a boulder. So now I’ve got a boulder on my shoulder.”

Like he said, the proof is in the pudding. And we will wait and see.