Why bother?

By Steven Lienert

ESPN recently came out with its annual summer filler, which was dubbed the Ultimate NFL Depth Chart. According to this, Eagles fans are in for yet another long, frustrating season.

The so-called experts, which for some strange reason didn't include Merrill Hodge, ranked the Eagles as the 23rd best team in the NFL, just ahead of the Houston Texans.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Sure, some Canadian Football League teams have better receiving corps and the running game is lacking that bruising-back that will pound out the tough yards. But ranking both positions 31st out of 32 teams? The pass defense was ranked no better than 15th, while the run defense came in at No. 24.

Is it really that bad?

If so, when is it okay to start pointing the finger at Big Red?

I mean, something has to give here, right?

Either ESPN is completely out of whack with its prognostication, or the Eagles really are no better than the 23rd best team in the entire National Football League.

If the Eagles have fallen that far, there really is just one guy to blame: Andy Reid.

Stubbornly, he has not replaced Terrell Owens. For all the problems T.O. brought with him, he undeniably made the Philadelphia Eagles a better team on the field. The team has reverted back to a No. 1 receiver by committee offense -- which is okay, as long as you don't run into Ricky Manning Jr. in the playoffs.

As far as the running back situation is concerned, I'm guessing that Reid and the Birds are taking a wait-and-see attitude regarding Correll Buckhalter, which is why the team hasn't inked a reliable veteran like Stephen Davis. Either that or Bruce Perry really did show them something in his audition at the end of last season. And the lack of depth behind Brian Westbrook is quite disturbing.

But that kind of thing can be said about almost every NFL team. If Drew Bledsoe gets hurt, the Cowboys suddenly look a lot like last year's Eagles. The same thing with Mark Brunell down in D.C. And how much longer can Tiki Barber carry the Giants' offense?

As a fan that bleeds green, I'd like to think that ESPN is off its collective rocker.

For one, the NFL has taught us to forget everything we know entering a season. For example, entering training camp last year, there was no doubt the Eagles were a playoff team. Yet we know how all that worked out.

Secondly, the pass defense will be markedly improved IF (and it's a big if) Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson can get some push in the middle of the defensive line. That'll free up Jevon Kearse and Darren Howard, one of whom most certainly will end up with double-digit sacks in 2006.

The presence of Bunkley should help bolster the run defense as well. Bunkley routinely got penetration at Florida State, wreaking havoc in the opposition's backfield. While that will be tougher to do in the NFL, at worst he'll occupy a blocker that would have gotten in Jeremiah Trotter's way.

Third, the only real hole in the Eagles defense is at outside linebacker. Shawn Barber is a definite upgrade, considering he stays healthy. And I'm excited to see what Chris Gocong brings to the table. If Gocong is the real deal or the bow-tie guy (Dhani Jones) decides to hold off on his career in fashion, the Birds' defense might not give up more than 20 points per game.

Offensively, Jabar Gaffney, Reggie Brown and a healthy Todd Pinkston may not keep defensive coordinators up at night, but they are better than anything the Eagles had prior to T.O.'s arrival. To steal a line from Major League, "These guys might not be that freakin' bad."

Both lines have depth, the quarterback is returning healthy and, presumably, with a chip on his shoulder. I think the team wants to show that it is better than its record indicated.

The Eagles should contend for the division crown. They are much better than ESPN gives them credit for -- there's no way they'll repeat their 6-10 debacle.

But if they do, the onus falls directly on Andy Reid.

Steve Lienert can be reached at stevelienert@hotmail.com or at stevel@phillysportsline.com


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