Are we really putting our eggs in Hank's Baskett?

By Steven Lienert

Less than a month before the regular-season opener in Houston, the Eagles will have us believe that Hank Baskett is the answer to our wide-receiver prayers.

Oh...my...God.

Let me get this straight: a guy the Eagles got in a straight-up swap for Billy McMullen has been the Birds best receiver in training camp thus far.

Instead of pressing the panic button and finally admitting that the wide receiver position is in dire straits, the Eagles will have you believe that what they have is perfectly fine to go into the regular season.

According to his bio, Baskett was the University of New Mexico's leading receiver in 2004 and 2005 and earned All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior, posting 67 receptions for 1,071 yds. and nine TDs.

But why wasn't he drafted?

He was signed as a rookie free agent by the Vikings in 2006, which means he's played as many downs in the NFL for as I have.

That hardly sparks confidence in the receiving corps, because if Baskett is the best receiver in camp, it speaks volumes about the Jabar Gaffney's and Greg Lewis's on the team.

Reggie Brown and Gaffney have had a terrible case of the dropsies. Todd Pinkston is cooked; it's obvious he won't be healthy enough to play most of this season. And Darnerien McCants and
Lewis might as well be ball boys, because I hear as much about one group as I do the other. Everyone is else is, well, bad.

Which brings us back to Baskett. The Eagles may be the only team in the NFL where Baskett had a chance to make a splash. Not because of his ability (or lack thereof), but because the receiving corps is that bad.

I never thought I'd type this, but where the hell is Freddie Mitchell? In all honesty, for all his crap, he's better than McCants, Lewis and Baskett. He'd be a decent slot receiver in between Brown and Gaffney.

But the only real answer is to get Jerry Porter from the Raiders. Now that Brodrick Bunkley is in the lineup, the Eagles can afford to part with a defensive lineman, which is a big problem area for Oakland. And don't give me Ashley Lelie -- there's a reason Denver went out and got Javon Walker.

Darwin Walker or Sam Rayburn and a second-round pick should be enough to get the Raiders to bite. And make no mistake, the Eagles will have to overpay. Teams know the Eagles are bent over the barrel when it comes to their receivers.

If Joe Banner and Andy Reid fail to land Porter, they are handcuffing themselves offensively. And Hank Baskett is certainly not the answer, just a reflection of the overall problem.

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