By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine
Despite a front office that thinks otherwise, the Philadelphia Eagles have significant holes. The Birds certainly don't look like a Super Bowl team and if they toiled in the AFC, "Destination Glendale" would be but a dream.
Luckily the Eagles play in the woeful NFC, where they are a serious contender to play the role of Washington Generals in the big game. Granted, most feel the Birds are still looking up at the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints but it's not like those teams can't be caught.
Last year's Super Bowl sacrificial lamb, the Bears, may have been the worst big game team in history and will still be lining up with the awful Rex Grossman under center each and every week.
Meanwhile, the Saints are a good young team but won't sneak up on anybody this season. People now have a feel for Sean Payton and some think Drew Brees, who is coming off a rather serious injury, had a career year and will not be able to duplicate it. That leaves the door open for the Birds.
Of course, things haven't exactly been all roses for the Eagles this offseason. It all began badly as the team seemed caught up in protecting the ever thin-skinned Donovan McNabb on one front and Andy Reid's family travails on another.
The Eagles let the popular Jeff Garcia walk to placate DMac and gave Reid a leave of absence to deal with his embarrassing offspring. Then, Reid pulled a 180 and seemed to tire of the high-maintenance McNabb, drafting his successor in Kevin Kolb. That forced No. 5 to break free from the flock and began speaking out on his own with the help of ex-Eagles hatchet man Rich Burg.
Now, as training camp is set to begin, Garrett and Brit Reid are back in play and Daddy Dearest will at some point be forced to answer questions about drugs, guns and violence in his own family.
That's the backdrop as the Eagles soar to Lehigh. And here's The Phanatic Magazine's position-by-position analysis of the Eagles on the field:
Quarterback: The Eagles extended A.J. Feeley, drafted Kolb and waived goodbye to one of the league's best backups in Garcia. None of this will come into play if McNabb can recover from his ACL injury and play the entire season. But, if McNabb goes down again, Feeley will get the snaps, the season will be over and Reid will groom Kolb to take over in 2008. The Eagles will likely treat DMac with kid gloves in Lehigh and the preseason to make sure he's ready for the September 9 opener against Green Bay.
Kelly Holcomb is also around as insurance in case McNabb struggles to return. If Donovan is ready to go, look for the Birds to try and get a late-round draft choice for Holcomb from former Reid lackey Brad Childress in Minnesota.
Running back: Despite persistent questions regarding durability, BrianWestbrook finally proved he could carry the load and be the focal point of theEagles offense. While obtuse observers asked McNabb or Garcia last year -- astute fans knew the real question should have been McNabb or Westbrook? Even with the success of similar sized backs like Tiki Barber and Warrick Dunn, the Eagles never gave Westbrook a chance to be the focal point thanks to Reid's obsession with the pass. But, without McNabb, Reid had to temper his game plans and put the focus on Westbrook and things worked beautifully. Hopefully, Big Red recognized that and will keep some balance in the offense with DMac back in the huddle.
Correll Buckhalter actually stayed healthy and did a solid job as the No. 2 back last year but still has the history of severe knee problems so the Eagles drafted Tony Hunt of Penn State. Hunt looks the part and is the big back fans have begged for. That said, he was an underachiever in college and won't see the field unless Buck goes down. Ryan Moats will also return but has not shown the aptitude to be a significant contributor in a complex offense.
Wide receiver: Fans and media alike developed quite the man crush on Donte Stallworth last season but you can't question the Eagles' reluctance to get in a bidding war for a guy who was nicknamed "Street Clothes" by the New Orleans media. Stallworth did little to change his reputation in Philly last season. No one questions his ability but you can't pay a guy like a No. 1 receiver if he is going to miss games on a consistent basis. To replace Stallworth, the Eagles signed Kevin Curtis and despite the local media's uneducated stance, Curtis is actually faster than Stallworth but he doesn't have the size or strength to be a No.1 option in the West Coast offense. So, it will be Reggie Brown's job to keep improving and develop into the top option and the former Georgia star looks like he will eventually get there.
The Eagles have gone out of their way to talk up Hank Baskett and Jason Avant and both have above average hands but lack the deep speed to stretch an NFL defense.
Tight end: It's time to admit L.J. Smith is what he is. An average blocker who is a solid receiving threat that will always drop a few more than you would like. Matt Schobel struggled in his first year in Philly and the team expects more consistency this season. Rookie Brent Celek, a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, looks like a good developmental prospect and should be the third tight end.
Offensive line: The offensive line played great for the Eagles down the stretch but is a little overrated in this town. Shawn Andrews is the one guy who is not overrated. The former Arkansas star is just a tad behind SteveHutchinson in the race for best guard in the game. Jon Runyan and WilliamThomas are both aging on the outside and Jamaal Jackson and Todd Herremans are a tad overvalued in the interior. While, the Eagles have reinforcements on hand with nice pedigrees in second-year players Winston Justice and Max Jean-Gilles, they didn't get on the field last season and there is no guarantee they will be able to step in if needed. I'm surprised a veteran swingman with the ability to play multiple positions was not signed but the Eagles also like Scott Young and Nick Cole.
Defensive line: The Eagles sport impressive depth here but the starters need to stand out more. The team had too much invested in defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley to give up on, so the two underachievers will get every opportunity to play significant snaps. That said, you can tell "BigRed" isn't exactly overflowing with confidence on that happening and signed veterans Montae Reagor and Ian Scott as insurance policies. Reagor is coming back from a serious car accident and is more of a movement like tackle with some pass rushing skills. Scott started in the Super Bowl for the Bears last year and is strictly a run-stuffer. LaJuan Ramsey is also back giving the Eagles excellent depth inside.
Meanwhile, the Birds seem happy with their defensive ends. They re-signed Juqua Thomas to be a member of a four-man rotation that will include Trent Cole, Darren Howard and a returning Jevon Kearse. The key here is the health of Kearse and Howard. Cole is an excellent situational player but gets exposed with too many snaps and Thomas looks like he is cut from the same cloth. Second-round pick Victor Abiamiri is also on hand if Kearse or Howard get banged up. The problem here is that the 10th guy on the Eagles defensive line may be just as good as the first. Somebody needs to step it up and stand out.
Linebacker: This has been the Eagles weakness for years and they finally addressed the situation by acquiring Takeo Spikes and drafting Stewart Bradley. Part of the problem here is philosophy. The NFL has become more and more specialized and the Birds have fought against the tide at this position. Instead of embracing a one-dimensional player that excels at pass-rushing or as a run-stopper, the Eagles expected their linebackers to be well-rounded guys that did all three things (stuff the run, cover and blitz). The results were mediocre guys that were average to below-average at all three skills.
The Eagles would like Chris Gocong to win the strong-side job and for Spikes to take over on the weakside but Gocong looked lost during last year's training camp trying to make the switch from small college defensive end to linebacker. He was so bad the Eagles shut him down for the season after he suffered stinger problems in the preseason and it's laughable to think he learned the position by osmosis. By two weeks into training camp, expect Omar Gaither to be entrenched on the weakside, Spikes to move over to the SAM spot and Jeremiah Trotter to handle the middle. Luckily for the Birds, Spikes is a rock-solid veteran who can play any of the linebacking positions.
Bradley will join Gocong and fan punching bag Matt McCoy as depth. Trotter has balky knees and is on his last legs in the middle but has lost weight and the Eagles hope he to get one more productive year from the former star.
Secondary: The starters are fine, save Sean Considine, but the Eagles need to alleviate some serious depth problems since they lost both safety Michael Lewis and cornerback Rod Hood in free agency. At safety, Brian Dawkins' next stop will be the Hall of Fame but Considine is too undersized to be a stalwart. The Eagles brought back special teams standout Quintin Mikell, who may push Considine.
Jim Johnson has given some lip service to replacing Sheldon Brown with Will James but that is likely just a ploy to light a fire under Brown, a player that underachieved last season. Lito Sheppard is a Pro Bowl level player at the other corner. James should settle in to the nickel spot while rookie Rashad Barksdale and Dustin Fox, a former third-round pick with the Vikings, will push the shaky Joselio Hanson for the dime spot.
Special Teams: David Akers is as good as it gets but the Birds can't keep bringing Koy Detmer back to make him feel good. Dirk Johnson never regained his past form after a sports hernia problem and had a so-so year at punter so the Eagles brought in Australian Rules football player Saverio Rocca as competition.
The Phanatic Magazine
Despite a front office that thinks otherwise, the Philadelphia Eagles have significant holes. The Birds certainly don't look like a Super Bowl team and if they toiled in the AFC, "Destination Glendale" would be but a dream.
Luckily the Eagles play in the woeful NFC, where they are a serious contender to play the role of Washington Generals in the big game. Granted, most feel the Birds are still looking up at the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints but it's not like those teams can't be caught.
Last year's Super Bowl sacrificial lamb, the Bears, may have been the worst big game team in history and will still be lining up with the awful Rex Grossman under center each and every week.
Meanwhile, the Saints are a good young team but won't sneak up on anybody this season. People now have a feel for Sean Payton and some think Drew Brees, who is coming off a rather serious injury, had a career year and will not be able to duplicate it. That leaves the door open for the Birds.
Of course, things haven't exactly been all roses for the Eagles this offseason. It all began badly as the team seemed caught up in protecting the ever thin-skinned Donovan McNabb on one front and Andy Reid's family travails on another.
The Eagles let the popular Jeff Garcia walk to placate DMac and gave Reid a leave of absence to deal with his embarrassing offspring. Then, Reid pulled a 180 and seemed to tire of the high-maintenance McNabb, drafting his successor in Kevin Kolb. That forced No. 5 to break free from the flock and began speaking out on his own with the help of ex-Eagles hatchet man Rich Burg.
Now, as training camp is set to begin, Garrett and Brit Reid are back in play and Daddy Dearest will at some point be forced to answer questions about drugs, guns and violence in his own family.
That's the backdrop as the Eagles soar to Lehigh. And here's The Phanatic Magazine's position-by-position analysis of the Eagles on the field:
Quarterback: The Eagles extended A.J. Feeley, drafted Kolb and waived goodbye to one of the league's best backups in Garcia. None of this will come into play if McNabb can recover from his ACL injury and play the entire season. But, if McNabb goes down again, Feeley will get the snaps, the season will be over and Reid will groom Kolb to take over in 2008. The Eagles will likely treat DMac with kid gloves in Lehigh and the preseason to make sure he's ready for the September 9 opener against Green Bay.
Kelly Holcomb is also around as insurance in case McNabb struggles to return. If Donovan is ready to go, look for the Birds to try and get a late-round draft choice for Holcomb from former Reid lackey Brad Childress in Minnesota.
Running back: Despite persistent questions regarding durability, BrianWestbrook finally proved he could carry the load and be the focal point of theEagles offense. While obtuse observers asked McNabb or Garcia last year -- astute fans knew the real question should have been McNabb or Westbrook? Even with the success of similar sized backs like Tiki Barber and Warrick Dunn, the Eagles never gave Westbrook a chance to be the focal point thanks to Reid's obsession with the pass. But, without McNabb, Reid had to temper his game plans and put the focus on Westbrook and things worked beautifully. Hopefully, Big Red recognized that and will keep some balance in the offense with DMac back in the huddle.
Correll Buckhalter actually stayed healthy and did a solid job as the No. 2 back last year but still has the history of severe knee problems so the Eagles drafted Tony Hunt of Penn State. Hunt looks the part and is the big back fans have begged for. That said, he was an underachiever in college and won't see the field unless Buck goes down. Ryan Moats will also return but has not shown the aptitude to be a significant contributor in a complex offense.
Wide receiver: Fans and media alike developed quite the man crush on Donte Stallworth last season but you can't question the Eagles' reluctance to get in a bidding war for a guy who was nicknamed "Street Clothes" by the New Orleans media. Stallworth did little to change his reputation in Philly last season. No one questions his ability but you can't pay a guy like a No. 1 receiver if he is going to miss games on a consistent basis. To replace Stallworth, the Eagles signed Kevin Curtis and despite the local media's uneducated stance, Curtis is actually faster than Stallworth but he doesn't have the size or strength to be a No.1 option in the West Coast offense. So, it will be Reggie Brown's job to keep improving and develop into the top option and the former Georgia star looks like he will eventually get there.
The Eagles have gone out of their way to talk up Hank Baskett and Jason Avant and both have above average hands but lack the deep speed to stretch an NFL defense.
Tight end: It's time to admit L.J. Smith is what he is. An average blocker who is a solid receiving threat that will always drop a few more than you would like. Matt Schobel struggled in his first year in Philly and the team expects more consistency this season. Rookie Brent Celek, a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, looks like a good developmental prospect and should be the third tight end.
Offensive line: The offensive line played great for the Eagles down the stretch but is a little overrated in this town. Shawn Andrews is the one guy who is not overrated. The former Arkansas star is just a tad behind SteveHutchinson in the race for best guard in the game. Jon Runyan and WilliamThomas are both aging on the outside and Jamaal Jackson and Todd Herremans are a tad overvalued in the interior. While, the Eagles have reinforcements on hand with nice pedigrees in second-year players Winston Justice and Max Jean-Gilles, they didn't get on the field last season and there is no guarantee they will be able to step in if needed. I'm surprised a veteran swingman with the ability to play multiple positions was not signed but the Eagles also like Scott Young and Nick Cole.
Defensive line: The Eagles sport impressive depth here but the starters need to stand out more. The team had too much invested in defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley to give up on, so the two underachievers will get every opportunity to play significant snaps. That said, you can tell "BigRed" isn't exactly overflowing with confidence on that happening and signed veterans Montae Reagor and Ian Scott as insurance policies. Reagor is coming back from a serious car accident and is more of a movement like tackle with some pass rushing skills. Scott started in the Super Bowl for the Bears last year and is strictly a run-stuffer. LaJuan Ramsey is also back giving the Eagles excellent depth inside.
Meanwhile, the Birds seem happy with their defensive ends. They re-signed Juqua Thomas to be a member of a four-man rotation that will include Trent Cole, Darren Howard and a returning Jevon Kearse. The key here is the health of Kearse and Howard. Cole is an excellent situational player but gets exposed with too many snaps and Thomas looks like he is cut from the same cloth. Second-round pick Victor Abiamiri is also on hand if Kearse or Howard get banged up. The problem here is that the 10th guy on the Eagles defensive line may be just as good as the first. Somebody needs to step it up and stand out.
Linebacker: This has been the Eagles weakness for years and they finally addressed the situation by acquiring Takeo Spikes and drafting Stewart Bradley. Part of the problem here is philosophy. The NFL has become more and more specialized and the Birds have fought against the tide at this position. Instead of embracing a one-dimensional player that excels at pass-rushing or as a run-stopper, the Eagles expected their linebackers to be well-rounded guys that did all three things (stuff the run, cover and blitz). The results were mediocre guys that were average to below-average at all three skills.
The Eagles would like Chris Gocong to win the strong-side job and for Spikes to take over on the weakside but Gocong looked lost during last year's training camp trying to make the switch from small college defensive end to linebacker. He was so bad the Eagles shut him down for the season after he suffered stinger problems in the preseason and it's laughable to think he learned the position by osmosis. By two weeks into training camp, expect Omar Gaither to be entrenched on the weakside, Spikes to move over to the SAM spot and Jeremiah Trotter to handle the middle. Luckily for the Birds, Spikes is a rock-solid veteran who can play any of the linebacking positions.
Bradley will join Gocong and fan punching bag Matt McCoy as depth. Trotter has balky knees and is on his last legs in the middle but has lost weight and the Eagles hope he to get one more productive year from the former star.
Secondary: The starters are fine, save Sean Considine, but the Eagles need to alleviate some serious depth problems since they lost both safety Michael Lewis and cornerback Rod Hood in free agency. At safety, Brian Dawkins' next stop will be the Hall of Fame but Considine is too undersized to be a stalwart. The Eagles brought back special teams standout Quintin Mikell, who may push Considine.
Jim Johnson has given some lip service to replacing Sheldon Brown with Will James but that is likely just a ploy to light a fire under Brown, a player that underachieved last season. Lito Sheppard is a Pro Bowl level player at the other corner. James should settle in to the nickel spot while rookie Rashad Barksdale and Dustin Fox, a former third-round pick with the Vikings, will push the shaky Joselio Hanson for the dime spot.
Special Teams: David Akers is as good as it gets but the Birds can't keep bringing Koy Detmer back to make him feel good. Dirk Johnson never regained his past form after a sports hernia problem and had a so-so year at punter so the Eagles brought in Australian Rules football player Saverio Rocca as competition.
2 comments:
As an Australian Eagles fan, I'm very excited that Sav Rocca is being brought it to compete at punter. The guy has the biggest boot I have ever seen and with his athleticism and tackling ability could redefine the position (seriously!). If you want to see this monster in action kicking the football over 80 yards in the air, type his name into a you tube search.
PS - The ring on the Australian football field in front of where he is kicking from in most shots is 50 yards to the goal for distance reference.
Tat semi-circle in front of the goals in Aussie Rules is 50 METRES (not yards) so make that reference point 55 yards and you will appreciate his booming kicks even more
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