Transition Year for Philadelphia Eagles May Open Eyes
Did you ever hear the expression, "sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone?" Well, Philadelphia Eagles fans may know that expression all too well.
Ever since the day Donovan McNabb was drafted, the Eagles faithful never stopped doubting him, constantly lost support for him and called for him to be traded. They got their wish this offseason when the Eagles parted ways with perhaps their greatest quarterback of all time, to make room for Kevin Kolb to take over as the starter.
The Eagles are still one of the better teams in the league, but with Kolb’s inexperience, it may take a while before the return to elite status. This year’s team looks good enough to be competitive, but will surely take a step back.
Andy Reid probably didn’t want McNabb to be traded to a division rival like the Washington Redskins, but the team will have live with it.
On offence, Kolb leads the pack, in which he has spent three years watching and learning. Many are comparing him to Aaron Rodgers, who learned from Brett Favre, while Kolb learned from McNabb.
Kolb has some great weapons to get him started, including wide receiver (WR) DeSean Jackson, who is one of the league’s best playmakers. Jackson has unparalleled speed and his eight touchdowns of 50 yards or longer last season tied an NFL record. He’s a threat on any play.
Kolb also has WR Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin, who are both capable playmakers themselves, especially with Jackson requiring so much attention from defences.
Tight end (TE) Brent Celek is a sure-handed tight end, who matches up well with linebackers and provides a safety net for Kolb.
The Eagles acquired running back (RB) Mike Bell, who was an excellent No.2 in New Orleans. He will share carries with LeSean McCoy. The two are decent receivers, but aren’t near the versatility that a released Brian Westbrook gave the offence. Fullback (FB) Leonard Weaver will also be incorporated more into the offence on third downs.
The offensive line has been very inconsistent and is a major reason why the Eagles have struggled to run the ball in recent seasons. Besides injuries, the front five have been weak in their fundamentals. They must help improve the run game and protect Kevin Kolb, or the offence will begin to struggle to find a rhythm.
As much as McNabb was a reason for the Eagles’ success this decade, the defence was just as big. The secondary has been one of the best in football, whether it was Brian Dawkins, Lito Sheppard, Troy Vincent, Sheldon Brown or Bobby Taylor; this team has been stacked on defence. This year, however, they’re looking to come off a disappointing 2009 season and are rebuilding just as much as the offence is.
One area where Philly hopes to be strong is on the defensive line. The Eagles drafted defensive end (DE) Brandon Graham, who is a lot like his fellow end, Trent Cole, his new teammate in Philly. They’re both small, but are two dynamic pass-rushers, with Graham having to prove himself as a rookie.
Up the middle on the line, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley are two hardworking defensive tackles who command attention from guards, opening the door for fellow defensive players to disrupt the pocket.
At linebacker, (MLB) Stewart Bradley is coming off a long absence with a torn ACL and will look to get the line-backing corps back on track. His absence last year hurt the defence. Joining Bradley are Ernie Sims on the weak side, and Moise Fokou on the strong side. Fokou is decent and Sims can defend short-range passes.
The secondary remains a question mark with Nate Allen taking over at free safety and Quintin Mikell taking the strong safety position. If Allen can stay consistent, then Mikell should emerge as the leader of this defence and be a strong playmaker.
At cornerback, Asante Samuel is one of the most talented in the league. However, all he really seems to care about is interceptions. He had nine last year, but he freelances too much and blows coverage often as a result and misses assignments.
Joining him at cornerback is Ellis Hobbs, who’s not quite at a high level yet.
Kicker (K) David Akers has lost some of his power, but he’s still among the league’s best. Punter (P) Sav Rocca places punts better than perhaps any other. He only had four touchbacks last season and placed 26 punts inside the 20.
DeSean Jackson is the best punt-returner in the league with an average of 15.2 yards per return last season. Teams should avoid kicking to him at all costs. Ellis Hobbs is still a star at kick returner, unless the Eagles decide to preserve him for defence.
The Eagles will still make a push for the playoffs, if Kolb instantly makes an impact. The Eagles are laying out a foundation for the future, but there are still some weaknesses that may prevent them from surpassing the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys in the toughest division in football.
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