The Philadelphia Eagles enter this season coming off of a roller coaster season that somehow ended up in an NFC Championship berth. The Eagles had a tumultous off-season to say the least, losing Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos, the very tragic passing of Jim Johnson (RIP), and the acquisitions of Stacy Andrews, and first round
Okay, enough about Maclin. The Eagles had a (maybe tragedy) occur yesterday with the (maybe) loss of Stewart Bradley for the year with an ACL tear. CSN Philly reporters have confirmed that story, Andy Reid, Stewart Bradley, and the Eagles have been mum on the situation. If the story is indeed true (and I have a feeling that it is), that leaves one question:
Who will replace Stewart Bradley as middle linebacker? For the Eagles, the lazy choice would be to just stick Omar Gaither in the middle, where he was in 2007, and be done with it. However, Andy Reid, you must realize this one thing (other than the fact that Philly cheesesteaks are da bomb), OMAR GAITHER IS NOT A MIDDLE LINEBACKER! Hell, he's hardly a linebacker period. As an outside linebacker, well, he lost his job last year. And the outside is supposedly Gaither's strong suit. The other alternative at the middle is Joe Mays, a kid, who I admit, I am not too familiar with. I will say this, though, I am pulling for this kid, because quite frankly, if Gaither is in the middle, the Eagles will have no chance on defense.
How will Sean McDermott fare? With the tragic passing of Jim Johnson (once again, Rest In Peace, Philly loves you, JJ!), Sean McDermott is the new D-coordinator. And maybe I am naive, but this is not a concern to me at all. Jim Johnson is almost Belichick-esque in the track record he has with his assistants in Philadelphia who have moved on to other jobs. For starters, look at Steve Spagnuolo. The bottom line is, McDermott has been with Johnson for the length of Johnson's tenure in Philadelphia and if there is one person who knows Johnson's defense inside and out, it would be young Sean McDermott. Maybe I'm being naive, but I do not foresee Sean McDermott as the man to blame if this is not the Eagles' year.
Can Donovan McNabb still do it? That is a question that every Philly fan has on their mind. Is McNabb still the man for the job? I think he is, however, something that both McNabb and Andy Reid must realize is that McNabb is only extra-effective when he is a threat to run the ball and is running bootlegs and such. McNabb is not and never will be an effective pocket passer. He needs to get out, scramble, and most of all, make plays with his legs. That is when he is most effective and when the Eagles offense is most in sync. The success of the Eagles offense depens on McNabb's ability to run.
What about Westbrook? Brian Westbrook can't seem to get through a season without being injured and/or banged up and the start of this year is no exception. The veteran running back underwent surgery in the off-season and he is still rehabbing, although it is likely that he will see some pre-season action. Is Westbrook durable and does he still have it to last the entire year? The Eagles don't like that question, and therefore, drafted LeSean "Shady" McCoy in the 2nd round of the draft. A draft pick that I like very much, mind you. Maybe even more so than the Maclin pick and I was actually a big Jeremy Maclin fan during his college days. While I would not call myself as rabid a college football fan as 49er16 is, I do watch it every Saturday, and one of the few players that really stood out to me as a special talent was Jeremy Maclin. I am hoping that a contract dispute does not prevent him from achieving his potential with the Eagles. I have been a Maclin fan for a long time now, I'm excited to have him as an Eagle, assuming he actually signs with the Eagles. I'm not quite sure how I managed to transition from a section on Westbrook to re-discussing Jeremy Maclin, but that happens occasionally when I write (although I'm sure you all noticed before).
Who will have a breakout year this year for the Eagles? I'm gonna stick with wide receiver and say Jason Avant. The kid came out of his shell a bit last year and stood out and made an impact, now expect him to get even more playing time and even more catches. He may never be a #1 or #2 guy, but he is a great alternate option for the Eagles.
Prediction: 10-6, 1st place in the NFC East. In short: The Redskins always build a great team on paper but can never put it together, Tony Romo will be nothing without T.O., and the Giants won't be much without Plax, Ward, and Spagnuolo. Look for the Eagles to capitalize on a down year for the NFC East.
The NFC East seems significantly weakened this year. Sure the Giants beefed up their defense (I miss Rocky Bernard :() but lost Toomer and Burress.
ReplyDeleteWho will Eli throw to?
If Jacobs goes down is Bradshaw a durable every-down back? Because I think Ward is a very good running back.
This could be a year where Philly and Washington step up while the Giants and Cowboys rot.
On paper, I would say Washington might be a threat to take the title, but for some reason or another, they can never put it together on the field for a full season. I don't think the Eagles will be great this year, but they'll be good enough to take the NFC East and possibly make a playoff run if they're hot at the right time.
ReplyDeleteLosing Stewart Bradley for the year does hurt our defense, though and that is something that I am worried about. COME ON JOE MAYS! Anything to keep the incompetent Gaither from being a starter again...
the Skins are primed for 8-8 or even 7-9, especially if they don't get off to a good start. they play the Rams, Lions, Bucs, and Chiefs all in the first 6 weeks. if they're not 4-2 or 5-1, Jim Zorn should be updating his resume.
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