A Writer’s Reflection: The 2009 NFC East Preview

 

Football season is just a day away, and I can’t put into words how excited I am.

 

I met with Robert Allred of the Cowboys, John Fennelly of the Giants, and Jack Anderson of the Redskins – three of my favorite writers on Bleacher Report – to put together an NFC East preview for this season.

 

Along with myself for the Eagles, we have all four teams represented to voice our opinions on what should be yet another competitive NFC East race.

 

Here are the questions below, along with answers from myself, John, Jack, and Robert.

 

1. Rank the four NFC East quarterbacks in order.

 

Cody (Eagles): McNabb, Romo, Manning, Cambell. All are above average…

 

Robert (Cowboys): Donovan McNabb has been the best quarterback in the NFC over the past decade, so until he starts to show a decline, he still has to be number one in the Beast. Romo would be my second, followed by Eli and then Jason Campbell.

 

John (Giants): Eli Manning – Giants, Donovan McNabb – Eagles, Tony Romo – Cowboys, Jason Campbell – Redskins

 

Jack (Redskins): McNabb, Romo, Manning, Campbell

 

2. Predict the wins of each NFC East team this season.

 

Cody (Eagles): Wow. That’s tough. I had said the Eagles are winning the Super Bowl several months ago, but a lot has happened since then. Most of it bad. As of now, I have to go Giants 12, Eagles 11, Cowboys 9, and Redskins 9. And I have the Eagles as the wild card with the Cowboys and Redskins just missing out.

 

Robert (Cowboys): I really have no idea. Speaking of my team, the Cowboys, I have been going back and forth all season. I think that they could be a very special team and win 12-13 games, or I think they could turn in another 9-7 kind of season. If you twisted my arm, however, I would peg the Eagles and Giants both at 11-5, the Cowboys at 10-6, and the Redskins at 8-8. I think we will see three teams from the East back in the playoffs this year.

 

John (Giants): Giants 12, Eagles 10, Cowboys 10, Redskins 8

 

Jack (Redskins): Giants: 11, Eagles: 9, Redskins: 9, Cowboys: 8

 

3. Which one player from another NFC East team would you most like for your own?

 

Cody (Eagles): DeMarcus Ware. We absolutely need a linebacker and Ware is probably the best in the game. He might be the single best defensive player in the game.

 

Robert (Cowboys): It would have to be Osi Umenyiora. While I think that Anthony Spencer will fill in nicely for Greg Ellis, I would love to have Osi and DeMarcus Ware play opposite each other. You can never have enough great pass rushers, and with Ware, Umenyiora, and Spencer, opposing offensive coordinators would not be able to sleep the nights before games against the Cowboys.

 

John (Giants): Jason Witten

 

Jack (Redskins): DeMarcus Ware

 

4. Which one player from another NFC East team do you respect the most?

 

Cody (Eagles): Jason Witten. He is probably the best tight end in the game.

 

Robert (Cowboys): For some reason, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Donovan McNabb, despite the colors he wears. He has put up with a lot of crap since coming into the league, including a lot of abuse from his own fans, but has kept his cool, stayed classy, and has continued to prove that he is the best NFC quarterback of the 2000s.

 

John (Giants): Donovan McNabb

 

Jack (Redskins): Donovan McNabb: He takes so much heat in Philly and still defies the critics.

 

5. Which is the most intense rivalry among the NFC East teams?

 

Cody (Eagles): How do you pick just one? That whole division is a rivalry. But I have to go Eagles vs. Giants over Eagles vs. Cowboys or Cowboys vs. Redskins, largely because the Eagles and Giants have met in the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, and these two teams are the two favorites to win the division this year.

 

Robert (Cowboys): The Cowboys and (fill in the blank). In recent years, the Cowboys fans typically have reserved the majority of their hate for whichever of the three other teams is the better one at the moment. Right now that would be the Eagles or the Giants, as they have both ended one of our past two seasons. The other three teams all hate the Cowboys more than any other.

 

John (Giants): This ebbs and flows. Traditionally, it was Dallas-Washington and NY-Philadelphia, which makes sense again these days because of the talent.

 

Jack (Redskins): Redskins-Cowboys (Yes I’m biased)

 

6. Who will play in this season’s conference championship games and the Super Bowl? Which team will emerge as a Super Bowl champion and who will take home the Super Bowl MVP?

 

Cody (Eagles): In the NFC, it will be Eagles over Giants. In the AFC, it will be Chargers over Patriots. As of now, I see the Chargers winning Super Bowl XLIV, and Philip Rivers taking home the MVP award.

 

Robert (Cowboys): The NFC is wide open. I really believe that any of these teams CAN make the Super Bowl, and I can also see a situation play out where NONE of them do.

 

However, if I am going to assume that someone from the East will represent the NFC  in the big game, I am going to go with Dallas—simply because I see Dallas, New York, and Philly as tossups, and the idea of Dallas being the one to go makes me happier. If (when?) they make it to the dance, and if (when?) they win it, then DeMarcus Ware will have a beast of a game, wreaking havoc on Ben Roethlisberger (Or whomever) for 60 minutes and winning the Super Bowl MVP while solidifying himself as the best defensive player in football today.

That felt really great to put on paper, but that’s just a pipe dream right now. Let’s play the regular season first!

 

John (Giants): The Giants will beat Chicago for the NFC title. New England will top San Diego. New England will win the SB and Tom Brady will be the MVP.

 

Jack (Redskins): Conference Champs: Patriots and Giants, Super Bowl Champs: Patriots, Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady

 

7. How will Eli Manning – the highest-paid quarterback in the game – perform this season without Plaxico Burress? Will he be the cool and confident Eli who guided the Giants to a fourth-quarter comeback in Super Bowl XLII or the one who played like a rookie in last year’s playoff loss to the Eagles?

 

Cody (Eagles): Well, first of all, I don’t think Eli Manning was worth that contract. I think Eli Manning has a better group of wide receivers than most people realize, and I see him putting up his usual stats – a passer rating around 85.0 with 20-22 touchdowns and about 12 interceptions. And I see him putting up another poor performance against Philly in the playoffs.

 

Robert (Cowboys): Somewhere in the middle, I think. Anyone that knows me can testify to the fact that I cannot stand Eli Manning. I don’t know if it’s because of the dumb face he makes when he yells “dang” after every single play that goes wrong, his prima donna move leading up to the 2004 Draft, or the jersey he wears, but I do not like the guy.

That being said, he has vastly improved as a quarterback. I would go so far as to say he is a pretty darn good quarterback. Is he worth the contract he signed? No, but I can hardly fault him for signing the dotted line when New York was foolish enough to make him such a huge offer.

He is probably a top 10 quarterback in the league— or at the very least just outside that group— and I think he will (unfortunately) continue to improve. I do not expect him to put up great numbers, because he has never been a numbers guy, but I do think that he will play efficiently and help his team win.

 

John (Giants): Manning will have a Pro Bowl season. His new receiving coprs will prove to be much better than the old one.

 

Jack (Redskins): Manning has matured as a QB, but the lack of a true number one WR will definitely cause problems for him. If he can continue to sharpen his game and spread the ball around to his many receivers, things should be a step up from last year, but don’t expect Peyton-like numbers from little bro, Eli.

 

8. The Giants captured the NFC East crown last season largely because of their style of smash mouth football with Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw, who combined for close to 2,500 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. This past offseason, Ward departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will Jacobs and Bradshaw see a decline in their play or will the Giants remain one of the elite rushing teams in the league?

 

Cody (Eagles): The Giants will remain an elite rushing team. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are a dynamic duo. This team plays tough smash mouth football, and they will be tough to beat when December rolls around.

 

Robert (Cowboys): I think they will still have to run the ball quite a bit because they have lost a serious receiving threat in Plaxico Burress. However, I do not see Jacobs and Bradshaw alone combining for the kind of yardage that the three of them combined for last year. They are going to have to either find someone to step in to Ward’s role, or they will need to find more success through the air without Plax.

Will the Giants still be one of the elite rushing teams in the league? They might be, but probably not. That being said, Jacobs and Bradshaw are definitely still talents that defenses will have to account for, and I see them both having another productive season.

 

John (Giants): The Giants, barring injuries, will have a monster running attack this season.

 

Jack (Redskins): The Giants offensive line is one of the better run blocking units in the NFL so there won’t be much of a drop off. Ward had the best vision of the three and it’s not certain if Jacobs can carry a full load with his upright running style, but Bradshaw is the perfect change of pace back. Despite the loss of Ward, the Giants will again be a top rushing team.

 

9. The Eagles just recently added Michael Vick to their roster in a highly-publicized move. Will Vick help the offense or is he overhyped? Where will he play on the field? Predict how many total touchdowns (passing, rushing, receiving) Vick accounts for this season.

 

Cody (Eagles): I hate to say it, but I am not a huge Vick fan. At all. I think he is vastly overrated as a quarterback. I think he will be used mostly in wildcat-type formations, but I don’t think he will account for more than two or three touchdowns this season.

 

Robert (Cowboys): I don’t see Vick having a huge impact this season. I think that we will see him on the field a couple of times a game, and I think that he will make a couple of plays, but I also don’t see this move as something that puts the Eagles over the top.

I think that Vick will be most effective when both he and Donovan McNabb are on the field, whether it’s in the Wildcat or if he lines up as a receiver and is a potential wide receiver passing threat.  I have no idea what Vick’s numbers for the season will be, although I would venture to guess that he puts up 400-500 yards and three or four touchdowns.

 

John (Giants): His presence will do as much damage as it will good.

 

Jack (Redskins):  don’t see the Eagles as good fit for Vick. They already have a ton of speed and there isn’t much room for him. McNabb still has a year or two left (and is light years better) so to me Vick is just an insurance policy in case McNabb gets injured.

I can’t imagine more than two or three TDs this year for Vick.

 

10. The Eagles’ defense has suffered a blow this past offseason, to say the least. Future Hall of Fame safety and team leader Brian Dawkins departed for the Denver Broncos via free agency. Longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, arguably the top assistant in the game, passed away from a bout with cancer. And star middle linebacker Stewart Bradley tore his ACL and will miss the season. How much does this hurt the Eagles’ defense? Will this team still feature one of the game’s top defenses?

 

Cody (Eagles): It will hurt. I can’t deny that. The defense is still one of the best in the game, bordering on elite, but you cannot replace a legend like Jim Johnson, a team leader like Brian Dawkins, and arguably the best defensive player in Stewart Bradley. With that in mind, I still think the Eagles will finish eighth or higher in total defense, but I don’t see us winning the division any longer.

 

Robert (Cowboys): I still think that the Eagles have a top 10 defense. Sean McDermott has been with the team since before Jim Johnson, and has been fortunate to spend the majority of his career learning from one of the best of the best. I do not see Jim Johnson’s defensive ideals disappearing simply because a new coach is stepping in.

Instead, I expect to see the same blitz happy defense that has terrorized offenses for years, except with perhaps a tad less talent.

 

John (Giants): They are in big trouble. There is too much to overcome there.

 

Jack (Redskins): After a big offseason, the Eagles have been sent reeling with the losses of Johnson and Bradley. The defense will still employ the aggressive scheme that has made them so successful, but the absence of those three guys will prove costly.

The defense will be tough once again, but it won’t be able to replicate the defense of years past. They will rank somewhere in the top 15.

 

11. Tony Romo will be entering his first season without Terrell Owens as his No. 1 receiver. How will this affect his play this year? Will Romo be able to find a No. 1 target in Roy Williams, who caught just 19 passes in nine games with the team in ’08? And is there any truth to the rumors that Romo could be gone after the season if he doesn’t win a playoff game?

 

Cody (Eagles): The Cowboys would be just flat out stupid to get rid of Tony Romo. I am not a Romo fan – at all – but he is a talented quarterback who is one of the ten best in the league. I think he will be fine without T.O. this season, a player who is on the decline faster than people realize. I don’t think Romo will win a playoff game this season, but it’s a team game. Quarterbacks don’t lose playoff games. Teams do.

 

Robert (Cowboys): Romo is going to be a Cowboy in 2010, regardless of whether he wins a playoff game this year or not. The Cowboys have invested too much in him, and if they were to try and trade him, they would not be able to get fair market value for him. Just look at the Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton trade for proof on that.

Williams can be a perfectly good No. 1 option for the Cowboys, so long as the Cowboys commit to running the ball and involving their tight ends more in their offense. The Cowboys receiving corps is not necessarily bad, but it is very thin. If Williams, Crayton, Hurd or Austin go down to injury, then things can get very dicey.

However, they do have the best tight end duo in the league and arguably a top running back trio. If the Cowboys can move from pass happy to more of a control offense, then Williams might turn out to be the perfect man for the job. Not only that, but Romo’s job becomes much easier too.

 

John (Giants): Romo will have an average year. The Cowboys will run more than they pass.

 

Jack (Redskins): Romo will struggle mightily without TO. Williams is a good receiver, but he’s not TO. After Williams comes a load of receivers with potential. Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton lead the group. Those aren’t guys that Romo will be able to consistently depend on.

However, Romo is a playmaker and those are hard to come by. Should he fail to get the Cowboys that elusive postseason victory, the heat will be on, but Jerry Jones will give him another year to prove himself. Romo has only started for two and a half seasons and it would be a mistake to pull the plug on a QB with such potential as Romo’s.

 

12. Last season for the Cowboys was marked by controversies surrounding many of the players – Terrell Owens, Pacman Jones, and Tank Johnson, to name a few. Owner Jerry Jones ridded his locker room of those three distractions and reportedly is focusing much more on team morale than ever before. Will this be a distraction in Dallas in 2009 or will the team be able to simply focus on football?

 

Cody (Eagles): I don’t think the Cowboys will have the distractions they had last season, but I just don’t know if they are quite as good as they think. I would not be surprised to see this team miss the playoffs. Then again, I could see them taking the division. As of now, I have them at third place in the NFC East with nine wins.

 

Robert (Cowboys): Dallas is under a microscope in the sports media world, so I won’t go so far as to say that there will not be a single distraction this season. However, it has been an awfully quiet training camp and preseason, and that has been quite nice.

With TO, Pacman, and to a lesser extent Tank gone, there is definitely less to talk about in Dallas. However, that doesn’t mean that the media will not want to discuss Dallas at all next season. Love them or hate them, Dallas has a huge following and they garner a lot of media attention. If they are winning next year, then that is all you will hear about. However, if they are losing next season, then that too is all you will hear about.

Should Wade Phillips be fired? Is Tony Romo a bum? Was the new stadium a bad idea? These are all distractions that very well could rear their ugly head should things not go the Cowboys’ way.

 

John (Giants): They will focus on football but they are not the team they were in 2007, that is for sure.

 

Jack (Redskins): The team will focus on football, but the roster doesn’t have the talent offensively it did a year ago. They will have to adapt to a run-first style considering they have three great backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. The run game will be a the key as the passing game is lacking a standout receiver.

Overall, it appears the Cowboys will take this year much more seriously, but if they don’t change their pass-happy style, focus won’t matter much.

 

13. The Redskins spent $100 million on Albert Haynesworth this past offseason. Will the move pay off for the team that finished in last place in the NFC East in ’08? How will Haynesworth fit in the Redskins’ defense?

 

Cody (Eagles): Albert Haynesworth is not worth the contract he signed, simply because few players other than Lawrence Taylor are worth that much money. Haynesworth will have a great season and probably make the Pro Bowl, but I don’t think he will be enough to push the ‘Skins over the edge. And I don’t think he is the best defensive player in the NFL, as Sporting News rated him in their Top 100 NFL Players.

 

Robert (Cowboys): Albert Haynesworth is a thug, and I sincerely hope that Andre Gurode stomps on his face not once, but twice this year. But he is a great player, and he will be a help to a Redskins defense that really didn’t need that much help.

I do not think this move is as much about whether or not Haynesworth will come in and play to the level of his contract. Instead, I think the foolishness of this move stems from the fact that it was unnecessary. The money they used to bring him in would have been much better served to bring in someone to help their ailing offense.

Still, Haynesworth is a big body in the middle, and he is one mean dude. The Redskins defense has gotten tougher, no doubt.

 

John (Giants): Their line will be better, but they need more than Albert Haynesworth to compete in the NFC East.

 

Jack (Redskins): The Redskins have long been unable to pressure opposing QBs. Haynesworth gives them pressure up the middle, keeping the QB from stepping up in the pocket. That means more sacks for Andre Carter and other speed rushers.

Haynesworth also commands double teams, which will free up London Fletcher to be an even better run stuffer at MLB. Haynesworth’s presence gives the ‘Skins an opportunity to play aggressively with an already good defense.

 

14. The Redskins enter the season as odds-on favorites to again finish last in the division. What is the key for this team to stay competitive in a division that could easily boast three of the NFC’s six playoff teams?

 

Cody (Eagles): Pray. The Redskins are overmatched against the three other teams in their division. To be competitive, the Redskins will need to excel in division play and hope the Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles suffer some key injuries to star players.

 

Robert (Cowboys): I think it all comes down to quarterback play. I don’t think that Jason Campbell needs to set the world on fire with his play, but he does need to be a consistently efficient quarterback if the Skins hope to do something special this season. Campbell has shown flashes of brilliance since he has taken over the quarterback duties, but he has yet to put it all together.

In a weaker division, this team is probably good enough to squeak its way into the playoffs, but in the East it is not going to work until their quarterback play improves.

 

John (Giants): They need for Campbell to get better, a lot better. Plus they need to stay injury-free and hope the other teams do not…

 

Jack (Redskins): The offense must rise to the challenge. With the defense projecting to be in the top five again, the offense needs to carry it’s weight. The offense has to sustain drives, maintain field position and post 20+ points a game. If the ‘Skins can score three times a game, that could be enough for this defense.

It all comes down to the trenches. The Redskins offense can get into a rhythm if the guys up front can hold their blocks. That’s a big “if,” but if the Redskins find their groove, it would go a long way to keeping opposing defenses honest.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Five Players Who Will Make or Break the Philadelphia Eagles In 2009

Football is a team game.

 

Everyone knows that.

 

But often it’s the play of a handful of players who can be the difference between a team watching the playoffs on TV in January or playing for a chance at a Super Bowl championship.

 

For the Eagles, there are several of the guys on the 53-man roster who could be the key to push the Eagles over the edge.

 

QB Donovan McNabb: The quarterback is always a key ingredient of a championship team and McNabb will be no exception for the Eagles.

 

Since joining the team back in 1999, the Eagles have been fortunate enough to have one of the game’s top quarterbacks leading their team. A five-time Pro Bowler, McNabb has taken the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX.

 

And he has mostly done so without the services of a No. 1 caliber wide receiver. Other than the 21 games in which McNabb had Terrell Owens, he has been forced to play with the services of James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, and Freddie Mitchell.

 

Not anymore.

 

The Eagles never signed that No. 1 receiver fans pushed for—notably Arizona Cardinals’ Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin–but the front office did select speedy slot receiver Jeremy Maclin out of the University of Missouri.

 

The combination of Maclin, DeSean Jackson, and Kevin Curtis will give defenses some trouble and McNabb some weapons.

 

Factor in possession receiver Jason Avant and big playmaker Hank Baskett, and McNabb is poised for a banner year.

 

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect over 3,500 passing yards and 25 touchdowns from McNabb, as well as 11 to 13 wins in the regular season and a deep playoff run.

 

Should McNabb go down, pray.

 

The team’s backup currently is unproven third-year player Kevin Kolb, who has shown flashes of ineptitude in brief stints as quarterback. Kolb has two years of watching one of the best in the game under his belt, but he has yet to prove himself out on the field.

 

FB Leonard Weaver: Until Leonard Weaver joined the team, the position of fullback has long been forgotten here in Philadelphia.

 

Weaver gives the Eagles an exciting weapon.

 

The runner-up for the Pro Bowl in the NFC last year, Weaver is a talented pass blocker and an above-average ball carrier.

 

He should help the team on short yardage runs—an area that hurt the Eagles on a consistent basis last year. Weaver will be able to contribute on short passes as well.

 

He should be able to extend the life of aging star Brian Westbrook and help to break in up-and-coming rookie LeSean McCoy.

 

OT Shawn Andrews: Andrews has had a roller coaster of a career, to say the least.

 

He broke into the NFL as the 16th overall pick in the 2004 draft and was immediately penciled into the team’s starting lineup at right guard.

 

Andrews broke his leg in his first career NFL game, missing the rest of the miraculous 2004 season and the team’s Super Bowl appearance.

 

Andrews bounced back in 2005 to start all 16 games and nearly qualify for the Pro Bowl. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in both 2006 and 2007, helping to turn Brian Westbrook into arguably the game’s most complete weapon.

 

He went on to miss all of last season due to depression and back surgery. His presence was greatly missed, none more so than on a third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 against the Giants on Sunday Night Football in the middle of the season.

 

This year, Andrews is back. He is healthy, motivated, and still as talented as ever.

 

When he is on his game, you could make a case for Andrews as the best guard in the game. He is 340 pounds of raw beef who can clear a hole for Westbrook or stay back and pass block for McNabb.

 

A right guard his first five years, Andrews will take over for perennial star Jon Runyan as the team’s starting right tackle.

 

When he was originally drafted back in ’04, Andrews was expected to eventually move to tackle, and it appears like this will be the year. Andrews will be playing next to his brother, right guard Stacy Andrews, giving the Eagles a pretty impressive right side of the line.

 

Andrews’ backup is three-year pro Winston Justice, a former USC standout who gave up six sacks to New York Giants’ All-Pro defensive end Osi Umenyiora in his only NFL start.

 

MLB Stewart Bradley: The Eagles are a defensive team, with arguably the deepest defensive line and backfield in the NFL.

 

The linebackers are still young and relatively inexperienced, so it will be up to rising star Stewart Bradley to lead the group.

 

Bradley is a Pro Bowler in the making and a possible candidate to replace Brian Dawkins as the team’s outspoken vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball.

 

Bradley was stellar in 16 games as a starter last season, recording 151 tackles, including double-digit figures in seven games. He was named to the Sports Illustrated All-Pro team in just his first year as a starter.

 

Bradey’s presence was a huge factor in the Eagles’ fourth-ranked run defense and third-ranked pass defense in 2008, and there are high expectations for Bradley to become one of the elite linebackers in the NFL in 2009.

 

FS Quintin Demps: It’s never fun to replace a legend, and I don’t envy Demps having to take over for a legend such as six-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins, a fan favorite, future Hall of Famer, and emotional leader of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense over the past 13 seasons.

 

Dawkins was 35 and had lost a step, but the Eagles’ failure to resign him came as a shock to the city, and his subsequent signing with Denver was a painful blow.

 

Enter Demps, an unproven defensive player who started as kick returner last season, into the starting role.

 

Demps played a lot for the Eagles in three-safety sets down the stretch last season, but his struggles were obvious, none more so than his inability to stay on his feet while covering All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in the NFC Championship Game.

 

Demps has a lot of potential. He is quick, talented, and aggressive.

 

But he’s not Brian Dawkins.

 

And it’s not even for certain that Demps will start this season.

 

The Eagles brought in playmaker Sean Jones from the Cleveland Browns. Jones is third among all safeties in interceptions (14) over the past three seasons, and is just 27, in the prime of his career.

 

It’s unclear to me why he was signed to just a one-year deal, but I think the Eagles envision Jones starting for a few games to spell Demps, before Demps takes over full-time.

 

Demps will be able to lean on strong safety Quintin Mikell for assistance—Mikell was a second-team All-Pro last season, combining with Brian Dawkins to form one of the best safety duos in the NFL—but Demps needs to produce or he will hurt the Eagles’ defense.

Why the Eagles’ Young Linebackers Are Crucial to the Team’s Success

Defense wins ballgames.

 

Everyone knows that.

 

The Eagles have themselves a very good defense. The defensive line is among the best in the game and the secondary is deep and experienced.

 

With Pro Bowl end Trent Cole and underrated stars Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley anchoring the interior, the line will thrive as always in 2009. With the never-ending rotations the team likes to use, look for the defensive line to receive solid contributions from each and every single player.

 

The secondary has always been one of the team’s strengths under Andy Reid.

 

Perennial All-Pro and fan favorite free safety Brian Dawkins departed for Denver, but the team should be solid in his place.

 

Quintin Demps and Sean Jones should be able to fill in, and strong safety Quintin Mikell is a reigning All-Pro and one of the most underrated players in the game.

 

Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are arguably the NFL’s top cornerback tandem, and Ellis Hobbs leads a solid group of corners more than capable of filling in at any time.

 

The linebackers are the only group without a Pro Bowler, but I believe this group of young draft picks could develop into one of the most talented units in the NFL.

 

Stewart Bradley is an All-Pro in the making. A young and aggressive player, Bradley is quickly becoming one of the game’s most talented middle linebackers.

 

He has been compared to Brian Urlacher in the way in which he roams the middle of the field.

 

According to the Eagles’ Web site, Bradley was credited with 151 total tackles last season. Sports Illustrated named him to their All-Pro team in just his first season as a starter.

 

Heading into just his second season as a starter and third season in the NFL, great things are expected from Bradley. There is talk that he may fill the leadership void left by Brian Dawkins, who left for Denver after 13 seasons as an Eagle.

 

I forsee a great future for Bradley, a third round draft pick in 2007. I think he can turn into one of the best linebackers in all of the NFL this season.

 

Chris Gocong and Akeem Jordan—the team’s two outside linebackers—have just a combined three years of starting experience between them.

 

Nonetheless, I have high expectations for this group.

 

Gocong is the strongside ‘backer who played defensive end in college. He missed his entire first season due to injury, but took over as the team’s full-time starter in ’07, replacing the underachieving Dhani Jones, who departed for the New Orleans Saints.

 

Gocong is a good pass rusher who has been utilized at both outside linebacker and defensive end. He is entering his third season as the team’s starter.

 

Akeem Jordan beat out Omar Gaither for the starting job at weakside linebacker last season.

 

Gaither—who had registered 170 tackles and 14 pass deflections as the team’s starting middle linebacker in the 2007 season, seeming tobe a star in the rising—moved back to WILL linebacker for the ’08 season.

 

He started the first 11 games of the season, before he was benched in favor of Jordan for the Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

 

Jordan played well down the stretch, particularly in the 44-6 beatdown of Dallas in the last game of the season, registering a season-high 11 tackles, including two tackles for losses.

 

Even if Gaither is not starting, he will provide solid depth for the Eagles in the rotation of linebackers the team always employs.

 

There are high expectations for this talented group of linebackers in the ’09 season.

 

Stellar performances from these three players could be the difference between the Eagles taking the NFC East and sitting home watching the playoffs on TV.

Why the Vikings are in Danger of Overworking Adrian Peterson

 

Several months ago, I wrote an article, “The Workhorse Running Back: A Dying Trend in the NFL.”

 

This piece highlighted the importance of utilizing a two or even three-back system to extend a running back’s career, as the Panthers did with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams last season, or the Ravens with Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and LeRon McClain.

 

Memo to the Vikings: take note of this.

 

Adrian Peterson is good.

 

He’s very good.

 

In fact, he is on pace to be one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League.

 

His first two years were Hall of Fame worthy. He started in the Pro Bowl as a rookie, earned All-Pro honors in both seasons, and finished in the top two in the league in rushing yards both seasons.

 

He’s already drawn comparisons to the great ones—Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and so on. It’s too early to project a whole career for AP, but he looks to have a bright future ahead based on the two seasons we as football fans have seen from him.

 

Only three running backs have every rushed for more yards in their first two seasons than Peterson. Only 12 backs have ever rushed for more touchdowns. And only 11 backs have carried the ball as many times as Peterson.

 

That’s a red flag right there.

 

No. 1 way to ruin a running back’s career: overuse him.

 

Look at Terrell Davis. Earl Campbell. Larry Johnson.

 

These guys were the best of the best, but couldn’t take the pounding from being the feature back—or the only back—for their team. All had prematurely short careers.

 

After averaging 374 touches per year in his first four seasons, Terrell Davis got injured and never again was the full-time starter.

 

Was it worth it to Denver fans?

 

Sure.

 

They got two Super Bowl titles and a Super Bowl MVP performance from Davis. And he was arguably the best running back in the game for about three years.

 

But it would have been nice for Davis to play more than four full seasons in the NFL.

 

Campbell averaged 351 carries per season in each of his first four years in the pros before injuries limited him to just 207 carries per year in his final four seasons.

 

And Larry Johnson averaged 386 carries per season after taking over the starting duties for the Chiefs, including an NFL-record 416 carries in 2006. In the two years since, he has averaged fewer than 200 carries per season, after missing 12 games due to injury.

 

In fact, there have been 26 instances in football history in which a running back has topped 370 carries in a single season.

 

Of those 26 times, the running back has suffered an injury the following season nine times. 35 percent of the time.

 

That’s a pretty big risk to the Vikings.

 

Of the five times a running back has topped 400 carries in a season, two of the five runners have gotten hurt the following season. Those two—Larry Johnson and Jamal Anderson—combined for just 177 carries in their following year.

 

Teams should be wary of giving their star running backs that many carries, especially a team like Minnesota that possesses a talented backup runner—Chester Taylor—capable of filling in as the full-time back.

 

Peterson is a special back—the kind you want to protect. Running backs don’t have long careers, but the Vikings want to be able to still rely on him in five or six years.

 

370 carries doesn’t guarantee an injury. In fact, most of the time the running back DOESN’T get hurt the next year.

 

Eric Dickerson—a physical freak of nature—is the only back in history with four seasons to his resume of 370-plus carries. And he never got hurt in any of the succeeding years.

 

But why take the chance?

 

Even if the back manages to stay healthy, there is a pretty good chance he will see a significant decrease in his yards per carry.

 

Ricky Williams was used 383 times by the Dolphins in 2002, gaining a league-best 1,853 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry.

 

The following year, he took the pounding from 392 carries, and didn’t miss a game.

 

But he paid the price. His yards dropped to 1,372 and his yards per carry average dropped over a full yard, down to 3.5 per rush.

 

Same with Eddie George.

 

George carried the rock 403 times for the Titans in 2000, helping the team to the playoffs. He averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, but totaled 1,509 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns.

 

The next season, George again played all 16 games and carried the ball 315 times. He failed to even top 1,000 yards however, averaging just a paltry 2.96 yards per carry.

 

In his final three seasons, George never again topped 3.4 yards per carry.

 

I have no ties to the Vikings. All they are to me is competition for the NFC title, but I would like to see a fair fight.

 

Ideally, I think Peterson should get 320 carries and 40 receptions, with Taylor handling around 125 carries and 30 receptions.

 

It’s tempting to want to overwork a star. Especially when it gets your team that elusive Super Bowl trophy.

 

And maybe Peterson will turn out to be that once-in-a-lifetime back like Dickerson or Barry Sanders, who just doesn’t get hurt.

 

But I wouldn’t take my chances.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Top 10 Defining Plays of the Andy Reid Era

Every fan remembers a select few plays from his team during his lifetime.

 

Here are 10 plays that have defined the Philadelphia Eagles under the Andy Reid era. I tried not to put all good plays—there are three plays on here I would love to forget.

 

Onside kick vs. Dallas, 2000: This wasn’t just an onside kick. It wasn’t just the first play of the 2000 season for the Eagles.

 

It ushered in a new era for the Philadelphia Eagles of supremacy in the division, putting an end to the 3-13 and 5-11 days of Bobby Hoying and Doug Pederson.

 

This kick symbolized the turning over of a new leaf.

 

The Eagles rolled over the Cowboys, 41-14, in 100-plus degree heat, en route to 11 wins and a playoff berth behind first-year starting quarterback Donovan McNabb’s Pro Bowl season.

 

From there on out, the Eagles have established themselves as one of the top teams in the NFL, qualifying for the playoffs seven of the last nine seasons, including five trips to the conference championship game.

 

The Cowboys?

 

They haven’t won a playoff game in 12 seasons.

 

Since 1996.

 

Wow.

 

Damon Moore’s game-saving tackle, 2001: I bet a whole lot of people don’t remember this play.

 

It was the second-to-last game of the 2001 season and the Eagles held a slim 24-21 lead over the defending NFC Champion Giants, following David Akers’ go-ahead and eventual game-winning field goal.

 

We had still never experienced a division champion here in Philly…

 

At least I hadn’t. I was just several months old the last time this team had won the NFC East, back in 1989.

 

There was time for just one last play and the Giants were seventy yards away from a touchdown, down by three.

 

Kerry Collins hit Tiki Barber across the middle for a short gain. Barber pitched the ball back to Ron Dixon—a known Eagles killer—and Dixon sprinted down the left sideline.

 

Dixon got all the way to the four yard line, where Eagles’ safety Damon Moore managed to shove Dixon out of bounds, clinching the Eagles’ first division title in 12 seasons.

 

The Eagles rolled over the Bucs and the Bears in the playoffs, before losing a hard-fought battle to the St. Louis Rams, just one game short of an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI.

 

Joe Jurevicious’ 71-yard pass, 2002 Playoffs: This was only the second most painful moment of the day. Ronde Barber’s 92-yard interception return touchdown with just over three minutes to play was far more painful.

 

But Jurevicious’ catch was far more influential in the outcome of the game.

 

The Eagles were up, 10-7, midway through the second quarter, and the Bucs faced  second and five on their own 24-yard line.

 

Eagles’ strong safety Blaine Bishop had been battling a hamstring injury all day, but rather than play it smart and inform the coaches to put in up-and-coming rookie Michael Lewis, Bishop kept his mouth shut.

 

And cost us the season.

 

Jurevicious took the pass 71 yards, beating every Eagle on the field, notably Bishop and our 400-plus pound middle linebacker, Levon Kirkland, who ran a 12 second 40 yard dash.

 

The Bucs scored a touchdown soon after, went up 14-10, and we never saw the lead again.

 

Brian Westbrook’s 84-yard punt return touchdown, 2003: Remember when Brian Westbrook used to return punts?

 

I don’t think I will ever forget what happened here.

 

The 2-3 Eagles were trailing the rival Giants, 10-7, with about a minute and a half to play, when the Giants lined up to punt.

 

McNabb had been having one of his worst days as a pro—just nine completions for 64 yards all game—and we all knew we needed Westbrook to break one if we wanted to win this game.

 

And he did.

 

I still get goosebumps when I remember Reese’s “BRIAN WESTBROOK!”

 

Sometimes I still put in my 2003 Eagles DVD just to watch No. 36 sprinting down the left sideline for a glorious game-winning touchdown.

 

From there, the Eagles embarked on a nine-game winning streak to capture the NFC East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

 

This return is still known in Philly as The Play That Saved Our Season.

 

Brian Dawkins’ interception, 2003 Playoffs: I love Brett Favre. You can always count on him for a clutch interception when it counts.

 

With the Eagles and Packers locked in a 17-17 tie in overtime of the 2003 Divisional Playoffs, Favre threw one up for Javon Walker. Way up.

 

The pass was overthrown by about twenty yards. Dawkins settled under it like a punt, caught it, and raced 35 yards to put the Eagles in excellent field position, leading to David Akers’ eventual game-winning field goal.

 

*Why not fourth and 26? If you can pick one play from that game, why would I pick Dawkins’ pick over fourth and 26?

 

Everyone knows fourth and 26. It was unbelievable, miraculous…and maybe a tad overrated.

 

First of all, fourth and 26 never should have happened. The NFC’s top team never should have let the Packers stay in the game that late.

 

The pass itself was thrown to a very forgettable wide receiver (Freddie Mitchell)—or at least one that we’d like to forget—and the pass actually wasn’t a very good pass. It was behind Mitchell, who made a pretty nice catch in double coverage.

 

And even after that catch, the Eagles still weren’t even winning.

 

A David Akers field goal sent us into overtime and from there, it was Brett Favre to Brian Dawkins for the game.

 

Again, I love fourth and 26, but I have to take Dawkins’ pick.

 

Donovan McNabb 14.1 second scramble, 2004: No one play in particular defined the Eagles’ 2004 season, in which they coasted to a 13-1 record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

 

But this one by McNabb comes pretty close.

 

It was Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.

 

The Eagles had already piled up 28 points with three minutes remaining in the second quarter and had the ball at their own 25-yard line.

 

McNabb took the snap, dropped back, escaped a defender, rolled to his right, scrambled all the way back across to his left, and fired one off his back foot to a streaking Freddie Mitchell, who hauled in the ball 60 yards down the field for a huge completion.

 

The scramble—which was replayed several times in a row—took 14.1 seconds.

 

14.1.

 

And it couldn’t have come against a better team.

 

Greg Lewis’ 30-yard touchdown catch, 2004 Super Bowl: Remember this drive?

 

This was the drive that earned Donovan McNabb his current status as one of the most overcriticized quarterbacks in the game.

 

I don’t want to get too much into details.

 

There was some stalling, a little bit of vomiting, but when the dust settled, how did that drive end?

 

A beautifully thrown 30-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis.

 

Isn’t that how drives are supposed to end? Touchdowns? I take comfort in knowing that the most criticized drive in the history of possibly the game ended in a touchdown.

 

Lito Sheppard’s 102 yard interception return TD, 2006: I cried tears of happiness after this game. This might be the greatest regular season play of my lifetime.

 

Every Eagles-Cowboys game is huge, but this one was especially important. It was T.O.’s big return to Philly, after his messy divorce from the team a year earlier.

 

With the Eagles at 3-1 and the Cowboys at 2-1, this game was HUGE for playoff impact.

 

With just 33 seconds to play, the Cowboys found themselves in a second-and-goal situation just six yards from a touchdown that would tie the game and most likely force overtime.

 

Thank God for Drew Bledsoe.

 

The Cowboys’ aging and unproductive quarterback found Eagles’ corner Lito Sheppard in the end zone. Sheppard caught the ball in stride and raced 102 yards in the other direction for a game-winning 102-yard interception touchdown, to screams of delight from the ecstatic Philly crowd.

 

Afterwards, T.O.—who caught just three passes for 45 yards and no touchdowns all game—was caught on camera screaming at his teammates.

 

It was one of the happiest days of my life.

 

Lito Sheppard’s game-saving interception, 2006: Say what you want about Lito Sheppard, who left Philly on bad terms this past offseason, but he sure had a knack for making clutch plays.

 

In this particular game, the 5-6 Eagles were being quarterbacked by Jeff Garcia, following McNabb’s season-ending injury two weeks earlier.

 

Stuck in a losing streak (five out of the last six games), the Eagles desperately needed to win to stay in the hunt in the weak NFC.

 

The Birds took a 27-24 lead over the Carolina Panthers, a team that had traveled to the NFC Championship Game the previous year, before handing the game to the defense.

 

Jake Delhomme efficiently marched the Panthers nearly 70 yards in just under three minutes to the Eagles’ seven-yard line.

 

Delhomme’s fade pass to Keyshawn Johnson in the corner of the end zone was picked off by Lito Sheppard, who had timed the pass perfectly, before making a leaping, tumbling grab.

 

What was especially sweet about the play was Keyshawn had beat Lito right before halftime on the same fade pattern. Lito noticed a hitch in Keyshawn’s body, adjusted to it, and made the play.

 

The pick secured the Eagles’ win, putting them in a tie for the NFC wild card.

 

The play vaulted the Eagles on a five-game winning streak, as the Birds captured the division after being left for dead following McNabb’s injury in November.

 

Scott Young’s false start, 2006 Playoffs: This was not one of the better plays of my time as an Eagles fan. In fact, I can’t recall ever being more outraged in my life.

 

The Eagles, on a six-game winning streak, were battling the Saints in the Divisional Playoffs. The Saints were up 27-24 with a little over three minutes left, driving into field goal range.

 

It appeared to be over.

 

And then there was a gift from God.

 

A lateral to Reggie Bush—not a handoff—that was fumbled and recovered by our very own Darren Howard near midfield.

 

With just over a minute to play, we found ourselves watching a fourth and 10, down 27 to 24. Miss and it’s over.

 

By some miracle, Garcia completed a pass to Hank Baskett for the first down, moving the chains, and keeping the dream season alive.

 

And then the refs blew the whistle.

 

After the play was over.

 

The call was a false start penalty on backup guard Scott Young—filling in for the injured All-Pro Shawn Andrews—thus negating the completion and putting the Eagles with a much more difficult fourth and 15.

 

Andy Reid chose to punt, putting his faith in a defense that hadn’t stopped Deuce McAllister or Reggie Bush all day.

 

The defense couldn’t hold up, and that’s all she wrote.

 

Chris Clemons’ 73-yard fumble return TD, 2008: Ok, I added 11 plays. I couldn’t resist this game.

 

Final game of the 2008 season, Eagles-Cowboys for the last playoff spot in the NFC.

 

What could get better that that?

 

The Eagles whipped Dallas in this game, 44-6. I could have chosen any number of plays from this game, but I think I’ll go with Chris Clemons’ 73-yard fumble return touchdown early in the third quarter to put the Birds up by 31 points.

 

I could just as easily pick Joselio Hanson’s fumble return touchdown.

 

Or virtually any snap taken by quarterback Tony Romo, who enjoyed arguably his worst day as a pro.

 

I don’t think I will ever get tired of watching this game’s highlights.

The Year Too Early NFL All-Decade Team

There’s still another year of football to be played in this decade.

 

However, I figured I’d put together a list of guys who merit selection to the 2000’s NFL All-Decade Team.

 

For this, I chose to factor in stats, awards, playoff performances, and other achievements. Without further adieu, here is your all-decade team by position.

 

 

Quarterback: Brady or Manning?

 

The ever-popular and over discussed debate.

 

Colts’ fans will focus on the regular season accomplishments while Patriots fans will look to the postseason success.

 

I have no bias either way, so I don’t really care.

 

Forgive me, but I’ll pass on this one…

 

Runners-Up: Matt Cassel and Jim Sorgi

 

 

Running Back: There have been a lot of great running backs this decade, but only one has dominated for virtually the whole decade.

 

That would be the Chargers’ versatile and durable LaDainian Tomlinson, a former league MVP and owner of the single-season touchdown record.

 

LT is already pushing the top 10 greatest running backs who ever lived (I put him fifth on my list, published back in December), and a down year in ’08 still consisted of over 1,500 total yards and 12 touchdowns.

 

Runners-Up: Priest Holmes, Marshall Faulk, Jamal Lewis, Clinton Portis, Shaun Alexander, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, Ahman Green, Tiki Barber, Corey Dillon, Fred Taylor, Brian Westbrook, Adrian Peterson, Larry Johnson

 

 

Fullback: It’s probably the NFL’s most underappreciated position. In fact, sometimes I even forget it exists (not hard to do as an Eagles fan).

 

No one has been better than Lorenzo Neal, who has played on five separate teams thus far this decade.

 

That hasn’t stopped him from earning four Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro honors. And he has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher eight separate times this decade.

 

Runners-Up: Tony Richardson, Mike Alstott, Mack Strong, Fred Beasley

 

 

Wide Receiver: Four names come to mind for the NFL’s top wide receiver—Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, and Randy Moss.

 

And I can only choose two.

 

Name	Pro Bowls	All-Pro	1,000 Yard Seasons	10 TD Seasons	Rec-Yds-TD	Playoff Wins (Super Bowl)
Terrell Owens	6	5	8	7	729-10815-109	1 (0-for-1)
Marvin Harrison	7	2	7	7	791-10439-95	7 (1-for-1)
Torry Holt	7	1	8	3	817-11872-68	3 (0-for-1)
Randy Moss	4	3	7	6	694-10475-107	4 (0-for-1)

 

Terrell Owens: T.O. has the edge in first-team All-Pro selections, with just one less than Moss, Holt, and Harrison combined. He also has more 1,000-yard seasons and 10 TD seasons than the other three, and he ranks first in touchdown catches.

 

And if it weren’t for an abbreviated season in Philadelphia in ’05, T.O. would be the only one on this list to top 1,000 receiving yards in every season this decade.

 

Marvin Harrison: Harrison has the most Pro Bowls out of the group (tied with Holt), although he does have the second fewest first-team All-Pro selections. This is more a testament to his consistency and excellence than domination.

 

He has the second most catches out of the bunch—including an NFL-record 143 in 2002, a record that will probably not be broken anytime soon—but the second fewest touchdowns. He is also the only one of the bunch to have played on a Super Bowl champion team (in this decade, so Holt’s 1999 season does not count).

 

Torry Holt: The most underrated player of the bunch. By far.

 

When I originally made this list, I automatically just included Holt in the “runner-up” category. It wasn’t until I went back and looked at his credentials that I realized one could make a pretty legit case for Holt as a member of the All-Decade Team.

 

He has made seven Pro Bowls, tied with Moss for the most out of the group. He has by far the most receptions and receiving yards out of the group but the fewest touchdowns by an embarrassing margin.

 

This can probably be linked to: 1) Marshall Faulk, the versatile running back and touchdown machine who took away many of Holt’s touchdowns in St. Louis. 2) The simple fact that the Rams have not been a very good football team over this decade.

 

Holt has only been a first-team All-Pro selection once, but he has been arguably the most productive receiver year in and year out.

 

Randy Moss: Moss is the only player who does not lead in a single category. And he is penalized the most for what he has done in a previous decade.

 

In the first two seasons of his career (1998-’99), Moss earned two Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro selection while averaging 1,363 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns per year.

 

Add in those two years and take away his disappointing two seasons in Oakland (2005-’06), and I think Moss would have a much stronger case.

 

I will give him this though—go look up Daunte Culpepper’s stats in 2000 and 2004 compared to his years without Moss. Then check out what Moss helped Brady do in 2007. Moss probably has the biggest impact on his quarterbacks out of any of the others.

 

The Verdict: As of now, I have to take T.O. and Harrison.

 

In my opinion, T.O. is the most talented as a pure receiver. He will go across the middle, block, catch the ball, do whatever it takes to help his team win.

 

I won’t defend his attitude—I can’t—but he gives everything he’s got out there on the football field. He never took two years off, like Moss.

 

Runners-Up: Moss, Holt, Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Reggie Wayne

 

 

Tight End: L.J. Smith. No question. He has been one of the best draft picks Andy Reid has ever made…

 

Other than him, I would go with Tony Gonzalez. He might go down as the greatest tight end of all-time. He has made the Pro Bowl in all nine seasons this decade, including four selections as first-team All-Pro.

 

How many 32-year old tight ends do you know who can catch 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns from the likes of Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle, and Damon Huard?

 

Runners-Up: Antonio Gates, Jason Witten

 

 

Offensive Tackles: It’s very difficult to judge offensive linemen. Very difficult. There are no stats to which I have regular access.

 

I go by the Pro Bowl selections, first-team All-Pro selections, and their reputation. The first two names that came to my mind were Jonathan Ogden and Orlando Pace.

 

Ogden made eight consecutive Pro Bowls this decade, before retiring at the end of the ’07 season. Five times he was named first-team All-Pro and two additional times he was second-team All-Pro. He also helped the Ravens capture the Super Bowl championship after the 2000 season.

 

Pace was the NFC’s version of Jonathan Ogden—a mammoth-sized offensive tackle who was a fixture for the Pro Bowl roster. Pace earned six Pro Bowl selections in the ’00s, including five selections for first-team All-Pro.

 

Yet I’ll take another tackle—Walter Jones. Jones has been selected to the Pro Bowl in his last eight seasons and been voted an All-Pro seven times. He has blocked for the 2005 league MVP (Shaun Alexander) and was selected by Sporting News as the best player in the NFL following the 2006 season.

 

Runners-Up: Pace, Willie Roaf

 

 

Guards: Alan Faneca was the first name who came to my mind when I thought of guards.

 

Anyone realize how good he’s been?

 

EIGHT consecutive Pro Bowls. He has been a first-team All-Pro five times and second-team All-Pro three times.

 

He helped the Steelers to three conference championship games, including a Super Bowl win following the 2005 season. It’s a shame he left for the Jets after the ’07 season, because he would have another ring to his name if he had remained with the Steelers.

 

Faneca was voted Tuesday Morning Quarterback’s Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP for his stellar performance in the 2001 season.

 

Three other guards have earned at least six Pro Bowl selections this decade—Will Shields (7), Steve Hutchinson (6), and Larry Allen (6).

 

Again, it’s difficult to judge these guys on anything but their Pro Bowl selections, but I have always felt Hutchinson was the best guard in the league.

 

He has been an All-Pro six times, five of them as a first-team guard. He has been hugely instrumental in the performance of Shaun Alexander (2005 NFL MVP) and Adrian Peterson, the league’s top runner and 2008 NFL rushing champion.

 

In fact, Hutchinson has blocked for a 1,300-yard rusher in five of his last six seasons.

 

Runners-Up: Shields, Allen, Brian Waters

 

 

Centers: I’ve always loved watching Olin Kreutz play. He’s a little, undersized guy but he gives it his best. He’s earned six Pro Bowl selections and been named to the All-Pro team once.

 

Matt Birk of the Vikings has also earned six Pro Bowl invitations and been named All-Pro twice.

 

It’s either Kreutz or Birk.

 

I’ve got to go with Birk. He’s been slightly more dominant (more All-Pro selections). He’s been more vital to his team’s success in the running game, helping turn Adrian Peterson into the league’s top running back and Chester Taylor into one of the best backups.

 

Runners-Up: Kreutz, Kevin Mawae, Jeff Saturday

 

 

Defensive Ends: There have been a LOT of great defensive ends thus far this decade.

 

Five in particular that I will evaluate.

 

Jason Taylor leads in Pro Bowl selections (6), All-Pro nominations (4), and is one of just two defensive ends to have won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

 

Michael Strahan is the other to have won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He also holds the NFL single-season record in sacks (22.5), and has four Pro Bowls to his name.

 

Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers have consistently been among the league’s best pass-rushing ends. In fact, they are two of the most similar players in the NFL, not so much in their physical stature, but more so their accomplishments.

 

Each has totaled four Pro Bowls since their arrival to the NFL in 2002. Each has earned two All-Pro selections and accumulated exactly 70.5 sacks in seven years.

 

Personally, I feel Peppers is slightly better. He’s faster, more versatile, and can create a play out of nothing.

 

Last is Richard Seymour, a versatile lineman who can play both end and tackle. Seymour has been primarily used as an end, earning five Pro Bowl selections in eight years as a pro.

 

He has been a key part of the Patriots’ three Super Bowl championship teams and is often regarded as the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL.

 

He has struggled with injuries, but has been significant in the play of teammates Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, two up-and-coming talented linemen.

 

It’s very difficult to choose just two of these five players, but I think I’ll take Taylor—probably the best pure pass rusher of the group—and Seymour, a huge unblockable end who can play anywhere on the line.

 

Runners-Up: Strahan, Peppers, Freeney, Simeon Rice

 

 

Defensive Tackles: Probably the least dominant position out of all of them.

 

Warren Sapp was the first name to come to my mind, but he was at his best in the late ’90s and early part of this decade. Same with La’Roi Glover, who leads all defensive tackles this decade with six Pro Bowl nominations.

 

I’ve always loved Kris Jenkins, although he has been injury-prone during his career. Jenkins has earned four Pro Bowl selections from two different teams, played in a Super Bowl, and been an All-Pro three times.

 

Kevin Williams is arguably the top defensive tackle in the game right now. He is a tremendous run stopper who has earned four Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro nominations in the last five years.

 

I’ll take Glover and his six Pro Bowl invitations along with Kevin Williams, the tackle most primed to have another dominating season in ’09.

 

Runners-Up: Sapp, Jenkins, Pat Williams, Shaun Rogers, Casey Hampton, Marcus Stroud, Sam Adams, Tommie Harris

 

 

Middle Linebacker: Who else but Ray Lewis?

 

He might be the greatest middle linebacker of all-time, every bit as good as Ray Nitschke or Dick Butkus. In a poll the other year, Lewis was voted the third greatest linebacker of all-time.

 

Lewis is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, no question. He is a living legacy. Just ask Baltimore fans. There are those who swear that even at age 34, he hasn’t lost a single step.

 

In this decade alone, he has been voted to the Pro Bowl seven times, earned five All-Pro selections, and been named the game’s MVP following the Ravens’ 34-7 win in Super Bowl XXXV.

 

Lewis is also one of just six players in the history of the NFL to have earned the Defensive Player of the Year award twice (2000 and 2003).

 

Runners-Up: Brian Urlacher, Al Wilson, Keith Brooking, Jeremiah Trotter, Tedy Bruschi

 

 

Outside Linebackers: Very few people know just how good Derrick Brooks has been during his future Hall of Fame career. He has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, eight of them within this decade.

 

Brooks has also earned six All-Pro selections for the decade, earned an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award (2002), and helped the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl following the ’02 season.

 

Perhaps no player in the NFL has been as versatile as Julian Peterson, an outside linebacker who has lined up at defensive tackle, defensive end, middle linebacker, cornerback, and safety.

 

Peterson is a five-time Pro Bowler who has earned three All-Pro selections. He is one of the league’s best pass-rushers and coverage linebackers.

 

Runners-Up: Joey Porter, Shawne Merriman

 

 

Cornerback: The most valuable part of a top-notch defense is a shutdown corner, a guy who can literally shut down one side of the field.

 

Players like Deion Sanders and Mel Blount come to mind. These guys could cover the opposition’s top receiver and hold him to two or three catches and no scores.

 

Champ Bailey is the closest thing to a shutdown corner in today’s game. He has been arguably the top cover corner in the NFL over his career. Bailey has been voted to eight Pro Bowls thus far this decade, earning four All-Pro nominations.

 

His 2006 season, in which he led the NFL with 10 interceptions, did not allow a touchdown the entire year, and was voted unanimously to the All-Pro team, is one of the greatest by a cornerback in NFL history.

 

The Bucs’ Ronde Barber is one of the most underrated guys in the league. Barber has been voted to five Pro Bowl teams and earned five All-Pro nominations during his career. He helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl following the 2002 season.

 

Runners-Up: Ty Law, Twoy Vincent, Chris McAlister, Asante Samuel

 

 

Free Safety: I love a good free safety. A ballhawk who can play center field, roam around the defensive side of the field. A hard-hitter who can rush the quarterback, stop the run, and pick off the pass.

 

Like my man, Brian Dawkins.

 

Nicknamed “Weapon X,” Dawkins has been an icon during his reign in Philly. He earned six Pro Bowl selections during the decade and five All-Pro nominations, while leading the Eagles to the playoffs seven times, including five trips to the NFC Championship Game.

 

And he’s not the best free safety of the decade.

 

Unfortunately.

 

Ed Reed is.

 

Even though he has played just seven seasons in his NFL career, Reed is already being talked about as the greatest safety to ever play the game.

 

He is a ballhawk like no one I have seen in my lifetime, with 43 interceptions in his career, 11 total touchdowns, and five interceptions in five career playoff games.

 

Reed has been voted to five Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams, earned a Defensive Player of the Year award, and led the NFL in interceptions twice.

 

At just 30 years old, Reed will most likely go down as one of the two or three greatest safeties to ever play the game.

 

Runners-Up: Dawkins, Darren Sharper, Roy Williams

 

 

Strong Safety: I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers with a passion, but I can’t tell you what I would give for a playmaking safety like Troy Polamalu.

 

One of the top defensive players in the game right now, Polamalu has made five consecutive Pro Bowls, earned three All-Pro nominations, and helped the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles.

 

Despite Polamalu’s success, I’ll have to go with John Lynch. Lynch has been around the entire decade, compared to Polamalu, who didn’t break into the NFL until 2003.

 

While both players have earned three All-Pro selections, Lynch has earned seven Pro Bowls to Polamalu’s five. And Lynch was doing work for the Bucs at the beginning of the decade, while Polamalu had yet to finish his college career.

 

Runners-Up: John Lynch, Rodney Harrison, Bob Sanders

 

 

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri is the obvious choice.

 

A two-time Pro Bowler, Vinatieri has played on four Super Bowl champion teams, three with the Patriots and one with the Colts.

 

He has been a part of some of the most clutch plays in NFL history, twice kicking last-second, game-winning field goals to win the Super Bowl, while adding a 45-yard field goal in a foot of snow in overtime to beat the Raiders in the ’01 Divisional Playoffs.

 

Vinatieri is on track to be just the second pure kicker to earn admission to the Hall of Fame.

 

Runners-Up: Mike Vanderjagt, David Akers, Jeff Wilkins, Jason Elam, Matt Stover

 

 

Punter: Shane Lechler has long been considered the top punter in the game. He has earned four Pro Bowl selections and been voted an All-Pro six times.

 

Lechler also holds the NFL’s second-best single-season mark for punting average (49.1 in 2007).

 

Runners-Up: Brian Moorman, Todd Sauerbrun, Jeff Feagles

 

 

Kick/Punt Returner: It’s a close one here between Dante “The Human Joystick” Hall and Devin “Anytime” Hester.

 

Hall was dominant from 2002 through 2004, putting together three of the finest seasons a kick returner has ever had. During those three seasons, he earned two Pro Bowl selections and returned nine total kicks for touchdowns.

 

Hester hasn’t been in the league longer than three years, but he has already earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and returned 11 kicks for touchdowns, plus a 108-yard missed field goal return for a score, and the opening kick of the Super Bowl back for a TD.

 

I think Hester was slightly more dominant in his prime than Hall, but I’ll take Hall due to more years in the league during this decade.

 

Runner-Up: Hester

What to Expect From the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles’ Draft Picks

Andy Reid’s draft picks have a history of not producing much in their first year.

 

In fact, his first-year players barely see the field.

 

Donovan McNabb started just six games at the end of his rookie year, as Reid wisely allowed him to sit and learn from mentor Doug Pederson for the first 10 games. This move paid off well as McNabb started the entire 2000 season, led the Eagles to the playoffs and finished second in the NFL in the Most Valuable Player voting.

 

Freddie Mitchell was a first-round draft pick at the wide receiver position. He totaled just 21 catches for the season, playing primarily as the team’s third receiver.

 

Jerome McDougle, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley were three defensive linemen drafted in the first round in a span of just four years. While Patterson did manage to crack the starting lineup for seven games near the end of the 2005 season, neither McDougle nor Bunkley started a game or even collected a sack.

 

Last year’s DeSean Jackson was the exception to the rule.

 

Forced into a starting role because of injuries to Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, Jackson was given playing time early, eventually winning the starting spot.

 

He caught 62 passes for 912 yards and two touchdowns. The receptions and yards were the most by an Eagles homegrown receiver under Reid.

 

Over the last 10 years, Reid has done pretty well in the draft. His picks don’t always perform early on, but most of them turn out fine.

 

That being said, expect this year’s draft class to play. A lot.

 

Expect first-round pick Jeremy Maclin to get significant playing time as one of the team’s wideouts. Maclin is most likely to play in the slot role as the Eagles’ third receiver.

 

Maclin brings a strong element of speed to the team. This should make him a deep ball threat for McNabb. I don’t expect Maclin to put up the same numbers that Jackson did last year, basically because he will be given fewer opportunities on the field.

 

However, I do expect Maclin to give defensive backs some trouble next season.

 

He has the talent and speed to do some damage immediately, and he will benefit from playing with McNabb, one of the elite quarterbacks in the game.

 

Second-round draft pick LeSean McCoy is a speedy, elusive running back out of Pittsburgh who reminds many of Brian Westbrook.

 

With Westbrook nursing a nagging ankle injury, McCoy could be used a lot more than originally intended.

 

In fact, McCoy could be the team’s opening day starter if Westbrook is not healthy.

 

It’s asking a lot to expect a rookie to be ready to be the opening day starter in his first NFL game, but in this scenario, the Eagles may have no choice.

 

Westbrook has been very injury-prone over his career, so we could be seeing a lot of McCoy this season.

 

Tight end Cornelius Ingram was picked in the fifth round out of the University of Florida. A former college quarterback, Ingram converted to tight end. He was thought to have first or second-round talent, but missed the majority of his senior year due to an ACL injury, dropping his draft stock.

 

As of now, Brent Celek is the team’s starter at tight end. Celek emerged as a play-maker down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, topping out with 10 receptions, including two touchdowns, in the NFC Championship game.

 

Ingram should push for playing time, and if anything else, provide the Eagles with a viable option to use in two-tight end sets.

 

Cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris was picked in the fifth round, four picks after Ingram. Harris is a cornerback and kick return specialist, who could push Hobbs or Demps for time as the team’s return man.

 

Harris won’t play much on defense—he is currently the fifth cornerback, behind Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Ellis Hobbs, and Jack Ikegwuonu—but he will have a good opportunity to learn from some of the game’s best.

 

Fenuki Tupou was the team’s third pick in the fifth round. A huge offensive tackle, Tupou was recently signed to a four-year deal by the Eagles, but I doubt he will make the team, much less play his rookie season.

 

Tupou is buried on the depth chart, behind Jason Peters, Shawn Andrews, Winston Justice, King Dunlap and Chris Patrick, and I don’t think the team will keep six tackles.

 

Sixth round draft choice Brandon Gibson will need a miracle to make the team. As it stands, the Eagles have five legit receivers on their roster, plus Reggie Brown. Gibson might make the practice squad, but that’s it.

 

The team’s final two picks were guard Paul Fanaika and outside linebacker Moise Fokou, two players who will most likely be released from the roster during the final week of training camp.

My Top 10 Favorite Articles on Bleacher Report

Since I was introduced to Bleacher Report back in October, my life has been changed.

 

For the better.

 

I have been swept up in a world of writers just like myself; amateur writers in love with their sport or team who just want to express themselves on a free website. I have climbed up the rankings of this website and learned the keys to good, quality writing.

 

I have made cyber friends and cyber enemies (just a few though) and discovered the joy of expressing myself to a world of readers.

 

Along the way, I have read some very good articles.

 

Articles that I feel belong on the front page of ESPN. Articles that if I wrote, I would proudly tell everyone, “That’s MY article. I wrote that.”

 

Over the last few weeks, I have taken the time to compile a list of my ten favorite articles I have ever read on Bleacher Report.

 

I have found these in many ways.

 

I have read the posts on my bulletin board. I always make it a point to read the Article of the Day. I went back through the archives of every single one of the top 50 writers on this website. I searched for topics I thought might have good articles. I have read literally thousands of articles in my search.

 

I mostly read about baseball and football, so many of these articles will be centered around those two sports. I apologize to those of you who write about other sports that don’t interest me. It’s not that your articles aren’t good. They are.

 

Bleacher Report has one of the best wrestling sections compared to any other sport. These guys (Joe Burgett, Ryan Michael, Shane Howard, and others) write with a passion that really impresses me.

 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t put any of their articles on my list because, well, I don’t know a thing about wrestling and wouldn’t know a bad article from a Pick of the Day article.

 

Same with some of the other sports on this website: World football, Formula One racing, boxing, cricket, etc.

 

In fact, there are tons of fabulous writers on this website whose articles didn’t quite make the cut.

 

Sean Crowe is one of my favorite NFL writers on the website. Same with Angel Navedo. None of their articles quite made my top ten, but there’s no denying these guys are tremendous writers who have a profound dedication to their team.

 

Bob Warja is an extremely talented MLB writer. So is Andrew Nuschler. These guys didn’t make my top ten, but they are good enough writers I want to give a POTD vote to virtually everything they write.

 

Pete McKeown wrote an incredible tribute to his friend, titled, “To An Athlete Dying Young,” that garnered him Article of the Day for THREE consecutive days, but I had to leave it off my list (it fell at No. 11).

 

In short, there are a LOT of good articles on this website.

 

Too many to include in my article.

 

In fact, there are enough that I could easily make a list of my top 50 favorite articles from this website.

 

With this in mind, I included my own personal top ten favorite articles from this website. These aren’t just all pro-Eagles articles, although in my mind, the best article anyone could write is one which does nothing but praise Philadelphia sports teams.

 

These are articles that took time to write. The writers did their research. They backed up their points with facts and they captured hundreds of readers.

 

Many of these articles were awarded as the official Article of the Day. All of them should have.

 

I think every user on Bleacher Report should read these articles.

 

They’re that good.

 

Feel free to post the link to any others you have in mind, and rather than using this as an opportunity to advertise your own writing, include articles that weren’t written by yourself. Any article you have ever read that made you go, “WOW!” should be mentioned.

 

And there are a lot of them that make me say, “WOW!”

 

Here is my top ten, starting with an honorable mention…

 

 

 

*Honorable Mention: Move Over Barry Bonds – That’s Why I Play in Center Field series by Zander Freund

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/40034-move-over-barry-bonds-thats-why-i-play-in-center-field-introduction

 

This wasn’t just an article. It was an entire series by our very own B/R leader, Zander Freund.

 

This series, totaling five articles, chronicled the ten greatest center fielders in baseball history. And the research behind this was amazing.

 

 

 

10. Female Reporters in the Locker Room: Does it Work? by Lisa Horne

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/111519-female-reporters-in-the-locker-room-does-it-work

 

This is probably the best article ever written by the longtime No. 1 ranked writer for Bleacher Report. In this article, Lisa explores that thought we have all had at one time: should women be allowed in the men’s locker room?

 

Better yet, Lisa doesn’t just speculate what it would be like. She bases her opinion on her real-life experience – what is was like for HER when she ventured into that “forbidden place called the players’ locker room,” as she puts it.

 

Her article was a little controversial, in the fact that a lot of people disagreed with the subject. But it sure captured my attention and I remember it was the first article I ever thought was good enough to bookmark on my computer.

 

 

 

9. The 20 Worst Football Cliches by Justin Goar

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/44470-the-20-worst-football-clichs

 

Wow. Check out the stats for this article. Over 26,000 reads and 200+ comments. Not a bad job by Justin.

 

This article highlighted the 20 worst football cliches we as fans have become accustomed to, such as “giving 110 percent” and making a “circus catch.”

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article not only for its list of entertaining cliches but also for the blend of humor Justin was able to inject constantly throughout the article.

 

 

 

8. The Best Quarterback of the Decade: Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? by Football Maniaxs (Derek Lofland)

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/152304-tom-brady-or-peyton-manning-who-is-the-best-qb-of-the-decade

 

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning has become the ever-popular Bleacher Report debate. More articles have been written about this topic than every other topic combined. At least it seems like it.

 

Derek took a look at this debate in his article, focusing on who has been better this decade, Brady or Manning?

 

What I really enjoyed from this article is its completely neutral perspective. There was no biased preference to either quarterback; simply the facts and statistics to make a pretty convincing argument.

 

And I really enjoyed how even after Derek made his selection of who has been better (I won’t ruin it for you in case you haven’t read it yet), he still offered his opinion for how the other quarterback could become the best, based on an outstanding performance in 2009.

 

All those Brady vs. Manning articles should look to this one as the example. It’s that good.

 

 

 

7. Wasted Vick-Tories by Kristin Hamlin

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/74183-wasted-vick-tories

 

If I remember correctly, this is the first article I ever remember reading on Bleacher Report. It really stuck in my mind, so much so that six months later I still remember it.

 

For starters, the title really drew me in. It was very clever and the picture was a bit of a shocker, certainly summing up the content in the article.

 

The article focused on the wasted opportunities by not only Michael Vick, but his brother Marcus: two young men blessed with all the talent in the world who let their attitudes get the best of them.

 

I felt like I was reading one of those long articles you find in ESPN The Magazine – it was that good.

 

 

 

6. The New Bleacher Report T-Shirt: All The Cool Cats Are Wearing ‘Em by Todd Civin

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/145910-the-new-bleacher-report-t-shirt-all-the-cool-cats-are-wearing-em

 

I had never heard of Todd before I read this article. After reading it, I gave it my POTD vote and immediately became a fan of Todd.

 

Check out the first three sentences of his article:

 

“I’m not a pretty man. I’m 5’8” and weigh 220 pounds with gusts up to 230.

 

Women don’t look twice when I walk down the street.”

 

I almost died laughing after reading that. The whole article is just as funny as that short blurb, and if we as readers should take anything away from the new Bleacher Report shirt, it’s that “the least we can do is buy one so Zander can pay the damn bills.”

 

 

 

5. Super Bowl XLIII: 10 Possible Matchups NFL Fans Would Love to See by Dan Parzych

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/96954-super-bowl-xliii-10-possible-matchups-nfl-fans-would-love-to-see

 

Dan wrote this article before the NFL playoffs started and named the ten possible matchups NFL fans would love to see. He did pretty well, generating over 100 comments and an amazing 12,000-plus reads.

 

This article was extremely well-written. If I had to write my own 10 possible matchups, they would probably be very similar to Dan’s list.

 

He covered everything you could imagine, such as Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants (battle of the Mannings) or San Diego Chargers vs. Minnesota Vikings (battle of the No. 1 fantasy picks).

 

 

 

4. Four Reasons Michael Jordan Is, and Will Be, The Greatest Ever by Mike Carley

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/153659-4-reasons-why-michael-jordan-still-is-and-will-be-the-greatest-ever

 

Anyone think LeBron, Kobe, or Dwyane Wade is the new Michael Jordan?

 

Nope.

 

Mike Carley’s article discusses four reasons why Michael Jordan is, and always will be, the greatest ever. His article had research, facts to back up his opinion, and it was so well-written it just blew me away.

 

I can’t imagine how long it must have taken to write this article. It was close to 4,500 words long and well worthy of being featured on ESPN or FoxSports.

 

Perhaps I saw it summed up best in one of those comments. A user commented saying he was going to write an article about Michael Jordan being overrated but decided it’s now impossible to do so.

 

That’s high praise, especially impressive considering this was only the eighth article Mike has written for Bleacher Report.

 

 

 

3. Why Jerry Rice is NOT the Greatest Wide Receiver in NFL History by Bryn Swartz

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/144332-jerry-rice-will-always-be-the-greatest-wide-receiver

 

There are some things every sports fan just accepts as fact. Babe Ruth was the best baseball player who ever lived. Tony Romo chokes every December. And Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.

 

Right?

 

Apparently not.

 

Bryn’s article contained more statistics than I knew existed. I can’t even begin to fathom the amount of research it required to write this, but he did a tremendous job in an argument that seems impossible to support.

 

And here’s how you know the article was great. TWO separate writers wrote a rebuttal to Bryn’s article, stating why Jerry Rice IS the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.

 

 

 

2. Tom Brady Stole My Girlfriend by Michael Cline

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/127187-tom-brady-stole-my-girlfriend

 

I never knew I could laugh so hard simply by reading an article.

 

And then I found this one.

 

I read this article, commented and gave it a POTD vote, and then read it three more times because it was so good. I showed it to my mother, my girlfriend, everyone I met. And everyone loved it.

 

This is the type of article that should be in Reader’s Digest or Sporting News. It was so good. It’s perhaps the funniest thing I have ever read in my life.

 

Simply put, you HAVE to read this.

 

 

 

1. Cardinals-Steelers Super Bowl Pick: Princess Bride Style by Robert Allred

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/113203-cardinals-steelers-super-bowl-pick-princess-bride-style

 

As soon as I saw the title for this one, I had a feeling it would be an article to remember.

 

And it was.

 

All I could say when I finished it was, “Wow.”

 

Robert injected humor, facts, sports, everything into his article. I don’t know where he got the idea to write this, but he took dialogue from a popular movie “(The Princess Bride, which happens to be one of my favorite movies) and turned it into a Battle of Picks about the Super Bowl.

 

Hands down the best article I have ever read on Bleacher Report.

Philadelphia Eagles Upgrade WR Corps: Watch Out For This Group of Playmakers

There’s been a lot of talk from Eagles fans campaigning for the team to sign an elite wide receiver to bolster what was one of the weaker aspects of the offense last season.

 

Like every year.

 

Anquan Boldin seemed to be the popular favorite for this team.

 

Last year, Boldin caught 11 touchdowns and totaled over 1,000 yards in just 12 games, while helping the Arizona Cardinals to the first Super Bowl in franchise history. He is a big physical receiver who can go across the middle to make a catch. Boldin is also an above-average blocker who would bring that extra element to the Eagles.

 

Rumors swirled about potential trades for Anquan Boldin.

 

We heard of a possible Sheldon Brown for Anquan Boldin trade or scenarios such as a first round pick and Reggie Brown straight up for Anquan Boldin.

 

No moves were made, and at this point, it appears as if Boldin will be staying with Kurt Warner in Arizona next season.

 

Other possible candidates included veterans like Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzedah, Marvin Harrison, or Braylon Edwards, or perhaps an addition through a draft that featured many top wide receiver prospects.

 

We’ve all seen what Donovan McNabb can do with a top-notch playmaker to throw the ball to, ala Terrell Owens in 2004. With T.O. drawing double teams, it allowed more opportunities for the team’s other receivers and backs to get open and create plays.

 

In fact, the only full season in which the Eagles have ever had a legit No. 1, the team reached the Super Bowl.

 

So while the team didn’t pick up Boldin, the receiving corps sure weren’t ignored.

 

The Eagles made a huge splash in the draft, trading up to select Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin with the 19th overall pick.

 

It’s about time.

 

Maclin was a stud receiver and returner in college. He was an All-American in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Last season, he caught 80 passes for 1,260 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also led all of college football in average all-purpose yards per game.

 

And that was just as a sophomore. Maclin declared for the draft early, forgoing his final two years of eligibility in college football.

 

I am curious to see where the Eagles will list Maclin on their depth chart next season. Maclin played in the slot for most of the Tigers’ season. Essentially, the Eagles have three receivers best suited for the slot.

 

I think the most likely scenario for 2009 is Kevin Curtis as the team’s No. 1 and Jackson as the No. 2. Maclin will be the third receiver, but he should be expected to get some significant playing time.

 

This will leave Jason Avant and Hank Baskett as the fourth and fifth receivers for this team, two players who could easily be a No. 3 for many teams.

 

All of a sudden, the Eagles boast one of the finest receiving corps in the league.

 

No team has speed like the Eagles.

 

Jackson runs a 4.29 in the 40 yard dash and Maclin’s personal best is 4.31, which would place both of them in the select few fastest receivers in the league. Curtis is a speedy receiver probably best suited for the slot.

 

Has any team in history ever had a group of receivers as fast as these guys? Ever?

I can’t think of any.

 

I envision a future for this team with Maclin and Jackson as the No. 1 and 2 receivers, with Curtis as one of the game’s top slot receivers.

 

Avant is a possession receiver with a knack for making clutch catches on third down and Baskett is a big-play machine, with three touchdowns in his career of 87-plus yards.

 

McNabb should do wonders with this group next year.

 

Maclin and Jackson will benefit from one another on the field. Jackson is the veteran of the two, with a year of experience on him.

 

The Eagles are set for years with these two playmakers and I can’t wait to see what McNabb can do now.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010