Unlike Running Backs Past, LeSean McCoy Won’t Be Bust for Eagles

I was perusing the recent articles on PhiladelphiaEagles.com when I came upon this response from a fan in regard to an article about Brian Westbrook’s injury:

“Westbrook was past his prime anyway. It’s been time to start shopping for a new running back, and going into the draft this year, I saw LeSean McCoy as the biggest potential bust.”

LeSean McCoy is not a bust.

Not yet, at least. And don’t count on that changing.

Many people seem to assume that McCoy will be a bust because of Andy Reid’s lack of success drafting running backs in the middle rounds.

 

Ryan Moats

It all started with Ryan Moats. A third-round pick, he went 5’8”, 210 pounds.

There were expectations for Moats. He was given a number of opportunities—some he capitalized on, some he didn’t.

His NFL career began in 2005. Westbrook went down, and all of a sudden Moats was thrown into the spotlight.

Moats played seven games, one of which he started. He averaged a very solid 5.1 yards per carry with 278 yards on 55 attempts. He showed signs of life, including an electric 59-yard touchdown run. Moats’ future looked bright in Philadelphia.

But that didn’t last all that long. By the 2006 offseason, he was receiving fewer looks in organized team activities and mini-camps. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but Andy Reid and the organization no longer saw him as a viable future starter.

The 2006 season was disappointing for Moats. He did not start a game, and was only played sparingly. He managed a meager 69 yards in 22 attempts—an insufficient 3.1 yards per carry. That performance signaled the end of Ryan Moats in Philadelphia.

 

Tony Hunt

There was a lot of hype around Tony Hunt when he was selected by the Eagles in the third round of the NFL draft. The pride and joy of the Nittany Lions was expected to make an impact in his first year as a Philadelphia Eagle.

He was a bigger running back by Andy Reid’s standards. He had a solid four inches on Westbrook—a giant among the Eagles’ running back corps—at 6’2″. He was also on the heavier side for a running back—again, by Reid’s standards—at 233 pounds.

In his first season as an Eagle, Hunt could not get onto the field. He was used very sparingly, mostly in games that the Eagles had already won or when Westbrook was too shaken up to play. He managed only 16 yards on 10 attempts—a pathetic 1.6-yard average.

In his sophomore year, Hunt seemingly found his niche on the team. He was announced as the starting fullback. After some disappointing performances, he found himself on the bench again for another four games before being released from the Eagles.

 

LeSean McCoy

That brings us to the Eagles’ most recent draft pick. LeSean McCoy, out of Pittsburgh, weighs in at 5’10”, 198 pounds. There was a lot of supposition that if he had remained in college for another year he could very well have been a first-round pick in the subsequent draft.

Many so-called fans believe that McCoy is a sure bust because he’s much like Reid’s other experimental, miniature, early mid-round running backs. But there’s another running back with McCoy’s height and general weight.

His name is Brian Westbrook.

Westbrook: Third round, 5’10”, 203 pounds.

McCoy: Second round, 5’10”, 198 pounds.

Notice a resemblance?

I’m not going to try and tell you that McCoy is the next LaDainian Tomlinson. I’m not even going to try and tell you that he’s the next Brian Westbrook.

The bottom line is, it’s too early to even put the words “McCoy,” and “bust,” in the same sentence. I expect big things from McCoy, and you shouldn’t do anything different.

Three Things the Eagles Must Do To Win a Championship

For some fans, the Eagles offense has seemed lackluster in the past few years. It’s not an outrageous claim—the Eagles offense seemed much more spectacular in Donovan McNabb’s younger (and more athletic) days.

For others, the offense has seemed to improve. The concept of reliability and stability outweighs the importance of explosiveness and the ability to score at any given moment.

But just about every Eagles fan will agree on one thing.

There is room for improvement, and the Eagles’ offensive unit has not necessarily lived up to its potential in the past few years.

Andy Reid is a big believer in speed: speed receivers, speed running backs, and even speedy quarterbacks. The fact that Kevin Curtis is potentially the slowest starting wide receiver on the team is a testament to this.

 

Stretch the Field

Philadelphia must utilize their speed and attack the defense. Often.

Not only will taking the defense deep present the threat of the long ball, it will also open up the short receiving game for rookie standout Cornelius Ingram, potential starter Brent Celek, and veteran superstar Brian Westbrook.

It wasn’t until later on in the year that playmaker DeSean Jackson became effective at striking the defense on the long ball. First-year wideout Jeremy Maclin may also face this issue. But one way or the other, Maclin will be integrated into the passing game in such a way that the Eagles’ offensive will be producing.

While Maclin may not necessarily produce early on in the year, his deep threat ability will draw the attention of the defense. Screens will be a much more viable option this year.

With a year of NFL experience under his belt, D-Jax may find himself running deep more often. The Jackson-Curtis tandem could very well become a nightmare for defensive coordinators, mainly because they both have the ability to strike the defense on the long ball at any given time.

 

Utilize the Running Game

Not only do running backs Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy have the potential to make a broken play into a big play, running the ball will also increase the effectiveness of the Eagles’ offense.

It was a statistic that was glamorized last season—when the Eagles run the ball as much as they pass the ball, they win. It was a vital key in Andy Reid’s game planning going into the offseason last year.

Andy Reid needs to have faith in the running game. Not only will running the ball be effective in stabilizing the Eagles’ offense, it will also allow veteran Brian Westbrook (whose statistics had declined noticeably last year) an opportunity to show why he is considered by many to be the best elusive back in the league, as well as allow the Eagles to strike the defense in the passing game when they really need it.

 

Trust in the Quarterback

Donovan McNabb has proven that he can carry the offense. He did it for the better part of his career.

The Eagles’ organization needs to let McNabb be McNabb. It’s no secret that McNabb has lost some of his elusiveness and scrambling ability in the past few seasons.

Or has he?

Under the coaching of Andy Reid, McNabb has settled down as a quarterback—he second guesses himself before escaping the pocket or running for the first down. There’s not a doubt in my mind that McNabb is as effective a scrambler now as he was ten years ago.

McNabb has to make his own decisions and lead his own team. If McNabb isn’t being himself, the Eagles won’t win games. It’s that simple.

Philadelphia Eagles’ Offseason in Review: Offensive Edition

While the offseason has certainly been more dramatic for the Eagles’ defense, the offensive unit has probably accomplished more in these past several months.

Andy Reid and the Philadelphia organization began the offseason by choosing not to re-sign veteran offensive tackles Jon Runyan and William (Tra) Thomas. Initially, it was a questionable move and didn’t necessarily have the support of the Eagles’ fan base.

Ultimately, though, it all panned out, as the Eagles signed former Cincinnati offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, brother of Sean Andrews, to take up the right guard/right tackle position.

Stacy Andrews is considered by many to be “damaged goods.” Most of these people don’t realize that he was part of the 2007 Bengals o-line that allowed only 17 sacks, before suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

At that point, most fans were under the assumption that Eagles’ left guard Todd Herremans or right guard Sean Andrews would be protecting Donovan McNabb’s blind side at left tackle.

Then the Eagles found out that the Buffalo Bills would be willing to deal disgruntled offensive tackle Jason Peters.

Peters didn’t come cheaply to the Eagles though.

They traded three draft picks for him—one of Philadelphia’s two 2009 first round draft picks, a fourth-rounder in the 2009 draft, and a sixth-rounder in 2010.

But he’s worth it. Well…when he’s happy, at least.

In the 2008 season—a pro bowl season for the giant—he allowed just two sacks in 14 games.

However, in the 2009 season, that number increased dramatically to 11.5. Many people will attribute this to the fact that he was upset with his contract. Peters’ poor 2009 season doesn’t seem to worry Andy Reid.

“Jason Peters is the best left tackle in football,” Reid stated. “He is a powerful and athletic tackle and I have admired his play over the last few years on film.”

Another issue that had been addressed in the offseason was the tight end position. L.J. Smith is gone. For many fans, this was a long overdue decision.

But few fans had any idea what would happen at the tight end position—few thought that Brent Celek would be come the starter; the majority guessed that the Eagles would draft a playmaker—one of the more popular rumors was that Eagles would be picking up Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State.

There were very few, however, that could have ever guessed that the Eagles would pick Cornelius Ingram from the University of Florida.

Cornelius Ingram is an interesting player. He was athletic enough coming out of high school to be recruited as a quarterback.

He can do just about everything. Run. Catch. Pass. You name it.

Except block.

Granted, Andy Reid has never seemed to be an advocate of the blocking tight end; he knew that, unless he was using an early pick on a tight end, he wasn’t going to get a spectacular blocker. But Ingram’s athleticism has Reid convinced that he can learn the trade of the NFL tight end.

“I know I didn’t do a whole lot of blocking, as far as being an attached tight end, because we were so into the spread,” said the fifth-round pick, “but I know I can do it.”

The running back position was a more pressing issue that had to be addressed. With an aging Westbrook being unable to stay healthy, in seemed that a “running back of the future” pick was in order.

The severity of the issue was amplified by the departure of veteran running back Correll Buckhalter.

If there’s one man who couldresolve this issue, it’s LeSean McCoy. 

The Eagles drafted Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy in the second round of the NFL draft. On paper McCoy is a lot like Westbrook.

Neither are heavyweights or otherwise “big guys.” If there’s one guy that can take Westbrook’s job if (when) he goes down, it’s McCoy. One of McCoy’s most impressive attributes is his toughness. Despite his size, he sometimes seems eager to take on a big hit.

And I saved the best for last. Wide receiver.

Oh boy, could I say a lot about the wide receiver corps this year. But I don’t want to bore you; I’ll get straight to the point.

The wide receiver corps has definitely improved this year. It might not be what Donovan McNabb or Philly fans wanted, but the fact of the matter is that it didchange for the better this offseason.

Firstly, the Eagles got rid of Greg Lewis. I don’t think I need to tell you that this was a great move.

Secondly, Reggie Brown is now fighting for his job. I don’t think I need to tell you that this is a great thing. Maybe with more motivation, he will be able to live up to his (supposed) potential.

The Eagles acquired Jeremy Maclin and Brandon Gibson in the draft.

I’ve never been a big Maclin fan, but it makes all the sense in the world that Andy Reid would pick him. He is the spitting image of Andy Reid’s yearly first pick (when he’s not trading that pick away).

Freddie Mitchell, Reggie Brown, etc. Unfortunately, this type of receiver has only panned out once for Andy Reid—but it panned out very will indeed for DeSean Jackson.

Which reminds me-DeSean Jackson, Hank Baskett, Jason Avant, and Kevin Curtis should all be returning with another year of experience under their belt.

We’re in for one wild year.

Donovan McNabb Keeps Calm: Injury, Contract Situation Don’t Shake Him

A few short months ago, Donovan McNabb was demanding a stronger offensive unit. His leverage? He refused to extend his contract, which expires after the 2010 season, unless he was given more weapons to operate his offense with.

The 10-year quarterback is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the Eagles offense, and so one could only expect that the organization would do all within its power to get him what he demanded, right?

Wrong. Unless, of course, you want to call a revamped offensive line a weapon for McNabb. Other than a few unproven pass-catchers picked up in the draft, the Eagles haven’t really made an attempt to satisfy McNabb’s desire for more play makers.

But the veteran quarterback is staying calm, believing that, “that (the contract situation) will work itself out.” This McNabb is a much different McNabb than at the beginning of the offseason—perhaps one that was frustrated by his lack of a dominant receiver; and he may have simmered down since then.

McNabb and the Eagles did begin to discuss contract extension possibilities, although they ultimately decided to tune up the remainding years of his contract.

The injury sustained by Brian Westbrook and the surgery that followed did not seem to worry him, either. Westbrook, who underwent surgery on his ankle this past week, is questionable to return by the beginning of the regular season.

McNabb displayed confidence in stating that, “I think Brian will be fine. Obviously, we want him to be healthy and ready to go, and I think he’ll be able to do that.”

Should Westbrook not be able to return in time for the regular season, second round draftee LeSean McCoy (pictured above, right side) may be looking at some early playing time.

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