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2007 Team Report: Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterbacks

Starter: Donovan McNabb
Backup(s): A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb [R]

Starting QB: Donovan McNabb is at a critical stage of his career. A torn ACL in Week 11 ended his 2006 season prematurely, and marked the third time in five years he failed to finish the season. The good news is, when healthy, McNabb remains one of the league's best quarterbacks. He was leading the league in yards and touchdown passes before his injury last year, and spreading the ball across a broad array of receivers. For a West Coast offense QB, McNabb's accuracy has never been great; he's completed more than 60% of his passes just once in eight years. On the other hand, he has thrown 80 more touchdowns than interceptions in his career; among the best in the league over that span. Once considered a major running threat, McNabb is now far more selective about running with the ball. McNabb has been practicing throughout camp and started the 2nd preseason game, he looks ready to start Week One.

Backup QB: Eagles management shocked the world with the selection of Kevin Kolb in the early 2nd round of the NFL draft. Kolb, a highly productive passer from the University of Houston, was apparently far and away the top remaining player on the Eagles board; which is surprising because many draft pundits viewed Kolb as the 5th or 6th best passer in the class. Either way, the selection of a QB in the early 2nd sent a clear message that Donovan McNabb no longer has a stranglehold on the position looking beyond 2007. While Kolb likely represents the future, A.J. Feeley will serve as McNabb's primary backup this season. Feeley, who started his career in Philadelphia, returned to the team late last season after being cast off by San Diego. Feeley is a system guy with an average arm, but a comfort and familiarity with Reid's offense. Feeley's best days have been as an Eagle, and he is a capable game manager if called upon.

Running Backs

Starter: Brian Westbrook
Backup(s): Correll Buckhalter, Tony Hunt [R], Ryan Moats [IR]
Fullback(s): Thomas Tapeh, Nate Ilaoa [R]

Starting RB: Brian Westbrook is the linchpin of the Eagles offense. Last year, he led the team in rushes (240), rushing yards (1,217), yards per rush (5.1), rushing TDs (7), receptions (77) and total yards (1,916). He scored at least one touchdown or went over 100 yards rushing in 11 of 15 games, and showed more durability than in years past. When Donovan McNabb went down to injury, the Eagles made a commitment to the ground game. This bodes well for Westbrook's productivity going forward. With a mammoth offensive line in front of him, there's little stopping him from another 1,200+ yard rushing season.

Backup RBs: Correll Buckhalter recovered admirably from his third season-ending knee injury last year and provided a complementary option to Brian Westbrook. Buckhalter is a more traditional runner, using his size and power to gain yards up the middle. No one ever questioned Buckhalter's ability, but few thought he would bounce back from his last surgery. His on-field value is matched by his veteran presence in the locker room. Buckhalter's tenacity serves as an inspiration. The Eagles selected Penn State running back Tony Hunt in the April draft; and he has been used as a goal line and short yardage specialist in the preseason. Ryan Moats, a former 3rd rounder, had seemingly lost favor before ending up on I.R. with a broken ankle.

Fullback: Thomas Tapeh was a hybrid back at the University of Minnesota and is best used as an offensive outlet versus a sixth offensive lineman. Rookie Nate Ilaoa held off Jason Davis for the backup fullback spot.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis
Backups: Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant

Starting WRs: Reggie Brown showed solid growth in his 2nd season, emerging as the Eagles best receiver with 46 receptions for 816 yards and 8 touchdowns. Brown, not really considered a speedster, averaged almost 18 yards per catch and displayed the ability to gain yards after the catch; a trait all the great West Coast offense receivers share. Entering his third season, Brown should easily push the 1,000 yard receiving mark. With the loss of free agent Donte Stallworth, the Eagles wasted little time in bringing in free agent Kevin Curtis from St. Louis. Curtis signed a multi-year deal after four seasons with the Rams where he played an important role but was relegated to WR3 duties behind Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Now, Curtis gets the chance to start for a team as pass happy as the Rams are. Curtis is a smallish receiver (5'11", 186 pounds) but runs crisp, precise routes and has glue-like hands.

Backup WRs: Greg Lewis is the elder statesmen of the receiving corps and will play out of the slot primarily. In many ways, Lewis is a poor man's Kevin Curtis. He isn't a big guy nor particularly fast, but he is a capable receiver thanks to good hands and an intrinsic understanding of spacing against bigger defensive backs. The corps is rounded out by Hank Baskett and Jason Avant, a pair of big 2nd-year receivers. Baskett, in particular, gives the team a potential weapon in the red zone. At 6'4", 215 pounds, Baskett should be able to out muscle defensive backs in tight spaces.

Tight Ends

Starters: L.J. Smith
Backups: Matt Schobel, Brent Celek [R]

L.J. Smith is coming off a 50-catch, 611-yard, 5 TD season that once again put him among the league's most productive pass-catching tight ends. Despite his productivity, Smith is recovering slowly from a sports hernia and has been limited throughout the preseason. While the team is hopeful, it looks unlikely that Smith will be 100% healthy at the start of the regular season. Smith's backups have been surprisingly productive in his absence. Veteran Matt Schobel has made big plays as a starter in the preseason, and is the team's best blocking TE. The story of camp has been the play of rookie Brent Celek; who makes highlight catches week after week.

Place Kicker

David Akers : 2006 was the second straight sub-par year for Akers. He finished last year 18 of 23 (78.3%) and hit only 72.7% in 2005, after having ranged from 82.8% to 88.2% the previous five years. Three of his missed FGs last year were from under 40 yards. After five consecutive years in the top ten in kicker scoring, the Eagles have ranked 23rd and 20th the last two years. On a more positive note, Akers played in all 16 games last year, after missing four games due to injury in 2005. He also had two career highs with 48 PATs scored and a 65.5 yard average on kickoffs. CAMP UPDATE: Dirk Johnson and Sav Rocca continue to compete for the punter/holder job. Akers noted, "We have two NFL punters here that are very good. Dirk is having one of the best camps I've ever seen him have. Very consistent, very deep balls. He looked really sharp. Plus he's holding real well right now. As for Sav, as a beginning holder, he's doing quite well. He's making some mistakes as a holder right now but as a rookie, that's going to be there. As a kicker, he might not be as consistent, but he has such a strong leg."

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: J.R. Reed; Kevin Curtis; Correll Buckhalter

The Eagles return situation is very much in flux, not the way the team envisioned things when they drafted Jeremy Bloom last year to serve in that capacity. Bloom disappointed in camp and was released, as were most of the other players thought to be in the running. J.R. Reed, who used to return kicks for the Eagles, was claimed off waivers and may get the role. Kevin Curtis, who returned kicks in St. Louis, will also be counted on. Correll Buckhalter will chip in, too, particularly if Reed doesn't stick.

Punt Returners: Greg Lewis; Brian Westbrook

Greg Lewis is willing to do anything to help the team win, and he'll do just that as the team's principal punt returner this season. Lewis has limited experience in the role but it's not completely foreign. Brian Westbrook, who used to be one of the NFL's most explosive returners before becoming the Eagle's franchise runner, will be available for key returns.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT William Thomas, LG Todd Herremans, C Jamaal Jackson, RG Shawn Andrews, RT Jon Runyan
Key Backups: Winston Justice, Max Jean-Gilles, Scott Young, Nick Cole

The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and return all five starters from a year ago. LT William Thomas is heading into his 10th season for the Eagles and is still performing at a high level. T Jon Runyan again anchors the right side. Jamaal Jackson, who took over the full-time center duties from Hank Fraley last year, has been making all the line calls in camp and become a more vocal leader in and out of the huddle. At guard, Todd Herremans started all 16 games and played well, but he could be pushed by talented second-year player Max Jean-Gilles. The one area of concern is at right guard, where All Pro Shawn "Big Cat" Andrews has been bothered by a high ankle sprain all preseason. Andrews, when healthy, is the Eagles best two-way lineman and arguably the best young guard in the NFC.

Team Defense

Rebounding from a lackluster 2005 in which the Eagles ranked 27th in overall defense, Philadelphia moved up to mediocrity in both yards against (16th) and also points against (tied for 15th) last season. Part of the improvement was a shuffling of personnel, starting with replacing Matt McCoy with rookie Omar Gaither. Gaither played the weakside far better then McCoy, and this coupled with the return of Lito Sheppard from injury afforded the Eagles to pressure a little more and allow their top notch DBs do more work in the secondary. This year, the Eagles have a completely rebuilt LB corps; probably the best under DC Jimi Johnson. Takeo Spikes is healthy and when paired with Chris Gocong, give the Eagles the biggest pair of hard-hitting OLBs they've seen in long time. Omar Gaither will get the starting nod at MLB, after the Eagles surprisingly parted ways with team leader Jeremiah Trotter. The Eagles added some help in the draft, getting three defensive rookies in April, starting with DE Victor Abiamiri in the second round. They later added LB Stewart Bradley from Nebraska in Round 3 and added a second day CB in Rashad Barksdale in Round 6. Odds are that only Abiamiri will contribute much in 2007, as most of the help on the front four is coming from players returning from injury such as DE Jevon Kearse and DT Broderick Bunkley along with free agent DT Monte Reagor. The secondary returns intact from a season ago, with three Pro Bowlers (Sheppard, Brown and Dawkins) complemented by hard-hitting Sean Considine. Do not be surprised if Quentin Mikell takes over for Considine at some point this season, but for now Mickell will be content to play in nickel and dime formations.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Jevon Kearse, DE Darren Howard, DT Mike Patterson, DT Brodrick Bunkley
Backups: DE Trent Cole, DT Montae Reagor, DT Kimo von Oelhoffen, DE Juqua Thomas, DT Lajuan Ramsey, DE Victor Abiamiri, DT Ian Scott [IR]

Starting DL: The Philadelphia Eagles thought they had the plan all set in 2006 as defensive coordinator Jim Johnson decided that he was going to use eight defensive lineman throughout the games and change them every series, much like a "line change" in hockey. That was an interesting concept, but it quickly went by the wayside as injuries and attrition withered the talent pool. This year, the Eagles appear to have an embarrassment of riches at DL, and one or two of their roster cuts will end up playing significant minutes for other teams.

Backup DL: The defense improved on the pass rush, logging 40 sacks, a marked improvement over just 29 in 2005. The addition of DE Victor Abiamiri from Notre Dame, selected in Round 3 of this year's NFL Draft, should help bolster the pass rush, but the weakness of the line remains inside, as does the return of Kearse to good health. Montae Reagor will be part of the rotation, particularly in key run-stopping situations. Juqua Thomas, like Derrick Burgess before him, took awhile to blossom but has now become an explosive pass rusher. He may start in place of Jevon Kearse before long. The Eagles signed Kimo von Oelhoffen to a one-year deal after the Jets released him; hoping he could add some run-stuffing presence to the middle of the defensive rotation.

Linebackers

Starters: MLB Omar Gaither, WLB Takeo Spikes, SLB Chris Gocong
Backups: LB Stewart Bradley, LB Matt McCoy, Pago Togafau

Starting LBs: The Eagles will have new starters in all three positions on opening weekend. After an offseason in which the team voiced concerns about his level of play, conditioning and health, Jeremiah Trotter was released midway through the preseason. The acquisition and solid preseason play of veteran Takeo Spikes, successful transition of Chris Gocong and the continued solid play of second year man Omar Gaither made Trotter expendable as a starter. Gaither, last season's 5th round pick lacks great measurables but is noted for his intelligence and instincts. He excelled in the second half of the season, logging 50 tackles, a sack and an interception in the final five games. Spikes has been stellar in camp and may finally be recovered from the Achilles and hamstring injuries that have plagued him over the past two seasons. The strong side linebacker from 2006, Dhani Jones, is gone. He did not produce much over there, so an upgrade was needed. Enter Chris Gocong, a player the Eagles drafted early in Round 3 of the 2006 NFL Draft. He is a solid athlete with a non-stop motor. At 6'2 264 he's a 'tweener who probably isn't fast enough to be an edge rusher and he doesn't have experience at linebacker in typical 4-3 sets. Gocong was injured most of his rookie year, so he was unable to contribute. Now he is penciled in as the strong ("SAM") side linebacker for the Eagles, unless they decide to have him put his hand down as a DE in some formations.

Backup LBs: Depth at linebacker in Philadelphia really was non-existent in 2006, as Shawn Barber provided just 52 tackles in 15 games for the Eagles last year. Now, with Gocong back and Spikes in the mix, the Eagles can bring their draft pick Stewart Bradley (6-4, 256, Nebraska, Round 3 -- Pick 87) along slowly and work him in gently as he comes up to speed on Jim Johnson's schemes. Former starter Matt McCoy, who was the WILL linebacker to start last season, finds himself as a second string guy for 2007 and will be relegated to special teams.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Lito Sheppard, CB Sheldon Brown, SS Sean Considine, FS Brian Dawkins
Backups: S Quintin Mikell, CB Joselio Hanson, CB William James, CB Nick Graham, S J.R. Reed

Starting DBs: The secondary in Philadelphia is considered one of the top overall units in the game, stacked with big name personnel and big game potential. Cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown go hand in hand, both drafted in 2002 (Sheppard 1st round, Brown 2nd), both sitting aside for two years while incumbents Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor ran out their string and both taking opportunity by the horns when the time arrived, transforming themselves into one of the leagues most formidable CB duos. Excellent athletic ability, good coverage skills and willing run support. Sheppard has really improved his ball skills since entering the league, picking off 14 passes over the last three years, but his seasons have been cut short twice in the past. His 2005 season was cut short a year ago with a high ankle sprain that sent him to the IR after just 10 games. Last season, an ankle sprain cost him three games in the regular season, and then a dislocated elbow forced him out of the playoff game against the Saints. He should be fine come this year, but the injury history is a slight concern. Sheldon Brown has become a complete cornerback, using his skills as a blitzer off of the edge to compile four sacks over the last two years while developing into one of the leagues best at defending the deep ball. He hasn't missed a game since entering the league, often playing through minor injuries. Strong safety Michael Lewis is gone to San Francisco, so his replacement seems to be either Sean Considine, who had a great set of fantasy stats with 75 tackles, but the Eagles are looking to improve that position. The fact that they failed to address safety in the 2007 NFL Draft surprised many, so it is possible that they will go with Considine, who was supposed to be adding weight this off-season to perform better deeper into the season, or promote Quintin Mikell to the starting lineup. Last but definitely not least is free safety Brian Dawkins. Hits like a linebacker, covers like a cornerback. That may not be true anymore of the 11 year vet as he approaches his 34th birthday, but the stats don't lie. After building a career on a reputation that usually outweighed his production, he appears to be making up for it. Playing like a safety 10 years younger, Dawkins posted a career high in solo tackles (86) and was a Top 5 DB in fantasy football for the second year in a row. Dawkins is the emotional leader of this secondary and he continues to deliver at the most critical moments for Philadelphia.

Backup DBs: While secondary depth is solid, the Eagles hope of infusing some youth into the secondary will have to wait another year. Two rookies, C.J. Gaddis and Rashad Barksdale failed to make the team. Quintin Mikell and Joselio Hanson will continue to play key roles, with Mikell likely the dime defensive back. Hanson was used often last year when Lito Sheppard was injured, but he does not appear ready just yet for consistent playing time. William James (formerly known as William Peterson) has looked better than he did as a Giant and will start the year as the nickel.

Last modified: 2007-09-03 19:40:46