2006 NFL Season Preview: Philadelphia Eagles
Andy Reid heads into his eighth NFL season with a task in front of him that is a bit different than the tasks that he’s had to deal with the past few seasons. They aren’t coming from a successful season and a deep playoff run. Instead, Reid must deal with the departure of his Offensive Coordinator, but he also has made an addition to the team by subtraction. Gone is team cancer Terrell Owens, off to be NFC East rival Dallas’ problem, and the Eagles seem to be a looser team already in minicamps and during training camp. But ahead of the Eagles is a very tough rode. Every team in the NFC East has made significant strides to make their teams better and leave the other behind. The Eagles really haven’t made as many moves as the others to keep pace, and you have to wonder whether the Eagles can actually keep up with the rest of their division. Donovan McNabb has already said that they are a playoff team, but is that a confident leader or a foolish player with no sense of what’s going on?
Offense
Coach Andy Reid entered the 2006 offseason with a tough job, having to replace Brad Childress as Offensive Coordinator after he left to take the Minnesota Vikings’ Head Coaching position. Reid wasted little time in promoting Marty Mornhinweg to the position of Offensive Coordinator from his previous post with the Eagles as a Senior Assistant Coach. What Mornhinweg will give to the Eagles and quarterback Donovan McNabb is a person who is comfortable with the personnel and not an outside personality needing to assimilate himself to the players. Mornhinweg is a true West Coast coach, someone who is traditionally accustomed to the short passing game and is very well versed in reading and analyzing defenses and how they play the system. He should be an asset to McNabb in helping him adjust the offense and the plays to the defenses that they will face every weekend. But with questions all over the field on the offensive side of the ball, they may not have such a seamless transition in terms of the personnel. How will the offense fare?
QB: McNabb comes back to the action in Philly after missing the final 7games of the season with a sports hernia and in truth having been bothered by the injury for weeks before he finally went on the shelf for the season. But McNabb is re-focused on the task at hand, namely leading the Philadelphia Eagles. Physically, McNabb has all the talents and qualities you want to have in a quarterback. He’s got incredible range on the field and is adequately accurate with his passing. He can go deep or make the short passes with equal efficiency. The problem, at least in 2005, was that the perception of him not having the attention of his teammates or having to deal with teammates questioning his leadership. Whether or not it is all true, McNabb really is the key to the offense. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll contribute well to the 2006 Eagles.
RB/FB: Brian Westbrook is a talented running back who has solid running ability and above-average receiving ability. Westbrook is a running back who can lineup in the slot during passing downs or catch the short dump-off and really make a big play happen. He led the NFL in receptions (61) as well as receiving yards (616) by a running back before suffering injury in his foot. Westbrook has exactly one more rushing yard than he did receiving before he injured himself. They look to Westbrook on a lot of misdirection runs and plays in which gaining the corner before the pursuit is required. With his speed and explosiveness, Westbrook is the perfect back. He is average between the tackles, sometimes showing an inability to break arm tackles. Behind him will be second year player Ryan Moats and Reno Mahe, both of whom did decent jobs in 2005 in Westbrook’s absence. Josh Parry is the starting fullback for the Eagles. Parry beat out Jon Ritchie last season after being an injury replacement for Ritchie in 2004. He’s an improving blocker who can contribute once in a while with the occasional carry or reception.
WR/TE: This is still a position of intrigue for the Eagles. With Terrell Owens gone to Dallas, the Eagles are able to get rid of the problem child in the locker room. Of course, with him leaves one of the best receivers in the NFL out the door. With Owens deactivated by the team and number two receiver Todd Pinkston having suffered a ruptured Achillies tendon , the Eagles depended on Reggie Brown and Greg Lewis to carry the load receiving. WIth Pinkston returning and Brown looking to build on an excellent rookie season in 2005, the receiving corp is set up to contribute. Pinkston has decent speed and is very consistent and should be a solid contributor this season. Brown had 43 catches last season and led all NFL rookies with 571 receiving yards. Brown also has the confidence of his starting quarterback, something that should help his progress even more. Meanwhile, Lewis will serve as the team’s third receiver. Lewis has the ability to go out on the field and make the tough grabs over the middle that move the chains. Tight end L.J. Smith is McNabb’s favorite target and continues to be one of the better receiving TEs in the NFL. He’s got deceptive speed and good size for a TE, something that McNabb has taken full advantage of.
OL: It appears as though Jamaal Jackson has beaten veteran Hank Fraley out for the center position. Jackson started the final eight games for the Eagles last season and has been able to win the starting job permanently for the Eagles at center. He’s got good skills and will be counted on by the Eagles, but will have to deal with staying healthy and reducing the number of penalties that he draws. On his left will be ‘The Artist Formerly Known as Tra’ William Thomas and Todd Herremans. Herremans played for Thomas at left tackle as a rookie last season when Thomas suffered an injury, but he’ll move into the guard position with the return of veteran Thomas to his position. They will work together to handle McNabb’s blindside. The right side of the line will feature veteran Jon Runyan and Shawn Andrews. Runyan has been one of the most consistent players on the team and has started all 96 games since signing with the Eagles. He’s been a mentor on the line to the younger players who needed a veteran presence. Andrews is another young offensive lineman who had regular time for the first time in 2005 and responded well. He’s a massive force who engulfs D-Linemen.
Overall Grade: B-
Defense
Jim Johnson has been the mastermind of the Eagles’ defense since 1999 and has never changed philosophies. Johnson is of the school that says ‘if you aren’t blitzing then you aren’t trying.’ Known around the NFL as being one of the most creative blitzers in the NFL, Johnson continually comes up with new ways to put pressure on an opposing quarterback. One time, you may see a corner push up, the enxt time, a linebacker goes across the field to blitz the other side of the line. Point is, Johnson is going to attack… and he will come down on you hard. He has made the Eagles one of the most respected defensive units in the NFL over the past few seasons. He’s produced 21 Pro-Bowlers in the past 7 years, including current Eagles Brian Dawkins (5) and Jeremiah Trotter (4). The personnel he has to work with is talented, and will once again be a strong force to contend with.
DL: It all starts with Jevon Kearse on the line. They call him ‘The Freak’ for a reason. He’s a three-time Pro-Bowler and has also been selected as an All-Pro twice, and for good reason. A rare combination of speed, power, and skill, Kearse makes quarterbacks his main goal. He gets such penetration on the offensive line that sometimes they aren’t even ready for him before he’s in the backfield making a play. Opposite him will be Darren Howard, a free-agent pickup from New Orleans. Howards has 44.5 sacks in the past six seasons, making him statistically one of the best ends of the decade. He plays the run and the pass well, with the ability and the intelligence to read either situation well. For now, the interior will be Mike Patterson and Darwin Walker. Patterson was a rookie last season and led the D-Line with 66 tackles. A good playmaker who can also put together a decent push during passing downs. Walker is a veteran who will be challenged by 2006 first-round pick Broderick Bunkley from Florida State. Walker is versatile, able to line up at end if needed. Bunkley may see added time though as they move along in the season.
LB: Jeremiah Trotter is a force in the middle. Having left the Eagles and then returning in 2004, he is the heart and soul of the defense. Trotter had 169 tackles last season despite only playing 15 games and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career. He’s a workhorse, using effort and intuition in place of pure ability. But don’t think that he doesn’t have it. Trotter is as strong as an ox and plays like it. Dhani Jones will return as the Eagles’ strongside LB after his main competition in camp, Greg Richmond, suffered a back injury and needed surgery. On the weakside will be Matt McCoy, who has all but offically beaten out Shawn Barber for the spot. Barber will instead be the team’s nickel linebacker.
CB: Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard combine to make of the best corner tandems in the league. Brown is a good mix of speed ans skill and has a knack for being around the ball, making plays and forcing turnovers. Brown is considered to be one of the Eagles’ most consistent defensive contributors. Sheppard, meanwhile, is more of the natural cover corner, using his speed to shadow receivers and allow them very little space to work on the field. Sheppard is coming off an ankle injury which forced him on injured reserve after the New York Giants game. He will be back and looks to be completely healthy in camp. Brian Dawkins is a 5 time Pro bowl safety who just has a second sense when it comes to tracking down ballcarriers and receivers all over the field. He can make plays for you up on the line of scrimmage or deep in coverage. He covers the pass just as well as the run. Meanwhile, he pairs with Michael Lewis. Lewis is now the primary signal-caller on defense and leads the team in making adjustments to opposing offenses.
Overall Grade: B+
Special Teams
K: Although his straightaway kicking style looks strange to some people, David Akers has made it work consistently for the Eagles. He’s been the kicker for the NFC three times and is one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers. Akers has a strong leg and combines that power with above average accuracy on his kicks. Also a solid kickoff specialist as well.
P: Dirk Johnson will handle the punting duties for the Eagles for the fourth consecutive season. He’s a master at pinning the ball inside the 20 yard line and considers kick placement as a strength in his game. Johnson knows how to drop a kick on a dime if it is needed by the team. Very valuable to the field position game.
Overall Grade: B+
Coaching Staff
There shouldn’t be much that Andy Reid has to worry about, but the rumors still float around. He was an embattled coach despite leading the Eagles to four consecutive NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. But they need for better showings consistently have him reportedly out of a job. But he remains the coach and with that comes the responsilibity of reigning over Eagle country. With Marty Mornhinweg as his Offensive Coordinator, they should see little change in the offense. Mornhinweg has been with the Eagles for three seasons now and knows the terminology and style of Andy Reid’s offense. Defensively you have a guy who is a candidate for Head Coaching every season and one of the most aggresive minds in the NFL, Jim Johnson. Blitz is permanently embedded in Johnson’s vocabulary.
Overall Grade: A-/B+
Position Battles to Watch
WR: They need to find steady playmakers, and really with the issues the Eagles have had over the years with receivers, you have to believe that nobody’s job is safe. They could go with whoever gets the job done, regardless if they are a veteran or a new player. The key to McNabb’s effectiveness really depends on the quality of receiver he’s throwing to. We know what McNabb can do as a quarterback, now if a receiver can step it up we may have ourselves a good offensive attack.
RB: With Brian Westbrook injury-prone, the battle for number two rages on in Philly. Ryan Moats, Cornell Buckhalter, Reno Mahe, and Bruce Perry all have the opportunity to step into the forefront of the backup position with awesome training camp and exhibition performances. It’s wide open right now but you have to expect that the Eagles will be looking to get the best back behind Westbrook in case another injury happens.
Player to Watch
Hank Bassett, WR: Bassett has rarely gone a session in camp without making an outstanding play. He’s also been just as impressive in preseason games and could factor into the mix in the starting competitions. He’s impressed Andy Reid and the Eagles with his deceptive speed and ability to get deep and past the secondary consistently, something they really didn’t expect from him. He’s got the size that a lot of coaches are looking for nowadays and could definitely be in for a spot in the regular rotation.
Bold Predictions
Record: 8-8
Offensive MVP: Donovan McNabb
Defensive MVP: Sheldon Brown
