Offseason Preview...Finally!

Alrighty folks, I’ve been gone for a little while, but I’m finally back. Did ya miss me? (Didn’t think so)

As every fan knows the Super Bowl - Combine stretch is a tough period for football journalists. It’s way too early to start speculating about offseason roster moves, but there’s no more real football to discuss.

Consequently most football articles consist of generic offseason previews or a superfluous amount of articles on a press manufactured controversy, usually revolving around T.O.

So to set myself apart from the pack I decided to delay my offseason preview until after the franchise tag deadline came and went. The NFL is structured so that the marquee players rarely ever hit the open market. The salary cap seems to rise every year and if a new contract can’t be agreed upon then the best players are usually franchised. Thus keeping them off the open market. Therefore it doesn’t make much sense speculating who will be available until after the franchise deadline.

So, I’m going to start my preview with a team that’s close to my heart: The Philadelphia Eagles.

QB: Believe it or not, the Eagles are set at this position. Donovan McNabb gets more unnecessary scrutiny than any other player in the NFL. Philly fans may disagree, but there are really only 2 players that are definitely better (Brady and Manning) and neither of them will ever hit the free agent market.

Expect McNabb to get a new contract. Some people are trying to call it an “apology” for his midseason benching, but that’s not really the case. A contract extension is in both the Eagles and the McNabb’s best interest. It gives McNabb some job security and possibly on last payday and it lowers his 8-figure cap number for the next 2 years.

I’m not sold on Kevin Kolb as a backup. He has done nothing to warrant consideration as a starter or even a 2nd-stringer. A.J. Feeley is a great 3rd QB, but that’s about it. I’d like to see the Eagles add some competition for the backup spot, but it’s not gonna happen. They’re OK at the spot anyway.

RB: Westbrook is over-the-hill. I’m not saying that he isn’t still an elite player – he is – but he has more touches than almost anyone else over the last 3 seasons and they’ve taken a toll on his body. The Eagles need to add a back to spell Westbrook to keep him fresh for those 70-yard screen passes he’s so good at.

I think Buckhalter could be that guy. He was excellent in spelling Westbrook this season. If anything I think he didn’t get enough touches, but the coaching staff must know something I don’t, because they didn’t put much faith in him this season. Plus Buckhalter has many of the same faults as B-west, namely his age and poor knees. Buckhalter’s contract is up and I doubt he’ll be back. He’ll catch on somewhere though.

The Eagles traded a 3rd-round pick to the Dolphins for Lorenzo Booker during the offseason last year. They coveted his ability as a return man and his potential to create offense “in space.” He’s been a terrible disappointment, but there’s still time to turn things around. I expect the eagles to target a running back on the first day of the draft – but I doubt it will be the first round. Solid running backs can always be found in later rounds.

FB: The Eagles ground game lagged last season and at least part of the blame must fall on not having a traditional fullback on the roster. Dan Klecko spent time at the position after converting from Defensive Tackle. Kyle Eckel also shared time at the position. Neither appears to be the answer. The Eagles will likely draft a fullback on the second day to compete for the job.

WR: One of Philly’s most maligned positions is actually one of their strongest heading into next season. DeSean Jackson is a stud on offense and special teams. If you redid the 2008 draft today he’d probably be a top-10 pick. Kevin Curtis played well once he came back healthy and Jason Avant was very impressive as Mr. Third Down. Hank Baskett started the season well, but virtually disappeared once Curtis returned. Baskett is a RFA and there’s a good chance the Eagles make an offer to him, considering his value on special teams.

Reggie Brown was a huge disappointment this season. He was injured early in the season, never made an impact on the field and ended up being a healthy-inactive during the NFC championship game. The Eagles will probably try to trade him, but it’s not clear what value – if any – he has. If the Eagles can’t get a fair price for him they’ll probably bring him back and see what he can do in camp. Greg Lewis is a scrappy player, and a good special teamer, but he’s the odd-man-out if the Eagles add a receiver and don’t move Brown.

T.J. Houshmanzadeh is going to be a free-agent this season and it appears unlikely he’ll resign with the Bengals. The Eagles would probably have pursued him at this point last year, but they don’t need a receiver that badly and Housh is probably going to see his skills diminish over the next few seasons. There are rumors Anquan Boldin wants out of Arizona. The Eagles were interested in him last season and likely still are. Boldin’s still a young guy and a solid pro-bowler who would solidify the Eagles WR squad.

Imagine Boldin on one side, Jackson on the other and Curtis in the slot. A mouth-watering proposition.

TE: L.J. Smith is done. The Eagles gave him one last chance to put things together, but injuries and inconsistent play – coupled with Brent Celek’s recent success – have spelled the end. There are several teams who are willing to pay him a lot more than the Eagles.

I would imagine Schobel is also walking on eggshells. He hasn’t done much for the team the last few seasons (1 catch for 7 yards this season) and the Eagles might need that roster spot elsewhere. Brent Celek came on late in the season as a receiver, but he still needs work on his blocking.

Many mock drafts have the Eagles taking a Tight End early in the draft. Now that the Titans have tagged Bo Scaife there are no real prospects in free agency, so the draft it is. Brandon Pettigrew, James Casey, Jared Cook and Cornelius Ingram are all players they might look for in rounds 1-3. Pettigrew is the best all-around TE, but he might not last until the Eagles pick at 21 and they certainly don’t covet him enough to trade up.

OT: This is the Eagles’ most pressing need. Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are both free agents. Both played well this season, but at 34 and 35 respectively their careers are nearing the end. To add insult to injury Runyan had microfracture surgery and is sidelined 4-6 months, meaning he likely wouldn’t even return before the season began anyway.

The Eagles don’t have a tackle on the roster to step into the starting lineup. Winston justice is their most experienced tackle and he has struggled his whole career. Rumor has it the Eagles are looking to trade even though he’s shown improvement since moving from the left side to the right. The Eagles drafted Mike McGlynn and King Dunlap last season, but there are no indications that either are ready to take the reigns as a starter. With Jordan Gross getting a fat new contract from Carolina there aren’t any quality tackles on the market. There’s also talk of moving Herremans and Andrews outside to tackle.

The draft is deep at tackle, but the elite tackles (Andre Smith, Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher) probably won’t last until the 21st pick. If Oher lasts until 21 he’ll be the Eagles first selection. If not they might grab a guy like Eben Britton, but he might be a stretch in the first round. Ultimately I think they bring Thomas back to keep protecting McNabb’s blind side and draft a tackle early.

OG: Herremans was solid as a rock at LG this year. He was the most consistent offensive lineman and played really well. The RG spot was a little more complicated. Shawn Andrews went AWOL in the preseason while battling depression. He then suffered a back injury that wiped him out all season.

Max Jean-Gilles stepped into the vacated spot and played really well until he also went down with a season ending injury. This paved the way for Nick Cole who then proceeded to pave the way for our running backs pretty well. It’s nice to know that the Eagles have some solid interior linemen.

There is talk of moving Herremans and Andrews outside to tackle to replace Thomas and Runyan, but why mess with a good thing? Jean-Gilles and Cole were good, but they weren’t as good as Herremans and Andrews. I think moving either player outside should be a last ditch effort. The Guard position is pretty strong and likely won’t change much unless someone’s moved to tackle. The key here is to get healthy, mentally and physically.

C: Jamal Jackson was unimpressive at center this season. He rarely screwed up too badly, but he also rarely excelled. Nick Cole is the primary backup at Center. I would like to see Cole push for playing time. I don’t see position as a need, but there’s a chance of adding someone late in the draft to push both players and add depth.

Alright, I’ll let that digest for a little while and I’ll be back soon with part 2: Defense.