Will 2009 Finally Be The Eagles' Time To Shine?

work the draft board and pick players is a pleasure and this year was no different.

I think Philadelphia got by far and away the biggest steal in the draft and his name is LeSean McCoy.

People who don’t watch a lot of college football may look at some of McCoy’s numbers and not be blown away (YPC). That’s a big mistake.

McCoy played with some of the worst college quarterbacks in the country. Bob Stull and Pat Bostick would have trouble starting at good 1-AA schools.

I watched games last year where opponents had nine men in the box to stop McCoy. Plus, it’s not like Pitt made any adjustments, seeing that Dave Wannstedt is arguably the worst coach in all of college football.

Still, McCoy was able to rack up yards and touchdowns even with defenses totally committing to stopping him. This guy is the real deal and he was the best back in this year’s draft.

Oh, and McCoy’s biggest strength is that he’s a tremendous goal line runner. He almost always bounces off the first defender and gets that extra yard, kind of like the Cowboys' Marion Barber.

McCoy was the nation's second-leading scorer last season. See where I’m going with this Eagle fans?

Brian Westbrook is one of the best pound-for-pound players in the NFL but the Eagles do so many different things with him. It allows for another back to be a factor in Philly’s offense. Look at what Correll Buckhalter was able to do. McCoy is going to be a flat-out stud with the Eagles.

Then you look at what else the Eagles did on draft day. They brought in a spectacular offensive weapon in Jeremy Maclin.

I love hearing the criticism about this guy. Philadelphia drafted him at No. 19. Are you telling me a player with Maclin’s talent and upside isn’t a smart pick at 19? Sure he is and that’s why the Eagles are a great drafting team.

Then selecting Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram in the fifth round was pure genius in my opinion. Once Ingram is 100 percent healthy, you are talking about a second-round talent, according to most scouts.

That’s how you draft. It’s called value and the Eagles may have gotten themselves a future stud tight end in Round 5.

Also, don’t sleep on sixth-round pick Brandon Gibson. I watch a lot of Pac 10 football and this guy fell off the map last year because Washington State was so pitiful but Gibson can play. Keep a close eye on him this preseason. Gibson may surprise people.

It’s the same story every year when you go over the Eagles' draft. That’s why they are always in contention.

Now look at the Cowboys' draft in comparison. It’s nothing but a bunch of reaches and players that will be out of the NFL in a couple of years. That’s not my opinion, it’s a fact.

Go back and look at Dallas’ last twelve drafts under Jerry Jones and see how many of those players lasted five years in the league. It’s comical. That explains why the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game in over a decade.

Of course, I didn’t even mention the acquisition of left tackle Jason Peters, which is a huge upgrade on the Eagles offensive line.

Peters’ play did fall off a bit last year but when you have a chance to get a left tackle of his caliber and bring him into your system, you have to take it.

There just aren’t that many quality left tackles in the NFL and now the Eagles have one. Trading for Peters was a no-brainer.

One final reason that makes the Eagles contenders year in and year out is they make the tough decisions.

When I worked for the Patriots I heard a phrase over and over again, “Football decisions.” No team does a better job of making tough football decisions than New England. Bill Belichick makes personnel decisions with his head, not his heart.

Everyone associated with the Eagles loved Brian Dawkins. Just like everyone associated with the Broncos loved John Lynch. It’s a nightmare for any organization to have to part ways with those kind of players.

Dawkins is still a leader and he does have a year or two left in his tank. However, he has lost a step and I believe the Eagles made the right decision in letting him go. It was a tough decision but speaking purely in football terms, the right one.

So as we enter the upcoming NFL season, the Eagles are set for another run at that elusive Super Bowl title. Philly fans have experienced a lot of heartache in recent years but there is still hope.

Because of the way the Eagles have set up their team for prolonged success, they are once again expected to be major contenders for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Philadelphia has all the pieces in place. Now if everything comes together at the right moment, it could finally be the Eagles and their fans time to shine in 2009.

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