Who Will Be the Eagles Breakout Players in 2010?

It seems that there is a player or two every year that go above and beyond expectations. For example, I’m sure everyone thought it was a great move when the Eagles brought in fullback Leonard Weaver last year.

However, I don’t think anyone was really expecting him to have the type of season he did.

I’m sure there will be more of the same in 2010, it’s just a matter of who it will be. Hopefully, there are a bunch of players who exceed expectations this season, but I’m going to take a stab at picking one on each side of the ball.

Offense
I’m going to go with Cornelius Ingram here. He hasn’t seen a single play in an NFL game yet, and I think he feels he has a lot to prove. There isn’t any doubt in my mind that he lacks the ability to be a great player. Injuries have held him back, but hopefully that trend is over.

The guys is basically a wide receiver in a tight ends body. He has amazing athleticism and can be a real pass-catching threat. We’ve heard a lot about him being a redzone target for the team, and I expect him to find the end zone quite a few times this year.

Another reason he should find success is the emergence of Brent Celek. In 2010, Celek will start to see more attention than he has in the past and this can open things up for Ingram if the Eagles line up in a two tight end set.

If he can stay healthy, you better watch out for Ingram this season.

Defense
My defensive pick is a new addition to the team and someone I expect to get back on track in 2010, Ernie Sims.

Sims is a guy who had 100-plus tackle seasons his first three years but could not get to that threshold last year due to injury. In 2010, he will have the opportunity to lineup with the Eagles and look to get back to that plateau.

The Eagles linebackers were horrible last year, so Sims has the chance to be a savior. Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott already likes what he has seen from Sims and I expect that trend to continue.

The Eagles should see a large improvement in their linebacker play this season and I think Sims will be a big part of that.