Philadelphia Eagles' Season Preview

In recent years, the hype for the Philadelphia Eagles has always been high in the mind of an Eagles fan.

I was never one of them. Until now.

The Eagles have only had one offseason as notable as this past offseason: the 2004 Super Bowl season.

I'm not saying the Birds will go all the way, but they could get pretty close.

First of all, the defense is looking better than I expected. I thought that Lito Shepperd would be long gone by now, but the fact that he is still in the nest is a great sign. Keeping him gives the Eagles great depth at cornerback. It also takes some of the pressure off of the aging Brian Dawkins and the question marks of Quintin Mikell and Sean Considine.

Plus, bringing Asante Samuel to a defense that has lost their knack for interceptions could revamp this secondary for a standout year.

Now, the defensive line isn't too great, but isn't too bad. Trent Cole should have another double-digit sack season, and I like the talents of Mike Patterson. I am especially intrigued by Broderick Bunkley this preseason. He seems to really be progressing well, and this could be his breakout year.

And don't forget about Chris Clemens. Clemens was a decent lineman in the past few years, and I think he could make a nice impact on this defensive line.

On to the offense.

First of all, Eagles fans can take a deep breath...for now. Donovan McNabb looks fantastic so far in training camp and looked great tonight in his preseason game against the Patriots. If Donovan can stay healthy, he could have a great year (deja vu?).

Second, Brian Westbrook is a happy man with his new contract and should have another tremendous year. Besides LaDanian Tomlinson, Westbrook is the most exciting back in the NFL. With his mix of carrying the ball and catching abilities, Westbrook can be the most elite dual-threat back in the league.

Also, many people look at Westbrook and ask some questions about his injuries. Well, I say that you shouldn't worry about that. He doesn't miss many games at all. He misses around one game per year, which isn't too bad for a player that is "always injured."

The only time he missed more than two games due to injury was in 2005, which he actually only sat out all four games because the team went 6-10.

Finally, the WR corps could be getting some help very soon.

Before Kevin Curtis went down for about two months, the Eagles' WR corps was already looking dull.

With Reggie Brown as their No. 2 WR, it looked like Westbrook and McNabb were going to have to carry the offense again. And now it looks like Brown could be bothered by his hamstring for a little bit. He will probably play in the opener, but he may not be the No. 1.

Hank Baskett has impressed Andy Reid this training camp and in recent years. Personally, I would rather see Baskett than Brown as the No. 1 receiver at the beginning of the year.

Now, having Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett—who are, at best, No. 2 and No. 3 receivers on most teams—as your starting receiving is not good. Even with Curtis, the receivers looked pretty bad. But now they are in deep trouble.

So where do they turn?

Well first of all, you can turn to the veteran Joe Horn. Sure, he may not be the WR he used to be, but he would be an improvement over Greg Lewis, Baskett, or even Brown as the No. 2 or No. 3 WR.

And then you have the possibility of bringing in Anquan Boldin. The Cardinals won't trade Boldin, you say? Well, there is always a way to get a player from a team. You just need to keep trying and maybe get a little luck from the player (hold out, not play, etc.).

The Eagles do have Lito Shepperd, who wants a new contract or wants out, so that could be good trade bait (plus a draft pick, it's what they offered for Fitzgerald).

Bringing in Horn and/or Boldin would be big for the offense and could bring back some stability to the Eagles' receiving game.

But then let's not forget about the rookie, DeSean Jackson. Sure, he will make the biggest impact on special teams, but he could see quite a few long balls from McNabb and catch three or four TDs.

Finally, we move on to the special-teams game.

Let's rewind to the Eagles' season opener against the Packers last season. As I sat in the bleachers at Lambaeu Field that day, I was dumbfounded to see the Eagles special teams fumble the ball twice and pretty much lose the game for the Birds. And then in steps DeSean Jackson.

Once again, Eagles fans need to take a deep breath.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?