Philadelphia Eagles' To-Do List: 10 Things Needed To Take The Next Step

Before I start, I would like to inform the readers that I am a huge Eagles fan disappointed in the poor effort against Arizona yesterday. I am being realistic here, not biased, not angry.

10. Get a Fullback. Not a Defensive Tackle, a Fullback.

I watch Eagles games every week, and every week this season, I am shocked Dan Klecko is the starting fullback on this football team. He can't run, he can't block, he can't catch, he takes penalties—he can't play fullback.

9. DO NOT Re-Sign Tra Thomas.

Thomas is old, and lacking a few brain cells. He has considerable trouble with speed rushers, and even more trouble picking up the blitz. The Eagles need to do one of two things. 1) Move Todd Herramans to LT and Nick Cole to LG, or 2) Draft/sign a LT.

8. Get a Real Tight-End.

Realistically, L.J. "hands of stone" Smith will probably (and hopefully) not be back with team next season. Brent Celek is not much better. I know people will say he had a good postseason, but come on. He is very slow and is just not good enough to be a real asset to the team.

7. Upgrade at Linebacker.

 Many Eagles fans will disagree with this one. The guys at LB have been playing great all year, but they choked in Arizona. We have an undrafted free agent at WILL and another decent kid at SAM. Stewart Bradley can stay in the lineup, but one of the other two guys need to head to the bench. We need a solid linebacker to compliment Stewart Bradley.

6. Get a "Bigger" Running Back.

The Eagles' problems on 3rd-and-short and 4th-and-short have been well-documented this season. Lorenzo Booker was not used this season, so he should be replaced by a running back who can get those yards on third or fourth down. The draft or free agency are options here.

5. Sign Jim Johnson for Life.

Johnson is the brains of the defense. Not much to say here. If he goes, so does our defense. We have to retain him, and keep him until he retires.

4. Play Smarter and Make Less Mistakes

There have been many cases in which the Eagles' lack of brains cost them wins. The most recent case was against Arizona. We decided to blitz, and we lost that battle. Mental errors have been an issue for this team all year.

3. Don't Trade Away Their Two First-Round Picks.

This is very important. The Eagles need to draft well in order to move forward. The two players they take in the first round will be crucial to the team. Trading them away would be the equivalent to taking a step backwards for the franchise (unless trading them for a big time wide receiver).

2. Make Sure Westbrook is Healthy for Next Season.

In all reality, Westbrook had a terrible season. He was a complete non-factor other than the few big plays that he created. The main reason for this was his health. If he requires surgery, make sure he is healthy. Do not force him back into action too early—they desperately need him to play well next year.

1. Upgrade at Wide Receiver (Please!)

Heard this one before, huh? After watching every Eagles game this season, I am 100 percent convinced their receiving core is terrible. Greg Lewis, Reggie Brown, and Hank Baskett have to go. I'm not  huge DeSean Jackson fan either, and probably never will be, but he is only a rookie.

Jason Avant has won me over this season, but he is no more than a No. 3 receiver. The Eagles need a big-play wide-out to compliment a struggling Donovan Mcnabb. The last time they had one was the year they went to the Super Bowl.

That being said, signing or trading for an elite wide receiver should be the Eagles' No. 1 priority this off-season. The options currently on the roster drop too many passes and have proven to be a liability to the team, especially in clutch situations.

I know all 10 issues cannot be resolved. After all, you can't have everything.

But if the Eagles follow at least three or four of my steps to improvement, they will be able to contend for a Super Bowl once again before McNabb is done in Philly.