Michael Vick and the Other Philadelphia Eagles That Will Make or Break 2012

Every sports franchise needs those players who, when called upon, can put the team on their back and carry them to victory.  The Philadelphia Eagles are no different, but they still need to identify who those players will be for the 2012 season.

The Eagles have a nice blend of youth and experience on the roster, and both will play a key role in determining how the season will unfold. 

Will the team re-assume their role as NFC East Champs and make it to the Super Bowl, or will they have yet another disappointing season?

The following players will play a big role in answering that question.

Michael Vick, Quarterback

As with any NFL team, the quarterback will be the biggest factor in determining the Eagles’ success this season. 

Michael Vick has plenty of big-play ability, but where he fell short last season was with the number of turnovers he committed.  Too many times fans watched in frustration as Vick fumbled the ball away or was intercepted right when the team was just starting to gain momentum. 

Hopefully, Vick will take time this offseason to correct his sometimes careless style of play.  Whether he actually does remains to be seen, but if he can limit the number of turnovers, then the sky is the limit for this team. 

DeMeco Ryans, Linebacker

The quarterback of the defense, newly acquired middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans has unofficially been dubbed the savior of the Eagles’ defense and its less-than-stellar linebacker play.  He, along with rookie Mychal Kendricks, is being held responsible for dramatic improvement from the linebackers.

What remains to be seen is whether the team gets the dominant Ryans of old or the Ryans of last season.  Hopefully, Ryans is fully recovered from his injury and can be a dominating force in the middle of the defense.

Fans are also hoping that Ryans can immediately become a vocal leader for this team.  Since Brian Dawkins left, no one has really assumed leadership over this team.  Ryans was a well known leader for the Houston Texans, and it is likely that the younger Eagles players will look to him for guidance this season. 

If he has a strong season and becomes a leader for this team, then I fully expect to see much better play out of the defense in 2012.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback

While Nnamdi Asomugha’s 2011 campaign was not as bad as many are making it out to be, he still had a relatively disappointing season by his standards. 

With a full offseason, Asomugha can be expected to return to form and become one of the league’s premier shutdown corners.  We saw his style of play improve over the course of the season, which suggest that he simply needed to adjust to his new scheme and surroundings.

Also working in  favor is that, with Asante Samuel now gone and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie taking his place, the Eagles will be adjusting their defensive scheme to better suite Asomugha’s strengths.  Already, Asomugha has said that he hopes to shadow the opposing team’s No. 1 wideout.

Don’t be surprised to see Asomugha make strides this season and help shape this defense into a fearsome unit.

Demetress Bell, Left Tackle

Following the end of last season, the Eagles had one of the best (if not THE best) group of starting offensive linemen in the league.  That changed quickly when it was announced that starting left tackle Jason Peters would be sidelined for the season with an injury. 

Fortunately, the team was wise to quickly sign one of the best free-agent left tackles, Demetress Bell.  Ironically enough, Bell comes from the Buffalo Bills—the same team that Jason Peters was a part of before coming to the Eagles.

Bell has flashed plenty of promise in his short career, but he has struggled with inconsistency and injury.  With the help of offensive line coach Howard Mudd, I see no reason why Bell can’t live up to his potential and be—at worst—a serviceable left tackle for the Eagles this season.

A lot hinges on Bell succeeding.  If he can come in and play at even 75 percent of Peters’ level, then the Eagles should be in good shape.

DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver

For much of last season, DeSean Jackson looked like a shell of his former explosive self.  He claims that it had much to do with his contract situation.

Now that he has a shiny new contract, there is no excuse for Jackson not to do well.  The Eagles desperately need some explosion in their passing attack, and Jackson is a huge part of that. 

Having Jackson return to being the league’s preeminent deep threat will help create opportunities for LeSean McCoy in the run game and will leave Jeremy Maclin in plenty of one-on-one situations. 

If Jackson steps up his game and the other players on this list live up to the expectations placed upon them, then I see this team making a deep playoff run.