Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Breakdown: Offense

They were one drive away.

One drive away.

Let me repeat that: One drive away.

That’s all it was; one touchdown, one full drive, one string of first downs. But they failed.

The Eagles, Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, the defense, everyone.

They failed.

And now, for what seems like the 3,000th time, the Eagles have to bounce back from an NFC Championship game defeat. With training camp rapidly approaching, let’s take a look at what to expect from the Birds in 2009.

For now, we’ll start with the offense.

Position: Quarterback

Starter: Donovan McNabb

Backups: Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley

Pros: If he can stay on the field, McNabb is one of the 10 best signal callers in the game.

Cons: No confidence in either backup. McNabb can break down easily mentally and physically.

Verdict: As McNabb goes, so go the Eagles. We’ve been down this road for 10 seasons now.

Position: Running Back

Starter: Brian Westbrook

Backups: LeSean McCoy, Lorenzo Booker

Pros: Westbrook is dominating when healthy. "Shady" McCoy could be the steal of the 2009 Draft and is 20-years-old, which is a lot better than Correll Buckhalter and his knees made of spaghetti.

Cons: Both Westy and Shady are small and could easily get injured. Booker is basically useless.

Verdict: If Shady can pick up enough of the offense, look out. Oh wait, I forgot the Eagles don’t run the football. They’re too good for that.  

Position: Fullback

Starter: Leonard Weaver

Backups: Kyle Eckel, Marcus Mailei

Pros: Weaver is the first multi-dimensional fullback Reid has ever bothered to have on his roster.

Cons: Reid barely uses the running backs, what makes you think he’s going to use the fullbacks?

Verdict: Weaver and even Eckel could be useful in short-yardage situations, plus Weaver can make a few plays out in the flats. Still, will it even matter with such a pass-happy offense?

Position: Wide Receiver

Starters: Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson

Backups: Reggie Brown, Jason Avant, Jeremy Maclin, Hank Baskett

Pros: They have a lot of guys who can make plays, specifically Jackson and Maclin. Avant is a solid third-down slot receiver, Curtis and Brown are good guys to add to the mix, and then there’s Baskett. He’s… um…marrying a Playmate?

Cons: No one guy is going to catch 100 balls for 1,000 yards year in year out. That’s what they need. Plus, Curtis, Jackson, and Maclin are all smaller guys who rely on speed and can’t really go over the middle. When Avant is your best option for tough yards in between the safeties, you might have a problem.

Verdict: It’s a shame someone like Anquan Boldin wasn’t available…

Position: Tight End

Starter: Brent Celek

Backups: Matt Schobel, Cornelius Ingram  

Pros: Celek doesn’t have a constant case of the dropsies like L.J. Smith, Ingram could be good down the line, Schobel can kind of block.

Cons: Relying on slow, un-athletic people isn’t really a good idea.

Verdict: Don’t expect a whole lot of production here. But, on the bright side, it could be worse.

Position: Left Tackle

Starter: Jason Peters

Backups: King Dunlap, Chris Patrick

Pros: Peters is huge (6'4", 340 pounds) and a heck of a run blocker.

Cons: Peters gave up a ton of sacks last year and his attitude doesn’t appear to be great with the admission that his unhappiness about his contract affected his play on the field.

Verdict: The Eagles had a massive, gaping hole and they addressed it by trading for Peters. If his mind is in the right place, and with a new contract it appears to be, he could be pretty good.

Position: Left Guard

Starter: Todd Herremans

Backups: Max Jean-Gilles, Mike McGlynn

Pros: Herremans has been a solid starter in the NFL for some time now. Jean-Gilles has shown to be a capable backup.

Cons: Herremans is quite slow and a much better run blocker than pass blocker, which doesn’t bode well with the head coach behind the head coach.

Verdict: But on the whole, Herremans is a solid, if not unspectacular player. If he struggles or is injured, Jean-Gilles can fill the void.

Position: Center

Starter: Jamaal Jackson

Backups: Nick Cole, Dallas Reynolds

Pros: There aren’t a whole lot of fumbled exchanges between Jackson and McNabb. Like Herremans, Jackson has shown himself to be a solid contributor in this league.

Cons: Jackson doesn’t have great footwork, he’s been regressing, he’s a key reason why the Eagles can’t run up the middle.

Verdict: Cole isn’t really much of an option, so this is what it is.

Position: Right Guard

Starter: Stacy Andrews

Backups: Nick Cole, Mike Gibson

Pros: Andrews is a total beast, and he’ll keep his crazy brother in check.

Cons: He’s coming off a tough injury and Cole isn’t a secure backup.

Verdict: Just hope he’s healthy.

Position: Right Tackle

Starter: Shawn Andrews

Backups: Winston Justice, Chris Patrick

Pros: Andrews is Pro Bowl player and one of the best blockers in the game.

Cons: He’s quite possibly mentally unstable and making the massive transition from guard to tackle. Plus his backups are terrible.

Verdict: Hope his brother knows what he’s doing.

Position: Kicker

Starter: David Akers

Backup: Sam Swank

Pros: After a terrible start to the year in 2008, Akers returned to form and you have to think it’ll carry over.

Cons: Wear and tear on his leg has taken away some of his power, and his accuracy wasn’t amazing to begin with.

Verdict: They aren’t getting a new kicker, so you just have to hope that Akers won’t cost them.

Position: Kick Returner

Starter: Quintin Demps

Backups: Ellis Hobbs, Jeremy Maclin

Pros: Demps broke one against the Ravens last year, and he’s always a threat to do it again.

Cons: But his blocking isn’t always great, and Demps isn’t as fast as one would like.

Verdict: It shouldn’t matter. Bet heavily on the insanely athletic Maclin in this spot by Week One. That’s one of the reasons they traded up to draft him.