Changes to The Philadelphia Eagle Playbook for 2009

The biggest changes to the playbook, may not even be a change. Simply more passes to the running backs. With the acquisitions of Leonard Weaver, and LeSean McCoy to go along with Westbrook and Booker, we now have almost an entire corps of running backs that are also excellent pass catchers.

When Gale Sayers mad the pass to the running back famous, and Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk making it a necessity, we jumped on the bandwagon. With force.

The drafting of Brian Westbrook gave us a weapon that defenses still are scratching their heads about. Now with Weaver and McCoy added to the mix, there doesn't seem to be a back on our roster that cannot make plays by catching the football.

Another wrinkle that we may see more of (as I cringe) is the Wildcat formation. DeSean Jackson was used in this capacity a few times last season, with some success (coming only when he did not throw the ball).

Booker and McCoy could also give us this option. As well as Maclin. Though I do not see this as a huge possibility.

The biggest "change" would be more four and five wide-out schemes, and hopefully leading to more balls thrown down the field. With Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown being healthy, at least at this point, we have our full corps of receivers that we can use at any time. With anyone plugged almost anywhere.

Jason Avant and Hank Baskett really showed us last year that they can be contributors when Brown and Curtis were not in the lineup. And I see them showing us again this year that we can rely on them.

Outside of that, I do not see much changing on that side of the ball. Since we did not get the big bruising back, I don't see us jamming the ball up the middle much. Unless it is with Weaver.

On the defensive side it should be business as usual. Blitzing on every down. And coming from everywhere. Joselio Hanson has said he really enjoys playing the nickel back, and we should see a lot of blitzing coming from this position.

So, in summary, I don't see much change in our playbook, just more of the same. With a few twists here and there.

I would like to see some more flea-flicker or shuffle-pass with Westbrook, as they have seemed to work in the past.