One Man's Guess at Eagles' Final 53

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

As they have for most of this decade, the Philadelphia Eagles will enter training camp at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. secure in the knowledge that they're among the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

They will be under the weight of harsh scrutiny from the local media, their ever-present legion of fans, and even the burgeoning football egghead community. Just about everyone who pays more than scant attention to the NFL is expecting big things from pigskin's preeminent devotees to "Moneyball."

Their offseason was widely lauded as a how-to primer for the rest of the league.

They basically stole Jason Peters, a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle entering his prime from the Buffalo Bills for the 28th pick of the draft. 

They nabbed Jeremy Maclin, a fellow many teams believed to be the best receiving prospect in the nation with their other first rounder.

They still deftly manuevered to solve their problems at running back, tight end, and cornerback as well.

The Eagles will march into Lehigh with a roster as loaded as it's ever been.

Or, to put it another way, the "nobody believes in us" motivational banner will not be hung on the locker room wall this year. That's going to be a tough sell when you're a touchdown favorite week in and week out.

Then again, these are football players we're talking about, and an NFL grunt who feels he's being given the proper amount of respect from the outside world is about as common as a sportswriter looking for more greens in the press box's spread.

While, in all likelihood, several of their discards will be gratefully scooped up by the talent-impaired across the league, the time has come to hazard a preliminary guess as to which 53 gentlemen will be deemed fit to keep.

Why, you ask?

Because it's late June, there is nothing else to talk about, and the less said about the Phillies the better.

At quarterback the team is set, as they've been, by-and-large, for the past decade.

Donovan McNabb, recently the recipient of a raise given for his contributions to last season's playoff run, has been mostly healthy the past two years. Kevin Kolb will remain the starter-in-waiting for his third straight season.

The team might look to deal veteran third-stringer A.J. Feeley to some desperate team unfortunate enough to suffer some horrific injury in some meaningless game. They could then replace Feeley with a street free agent and no one would be the wiser.

Kyle Eckel, last season's running back/fullback/short yardage specialist/hero to the everyman, is quite likely doomed, and is so for three seasons.

Leonard Weaver, the do-everything fullback acquired from the Seattle Seahawks, is capable in his own right as a third-and-inches guy.

Brian Westbrook's constant gimpyness and LeSean McCoy's inexperience will necessitate Lorenzo Booker's spot on the roster as the emergency third running back.

And most important of all, Reid will not keep a running back on the roster that he will not suit up on Sundays, and there is no way he's suiting up five backs.

You can confidently write four of the wide receivers' names in ink. Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson, Maclin, and third-down target extraordinaire Jason Avant have jobs.

The battle for the fifth and sixth spots, if there will even indeed even be a sixth spot, will be between veterans Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett, and fifth-round pick Brandon Gibson out of Washington State.

Brown will be the odd man out. He doesn't play special teams and would make a fuss about being scratched on game day.

Gibson, on the other hand, will and won't. Also, his strengths (route running, a solid frame) match Brown's.

Barring injury, Brown's one shot to stick on the roster is if Baskett, or more accurately, his wife, Kendra Wilkinson, the former Playmate and current reality star diva, proves to be too much of a distraction for Reid's liking.

Wilkinson reportedly had a run in with Reid at a team function last year where she demanded more playing time for her then fiance.  Reid may well be wary of his fifth receiver generating a media circus and decide that whatever little Baskett can provide in the form of fade patterns in the end zone isn't worth the trouble.

More than any other position, tight end might be the spot where the team might be looking to bring in outside help.

Brent Celek enters his first season as a starter and the Eagles are quite high on rookie Cornelius Ingram out of Florida. Veteran incumbent Matt Schobel had a miserable 2008 campaign and could be replaced.

Eugene Bright, a former defensive end at Purdue, has been signed and converted to tight end in the hopes that he could put his size and athleticism to good use as an edge blocker. But he's a longshot project who might win a practice squad job if he impresses.

The Eagles finally replaced their longtime tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, and the makeover was overdue. While the bookends gave the team years of reliable pass blocking, they were becoming liabilities in the run game.

Peters will protect McNabb's blind side and should provide the push from the left side the team has been sorely lacking. Shawn Andrews, their Pro-Bowl right guard who missed just about all of 2008 with a bad back, will slide over to the tackle spot.

The starting guards will be Todd Herremans, who his coaches praised as the team's best lineman last year, and Shawn's brother Stacy Andrews, signed as a free agent away from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Center Jamaal Jackson will return, and his backup Nick Cole proved himself capable as a starting-level guard in emergency duty last season. Max Jean-Gilles played half of the 2008 season in place of Andrews before suffering a broken leg, and guard Mike McGlynn showed promise as a rookie and figures to stick.

The ninth and last offensive line spot will likely go to King Dunlap, the only true backup left tackle on the roster, as Herremans has very little experience on the edge. Conversely, it will take a miracle for Winston Justice to make the team as the Brothers Andrews are interchangeable at right tackle and the Eagles are so deep at guard.

Practice squad jobs might be up for grabs for young tackle Chris Patrick, whom the team is high on, as well as rookies Paul Fanaika and Fenuki Tupou.

The defensive line, like the rest of the team, is mostly set. Trent Cole, Darren Howard, and Chris Clemons will be counted on to provide the pass rush.

Victor Abiamiri, Philly's best run-stuffing end, will be given every chance to win a starting job. Bryan Smith showed a strong burst and a good motor last preseason and will likely see the field in games that count this year.

Juqua Parker is a good effort guy and a better teammate, but it's an open secret the team is trying to deal him. A fourth-rounder is all that it would take for the Eagles to part with him.

Mike Patterson, Broderick Bunkley and Trevor Laws will rotate at the defensive tackle spots, and Dan Klecko will return to his natural position to spot them after spending most of last season as the fullback. Howard will again line up at tackle on passing downs.

Stewart Bradley looked like a Pro Bowl caliber player in his first season as the team's starting middle linebacker.  The unit as a whole really took off when Akeem Jordan replaced the ineffective Omar Gathier on the weakside. Chris Gocong showed marked improvement in his second full season at the "SAM" 'backer and figures to get even better.

Gaither is versatile enough to play all three spots however, which him a valuable reserve. Joe Mays hit everything that moved as the rookie MLB last preseason and will look to build on that promise. Special teams wrecking-balls Tank Daniels and Tracy White will look to hold off seventh-round pick Moise Fokou.

Ellis Hobbs was acquired from the New England Patriots to challenge disgruntled starter Sheldon Brown as the team's starting right corner. Asante Samuel proved his worth last postseason and will again man the left side. Joselio Hanson enjoyed a very good '08 season as the team's nickel corner and was re-signed.

Jack Ikegwuonu, drafted in the fourth round out of Wisconsin last season, spent all of 2008 on injured reserve after suffering an ACL injury while preparing for the draft combine. Supposedly he had a first round grade from the scouts prior to his injury. The Eagles picked him knowing he was going to be on the shelf for a year and will probably give him a season to show whether or not he was worth the risk.

With the departure of talisman Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos, Quintin Mikell will marshall the secondary from his strong safety spot. Young Quentin Demps will get the first crack to replace Dawkins as the free safety.  Should he falter, free agent signee Sean Jones, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, will play in the box while Mikell will take over the center field duties.

Rookie Macho Harris has the attitude, special teams ability, and play-making flair that all secondary members coming from Virginia Tech seem to possess. His ability to play either safety or corner will help him nab the final spot away from ex-Oakland Raider Rashad Baker.

The team's specialists will once again be kicker David Akers, punter Sav Rocca, and long snapper Jon Dorenbos.

And that makes 53.

Of course these predictions are meaningless and Reid could very well decide to keep 12 offensive and defensive linemen, shaking up the rest of the roster. He could decide to make do with only five receivers or four corners.

For a team that entered 2007 without a punt returner and 2008 without a fullback, stranger things have certainly happened.