Philadelphia Eagles: Top 5 Issues the Eagles Still Need to Address

You’ve seen it all over the news.  The NFL “Dream Team.”  The second coming of the Miami Heat. 

Everywhere you look these days it seems the media has pegged the Philadelphia Eagles as the team to beat. 

Sure, GM Howie Roseman has made some spectacular moves and brought in an abundance of talent.  And there is no questioning that the Eagles have improved over last season, especially on defense. 

But lost in all the hype and excitement that surrounds this team is the fact that there are still key issues that need to be addressed. 

The fans and media can talk about them winning a championship all they want, but unless more work is done to patch up the following concerns, it is simply going to be another disappointing season.

No. 5: Protecting Michael Vick’s Blindside

Let’s face it.  The Eagles’ front office could have signed every free-agent out there.  But if quarterback Michael Vick is out of commission for a significant amount of time, then the team can kiss the Lombardi Trophy goodbye.

As a whole, the offensive line seems to be shaping up fairly well.  Most notably, center Jamal Jackson is back after spending most of last year on Injury Reserve.  He is a considerable upgrade over their situation at center last season.

Then there is rookie lineman Danny Watkins.  After finally agreeing to a rookie contract, Watkins has moved immediately into the starting lineup at the right guard position.

But the biggest area of concern along the Eagles’ offensive line just so happens to be the most crucial position.  As a left-handed quarterback, Vick’s blindside is on the right rather than the left.  So instead of having pro-bowl left tackle Jason Peters watching his back, Vick only has uncertainty. 

With incumbent right tackle Winston Justice coming off both knee surgery and a less-than-stellar 2010 performance, it seems the Eagles are promoting newly acquired Ryan Harris into the starting role. 

After two back-to-back injury-plagued seasons with the Denver Broncos, Harris will be looking to rehab his image and prove he is a starting-caliber player. 

Vick better hope he is right.

No. 4: Inexperienced Special Teams

With kicker David Akers now a 49er, it seems that the last iconic player of the McNabb era is officially gone. 

But Akers’ departure has more significance than mere sentimental value.  With both him and punter Sav Rocca out of the picture, the torch has been passed onto two rookies.

Luckily, those two rookies just so happen to be the cream of the crop at their position.  Kicker Alex Henery was the most accurate kicker in the history of the NCAA during his tenure as a Nebraska Cornhusker. 

Not to be outdone, University of Florida punter Chas Henry won the 2010 Ray Guy award, which is given to the nation’s top punter.

No disrespect to their individual successes at the collegiate level, but the NFL is a whole other beast. 

Kicking a football through two yellow posts or punting it out of bounds may not sound challenging.  But when you are under the lights and have tens of thousands of eyes watching your every move, things get a little trickier.

Simply put, if the Eagles’ special teams want to succeed, they need to develop quickly and learn how to deal with all the pressure that comes with being a player in the NFL.

No. 3: Young Linebacker Corps

If there is one thing that head coach Andy Reid is notorious for (besides failing to win the big one), it is his reluctance to invest heavily at the linebacker position.

Since the beginning of his tenure as an Eagle back in 1999, Reid has never used a first round selection on a linebacker.  He believes that a solid defensive line will mask any deficiencies among his linebackers.

Which is why the defense is set to begin the season with three extremely green linebackers as starters.

As it stands now, the Eagles will be starting Moise Fokou at WLB, Jamar Chaney at SLB and rookie Casey Matthews at MLB.  Of those three, both Fokou and Chaney were selected in the seventh round of the 2009 and 2010 draft, respectively.

Talk about a lack of a pedigree.

Granted, both players have experience as starters with the team, and Chaney in particular looks as though he could become a future star with continued development. 

The biggest concern of the three, however, is Casey Matthews.  After being selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, Matthews has as much experience as a starter in the NFL as I do.

Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo obviously sees potential in the rookie, as he has been adamant about giving him first-team reps.   But promoting a rookie as the quarterback of your defense seems like an unnecessary risk.

With the way the Eagles have loaded up on defense in the past week, it would be a shame if a young and inexperienced (albeit talented) linebacker corps kept this team out of the Super Bowl.

No. 2: Wide Receiver Woes

If the season were to start today, the Eagles would be lining up Jason Avant and Riley Cooper as their starting wide receivers.

Not necessarily a tandem that strikes fear into the hearts of opposing cornerbacks.

But with DeSean Jackson’s holdout and Jeremy Maclin’s undisclosed illness, that is exactly how the starting lineup would look. 

Of the two, Jackson’s situation seems less concerning.  The point of his holdout was to bring to light the fact that he is currently the league’s most underpaid wide receiver.  Now that he has sent his message to the Eagles’ front office, it should only be a matter of days before he is out on the practice field.

In fact, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the speedy receiver could be back at camp as early as Monday.  This is undoubtedly due in large part to the Eagles’ unwavering stance of only negotiating contracts with players who report to the team.

Maclin’s circumstance, on the other hand, warrants far more concern. 

After reportedly losing 15 pounds during the offseason due to an illness, it seems that Maclin is still dealing with medical issues.  Both he and the team are waiting for results to come back before he is allowed to join his teammates out on the gridiron.

It is comforting that he has begun working out on the sidelines and that Reid believes he will be ready for the start of the season.  But this is a situation that should be monitored closely. 

No. 1: Team Chemistry

Gone are the days of Brian Dawkins and his leadership abilities.  When he was let go from the team he took not only his play-making abilities, but the heart and soul of the team as well.

People often overlook the importance of leadership and chemistry within a team.  But the teammates that respect each other are the teammates who will play harder for the man next to him out on the field. 

And now that the Eagles have brought in all these new faces, there is an even greater need for someone to step up and become a leader.

The offense seems to have found its leader in quarterback Michael Vick—who has taken over that role both on the field and in the locker room—but the same cannot be said of the defense. 

Typically, the middle linebacker assumes the role of fearless leader, but it is tough to imagine rookie Casey Matthews taking command of this defense when has not even played a snap in the NFL.

But when it comes to deciding the leader of this defense, it is not so much a question of who as it is when.  With all the stars that are now on defense, it is imperative that someone quickly take charge so that the rest can all fall in line behind him.

As an organization, the Eagles can bring in all the talent they want.  But if the new players can’t mesh and play as a unit, then this team will find it very difficult to win when it matters most.