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Eagles should sign a veteran running back
While the Phillies have pulled a week in front of the Braves and Marlins in the National League East, the biggest buzz around the area is for Eagles training camp.
I’ve done some reading about the Eagles on the national level lately, and there are quite a few magazines and writers predicting our Birds to be playing in late January, and possibly even early February. Based on the rest of the teams in the NFC East and, in fact, the entire conference, I can’t say that I blame them for making these predictions.
Even with the confidence that I have in the Eagles as an entire team, I still feel a few positions are lacking, including defensive end and running back.
I think that if Victor Abiamiri can stay healthy for the entire season, he will be an excellent first and second down defensive end, which would allow Juqua (Thomas) Parker to move back into the role of blitz specialist, where he excelled in 2006, getting to the quarterback six times in limited playing time. In that role, along with Chris Clemons, Parker can make an impact on obvious passing downs, instead of being worn down by road-grating offensive tackles on running plays.
With Abiamiri back in the fold, the only position of need on the Eagles would be at the running back spot.
Whether or not Brian Westbrook is fully healthy (has that ever been the case?), the Eagles need another running back.Westbrook is the starter, LeSean “Shady” McCoy is the Westbrook of the next decade, having a very similar skill set as the man he was drafted to replace, and Lorenzo Booker fills the role of disappointment on the roster, which Greg Lewis, L.J. Smith, Reggie Brown, and Reno Mahe have all previously filled.
McCoy’s role this season will be to take some of the load off of Westbrook’s shoulders, not be a change-of-pace back. Assuming he picks up the plays and the blocking assignments, McCoy could see as many as 10-15 touches per game this season because Westbrook clearly was not himself last year, posting the lowest yards per carry and yards per catch of his career. If Westbrook comes back healthy and dynamic, McCoy will be brought along slower than if Westbrook looks like he is running on the bald tires from last season.
This means that the Eagles still need a running back to replace Correll Buckhalter, because Buck did different things than Westbrook, running with a north-south, one-gap style.Because they only need someone to come in for five to 10 touches per game, the Eagles could look in the nearly-over-the-hill section of the free agency market, which is currently stocked to the ceiling with running backs, including Edgerrin James, Warrick Dunn, Michael Pittman, DeShaun Foster and Deuce McAllister.
(On a complete side note, just mentioning Foster’s name brings back my hatred of Mark Simoneau for missing not one, but two tackles on Foster’s one-yard touchdown run in the NFC Championship game against the Panthers. If the Eagles could have held the Panthers to a field goal on that drive, it would have been a one-score game late in the fourth quarter instead of a two-score game, and maybe they could have pulled off a comeback!)
Looking at that group, Dunn is the obvious name that sticks out, because the Eagles made a run for him several years ago. However, we can probably cross him off the list because, at 187 pounds, he would be the smallest running back on the Eagles, and not be an adequate replacement for Buckhalter.
The one thing that the rest of the running backs have in common is their size and their ability to catch passes out of the backfield. All four of the remaining running backs are at least 220 pounds, and other than Foster, they all have 60-catch seasons on their resumes.
Because of their similar skill sets, I would look at the durability of the player, along with how he would fit in the Eagles’ locker room.That last characteristic immediately takes James out of the picture based on how often he was seen sulking and requesting a trade out of Arizona last year.
Durability is a question mark for the three other running backs, but McAllister is the only one who has shown that he can handle being a backup without causing trouble.
More importantly, he has the ability to pick up first downs in short-yardage situations, and carry the load for a week if necessary, and knowing Westbrook, it will be necessary.
***
Like the “On the Edge” blog? Hear more of my opinions about Philadelphia sports every Friday at 3:30 p.m. on WBCB 1490 AM during the Coffee with Kahuna show. This week, we’ll talk about what to look for if you go to Eagles Training Camp in Lehigh, along with the amazing run of the red-hot Phillies.
I’ve done some reading about the Eagles on the national level lately, and there are quite a few magazines and writers predicting our Birds to be playing in late January, and possibly even early February. Based on the rest of the teams in the NFC East and, in fact, the entire conference, I can’t say that I blame them for making these predictions.
Even with the confidence that I have in the Eagles as an entire team, I still feel a few positions are lacking, including defensive end and running back.
I think that if Victor Abiamiri can stay healthy for the entire season, he will be an excellent first and second down defensive end, which would allow Juqua (Thomas) Parker to move back into the role of blitz specialist, where he excelled in 2006, getting to the quarterback six times in limited playing time. In that role, along with Chris Clemons, Parker can make an impact on obvious passing downs, instead of being worn down by road-grating offensive tackles on running plays.
With Abiamiri back in the fold, the only position of need on the Eagles would be at the running back spot.
Whether or not Brian Westbrook is fully healthy (has that ever been the case?), the Eagles need another running back.Westbrook is the starter, LeSean “Shady” McCoy is the Westbrook of the next decade, having a very similar skill set as the man he was drafted to replace, and Lorenzo Booker fills the role of disappointment on the roster, which Greg Lewis, L.J. Smith, Reggie Brown, and Reno Mahe have all previously filled.
McCoy’s role this season will be to take some of the load off of Westbrook’s shoulders, not be a change-of-pace back. Assuming he picks up the plays and the blocking assignments, McCoy could see as many as 10-15 touches per game this season because Westbrook clearly was not himself last year, posting the lowest yards per carry and yards per catch of his career. If Westbrook comes back healthy and dynamic, McCoy will be brought along slower than if Westbrook looks like he is running on the bald tires from last season.
This means that the Eagles still need a running back to replace Correll Buckhalter, because Buck did different things than Westbrook, running with a north-south, one-gap style.Because they only need someone to come in for five to 10 touches per game, the Eagles could look in the nearly-over-the-hill section of the free agency market, which is currently stocked to the ceiling with running backs, including Edgerrin James, Warrick Dunn, Michael Pittman, DeShaun Foster and Deuce McAllister.
(On a complete side note, just mentioning Foster’s name brings back my hatred of Mark Simoneau for missing not one, but two tackles on Foster’s one-yard touchdown run in the NFC Championship game against the Panthers. If the Eagles could have held the Panthers to a field goal on that drive, it would have been a one-score game late in the fourth quarter instead of a two-score game, and maybe they could have pulled off a comeback!)
Looking at that group, Dunn is the obvious name that sticks out, because the Eagles made a run for him several years ago. However, we can probably cross him off the list because, at 187 pounds, he would be the smallest running back on the Eagles, and not be an adequate replacement for Buckhalter.
The one thing that the rest of the running backs have in common is their size and their ability to catch passes out of the backfield. All four of the remaining running backs are at least 220 pounds, and other than Foster, they all have 60-catch seasons on their resumes.
Because of their similar skill sets, I would look at the durability of the player, along with how he would fit in the Eagles’ locker room.That last characteristic immediately takes James out of the picture based on how often he was seen sulking and requesting a trade out of Arizona last year.
Durability is a question mark for the three other running backs, but McAllister is the only one who has shown that he can handle being a backup without causing trouble.
More importantly, he has the ability to pick up first downs in short-yardage situations, and carry the load for a week if necessary, and knowing Westbrook, it will be necessary.
***
Like the “On the Edge” blog? Hear more of my opinions about Philadelphia sports every Friday at 3:30 p.m. on WBCB 1490 AM during the Coffee with Kahuna show. This week, we’ll talk about what to look for if you go to Eagles Training Camp in Lehigh, along with the amazing run of the red-hot Phillies.
posted by Matthew Fleishman, Yardley News Editor at
3:07 PM
10 Comments:
Way to ignore it, you 3-year-old. Keep talking about how Philly is better than N.Y.
Clown.
It was deleted because of the curse.
The tragedy that happened outside Citizens Bank Park on Saturday has no place in sports. People need to be far more responsible and respectful of each other.
However, this blog is not about news like that, just about what happens on the field and in the front office.
"People need to be far more responsible and respectful of each other."
Funny, I don't remember you ripping Chase Utley when he dropped the F-bomb in front of thousands of little kids.
Jim Johnson is dead. And so are the Eagles' 2009 hopes.
Classy as always New York (probably fake gucci and black market organ jersey though). Good luck in 2009 without your two gunslingers.
Shouldn't you be killing someone outside your ballpark?
...So that the mayor of your town will have a fresh supply of organs to sell?
Wow that's funny. Good thing you don't write joke books.
Stewart Bradley done for the year. Already.
Cry, Eagles, Cry .... On the road to misery ....
Bradley hurts, but the LBs weren't that good anyway
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