Position-By-Position Breakdown: The 2010 Offseason Agenda

Alrighty boys, it's taken me a while to get over the shambles in Jerryworld, but after reenergizing myself by watching the Cowgirls get thrashed by the Vikings, I'm back at it and ready to discuss an offseason which promises to be filled with questions:

COACHING

Love him or hate him, Andy Reid is the head coach of this team for the next four seasons at least.  There would have to be a monumental team-wide collapse in order for him to be jettisoned.  Marty Mornhinweg was at the center of some baseless rumors that had him as a possible candidate to replace Eric Mangini in Cleveland, so it looks as though he should be back.   Sean McDermott didn't have an easy task before him when he was called upon to replace Jim Johnson, and under the circumstances he put a competent product on the field, even though ithe defense collapsed when it counted.  His players need to be taught a little religion come training camp.  But, as it turns out, there had to be one scapegoat among the principals of the coaching staff, and that fell on former special teams coordinator Ted Daisher.  He was fired in favor of former Buffalo coordinator Bobby April, who has been fielding one of the better special-teams units in the NFL for the last six years.  Also fired were strength and conditioning coaches Mike Wolf and Jay Merlino (hope for Andy's sake he's not related to Skinny Joey).  Other than this, there appear to be no major shake-ups in the coaching staff.

QUARTERBACK

Yet another off-season is filled with rumors swirling around Donovan McNabb.  The most prominent scuttlebutt at the moment has him being traded to Minnesota in the event that Brett Favre retires for a third time.  On paper, it would make sense; former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress is the head coach and McNabb's former QBs coach at Syracuse is on the staff.  Yet almost immediately after the season ended, McNabb was given a vote of confidence from Andy Reid as the starting QB in 2010.  In an article in today's Inquirer, McNabb is quoted as saying that Reid "told everybody...I'm his guy."  Were this any other team, I'd think that this would slow down the rumors, but as is always the case with the Eagles, you don't know what they're going to do until it's already done.  If Favre retires, I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat along with the rest of you, but the simple fact of the matter is this: if a trade were going to be orchestrated, it would have to be done sooner rather than later, and there is no indication of any meetings being set up or any calls going back and forth between the two organizations.  He has the confidence of Reid, Banner and Lurie, which on this team is like a papal bull.  On McNabb, we'll just have to wait and see.  Kevin Kolb is waiting in the wings (very patiently, I might add), and I don't really see him going anywhere unless the team receives an irresistible draft-day offer.  It also depends on how much flak the team is willing to take for going back on their claims that Kolb is their future starting QB.  Conventional wisdom says Michael Vick is the odd man out in this triumvirate, and I believe they'll be able to unload him for a mid- to late-round pick.  Buffalo was listed as one of the teams possibly interested in him, but their reps have said they won't get into a bidding war with the Eagles over him; they won't respond to "outrageous" demands.  Expect that to be the case with every potential suitor.  Remember how much baggage that comes with signing Vick.

RUNNING BACK

If you believe the entirety of American sports media, Brian Westbrook is seriously considering retirement.  Like with McNabb, we'll just have to wait and see.  Westbrook's injuries have cost him significant playing time, as with his concussions this season, and you have to wonder how much he has left in the tank.  Running backs don't last long in this league past 30, and LeSean McCoy has cemented himself as Westbrook's heir with an impressive rookie season.  A trade certainly isn't possible.  I think the team is more than willing to move on without him, and make LeSean the full-time starter no matter what happens.  Look for the Eagles to draft a RB in later rounds to serve as a backup.  Eldra Buckley will probably remain with the team as an insurance policy.  Bottom line: retirement or no retirement, Westbrook's days as the starting RB of the Eagles are probably numbered.  Such a shame...

FULLBACK

Please.  The L-Train has this sewn up, thank you very much. Get that deal done!

WIDE RECEIVER

For the first time in a long time, the receiving corps of this team is an all-around solid unit, and could eventually develop into one of the league's best.  DeSean Jackson rocketed to superstar status this season, Jeremy Maclin posted very good numbers as a rookie, and Jason Avant proved he is one of the NFL's best on third down AND going over the middle, and he must be re-signed this season.  Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown (finally) could both be headed to the chopping block this season; Curtis can't seem to stay healthy and Brown just doesn't have what it takes to crack the starting lineup without benefit of injury to a starter.  The Eagles can't just keep hemorrhaging money for these guys to ride the pines.  Curtis signed a six-year, $32 million contract in 2007; he's due to make $3.4 million next season with a roster bonus of $1 million; he isn't a free agent until after 2013.  Brown, unbelievably, is signed through 2014.  Hindsight is 20/20 huh?  Just cut him and take the cap charge.

TIGHT END

Brent Celek should be the starting tight end in the Pro Bowl this year, screw Jason Witten.  He fell, what, 29 yards shy of 1,000 yards receiving on the season to go with 8 touchdowns and a team-leading 76 receptions?  He's going to be an invaluable asset to this team for years to come, which brings us to the question of Cornelius Ingram.  Like many of you, I was excited when we drafted him last year, because as has been stated exhaustively, his speed would create mismatches with linebackers.  It would not come to pass, however, as he tore the same ACL he tore as a standout at U of F, sidelining him for the season.  It is difficult to return to form from one ACL tear, let alone two, let alone two on the same knee.  It's an unfortunate situation; some have said that his NFL career could be over before it even begins.  But he's not done yet, and if he's able to come back healthy, he could be a very good second option behind Celek.  His replacement if he goes down again is Alex Smith, a restricted free agent, and I don't think he's impressed the team enough to warrant being re-signed for more money.  The team would do better to look at a free agent market rife with veteran tight ends; Leonard Pope of the Rams could be a serviceable backup.

LEFT TACKLE

Even though many people, including me, didn't think he deserved it, Jason Peters is a Pro-Bowler yet again.  That being said, he played very well this season, with only occasional lapses in his performance.  There's no question of his place on this team.  His backup is King Dunlap, who played in three games this season (and not too impressively).  Behind that is ogre Fenuki Tupou, who was placed on injured reserve this season to make room on the game-day roster.  We have yet to see anything out of him, and I'm looking forward to the training camp battle that will ensue between him and Dunlap.

GUARD

This is a position that the team will be forced to address in great detail this off-season.  Todd Herremans, barring injury, has his starting spot pretty much guaranteed, but the other spot is wide open right now; Stacy Andrews was a total bust and Max Jean-Gilles is a restricted free agent.  The team might look to the draft to take care of this; as stated earlier here at BGN, the team's scouts have reportedly developed an interest in increasingly-popular Idaho guard Mike Iupati.  He's massive, at 6'5" and 325 pounds, and is projected as a first or second-rounder.  However, if his stock continues on its present course, he could wind up as an early first-rounder and therefore out of the team's reach.  What attracts the scouts to him perhaps more than anything else is his hustle.  Andy loves drafting big ol' hogs like Iupati, so expect the team to take a serious look at him.  Mike McGlynn is listed at guard on the roster, and he hasn't made much noise even though he has managed to stay on the team.  There's always the possibility that he steps up.

CENTER

Losing Jamaal Jackson late this season was disastrous for the Eagles; the offensive line did not get the chance to jell going into the playoffs, and McNabb was constantly hassled by the Cowboys for two games straight.  Backup Nick Cole is capable of getting the job done, but he's a restricted free agent this year.  It might be a good idea to re-sign him in the event that Jackson is not ready (it usually takes a full year to come back from an ACL tear), and don't forget about McGlynn here, either.

RIGHT TACKLE

I have to hand it to Winston Justice: he's shown what it means to persevere and step up to answer the call.  Left for dead after the infamous outing against the Giants, Justice worked like a demon in training camp last year to make the starting spot his.  The remaining question at this position is highway robber Shawn Andrews; expected to slide to RT after Jon Runyan's departure, his back flared up again, and he's being paid to laze about in sunny SoCal to rehabilitate.  It's something new every year with this guy.  He's got one more chance to prove he can come back and return to the form he showed in his first couple years with the team.  If he can't get it done, he needs to go.

DEFENSIVE END

Trent Cole is finally getting the recognition he deserves after another Pro Bowl season, but he needs help.  The Eagles suffered late in the season from a lack of a competent pass rush, and for want of a pass rush, the season was lost.  Victor Abiamiri, who was widely expected to step up this season, didn't get it done.  Juqua Parker isn't really a top option at DE, especially with his advancing age.  Chris Clemons and Darren Howard aren't really starting material either.  This is a position the Eagles could address either in free agency or the draft.  Top names are available this off-season, most notably Julius Peppers.  He's thirty now, but he's still a beast and possible future HOFer.  If he signs a long-term deal, he might have to do it for less money given his age, which is always attractive.  Speaking of signing for less money, the Cowboys' Marcus Spears is also available.  He's solid and young, if unspectacular, and he would come at a reasonable price.  He's a guy who might benefit from the attention that O-lineman have to give to Cole.  As far as the draft goes, some experts have the Birds taking Florida's Carlos Dunlap with the 24th overall pick.  He already has a red flag (he was arrested for DUI), but he has incredible size (6'6", 290 pounds) and speed.  His talent is too undeniable for teams to let him slip too far in the draft; he might be a good pickup and benefit from Andy Reid's prowess at running a (mostly) tight ship.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

It would seem that Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley would have this position sewn up, but an article in today's Inky struck me as interesting.  Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick, who has been turning heads at the Senior Bowl, has appeared on the Eagles' radar.  We all know how Andy has a soft spot for big interior lineman, and Odrick is certainly that: he's 6'5", 301 pounds.  He has a motor that doesn't stop running.  Given all this, it's possible that if drafted he could be converted into a pass-rushing defensive end.  Currently on the Eagles' roster is Trevor Laws, who has yet to live up to his status as the Eagles' first pick in the 2008 draft, and Antonio Dixon, who had a few impressive outings this season.  Laws needs to show something quick, or he could find himself on the outside looking in.

MIDDLE LINEBACKER

I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone at BGN when I say that we are all eagerly awaiting Stewart Bradley's return from an ACL tear.  His loss hurt the Eagles badly this season, as there was a nearly laughable carousel at MLB throughout the season: Gaither, Mays, Trotter....no one could fill the void.  We need Bradley back, and right quick.  Given Bradley's youth and upside, I don't think the team will consider drafting a replacement.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

Akeem Jordan was bitten by the injury bug this season, Chris Gocong couldn't raise his level of play above mediocre, and Will Witherspoon, a late-season addition, played sort of inconsistently.  Linebacker is definitely a position the team will be looking at during the draft.  Another Penn State product, Navorro Bowman, is a possibility here, and with his size and speed could be in the Elvis Dumervil mold as a pass-rushing linebacker/defensive end.  Gocong could benefit from a move to the d-line.

SAFETY

Yet another position the team must address; Quintin Mikell will return as a starter next season, but the question is who to implement as his counterpart.  Quintin Demps, Sean Jones, and Macho Harris could not answer the call, so I think the team could look to free agency or the draft to resolve it.  Included in the free agent pool are standouts Antoine Bethea of Indianapolis, Nick Collins of Green Bay, O.J. Atogwe of St. Louis, and Roman Harper of New Orleans.  Any one of them could step in and do the job.  As usual, the draft is not deep at safety, and the top two names are Eric Berry of Tennessee, "The Fifth Dimension," and Taylor Mays of Southern Cal, "Frankenstein."  Berry is a potential top-5 pick as the best safety (and possibly best DB) in the entire draft, so we're not gonna come close to getting him.  Previously, I had been salivating over Mays because of his physicality (he knocked out two guys on one hit once), but I think I had been blinded by post-Dawkins depression.  His coverage skills are lacking, but his size (6'3", 230 pounds) and speed ( his low time is 4.36) make him a definite first-round prospect.  He hasn't been impressing lately with his coverage problems, so it's possible he could slip to the late first round, right where we are.  It's very likely he could be converted to linebacker, given his size and physical style of play.

CORNERBACK

Asante Samuel is again a Pro-Bowler, and Sheldon Brown turned in a fine performance once more.  But Brown is getting up there in years, and his contract needs to be taken care of.  The free agent pool is not rich with talent; Leigh Bodden, Dunta Robinson, and the Eagles' own Ellis Hobbs (who is recovering from a neck injury) constitute some of the marginal talent at this position in the free agent market.  We have Joselio Hanson and Dmitri Patterson, both capable backups, so depth is definitely there, but it won't be long before the team will need to consider a sucessor to Sheldon.   Will we carry 5 CBs next season?  Who knows?

PLACEKICKER

Akers showed he has plenty left in the tank.  Congrats on making the All-Decade Team, David.  Keep up the good work, and maybe I'll see you around Ocean City this summer.

PUNTER

I'm sorry, but Sav Rocca is just too inconsistent.  He'll hit a booming punt for a country mile one minute, then shank one out of bounds for a net of 20 yards the next.  There are some pretty decent names presently emerging in the free agent market; Jon Ryan of Seattle, Sam Koch of Baltimore, Michael Koenen of Atlanta, Daniel Sepulveda of Pittsburgh, and Brad Maynard of Chicago are all available.  Don't underestimate the value of field position.