It could be the Eagles says ESPN's Matt Mosley.. .

I realize the Jacksonville Jaguars would be the logical choice if you have them ranked behind the Colts in the AFC South, but let's go with something a little less obvious. The Eagles' season was doomed from the start last season because of the uncertainty of how starting quarterback Donovan McNabb would respond from ACL surgery and because of the family issues that plagued head coach Andy Reid.

But something funny happened over the last month of the season. The Eagles could have packed it in, but instead they started playing their best football. They should automatically be better on defense with the addition of All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel. And the release of veteran Takeo Spikes will actually make them more athletic. Jeremiah Trotter's replacement, Omar Gaither, grew into his role as the season went on and I think he'll be a much more consistent player.

He goes on to talk about some more reasons why it could happen... It makes total sense, but then again it probably would make sense about several teams in the NFC. I'm just not convinced that anyone in the NFC is really head and shoulders above the pack.

The Saints look like they were primed for a real run and they fell flat last year. The Bears go the superbowl and fall flat. Those were the two teams in the NFC Title game in 06... I have no doubt that the same thing could happen again with a number of NFC teams that made the postseason in 07. Dallas has looked like it was on a upswing the past couple years, but then they can't win a playoff game and are getting old at certain positions. The Packers have a big bounce back year and then Favre retires. Anyone want to bet Aaron Rodgers will lead them to another 13-3 record? The Seahawks have hung around... but do they scare anyone? Would they have made the playoffs if they weren't in the NFC West? The Giants won it all, so you'd have to say they're the class of the conference... but they were no more than a wildcard last year and an 8-8 team the previous year. How many experts do anyone think will pick the Giants to repeat? Either as conference or SB champs?

Any of these teams could turn out to be better than I think... but that's the point. There are no Patriots or Colts in the NFC. There's a lot of mediocrity parity.

Gotta love this little exchange from day two of camp

The highlight of the afternoon practice came when cornerback Asante Samuel broke up a pass intended for DeSean Jackson. A.J. Feeley threw the pass, and Samuel jumped up and woofed some at Feeley after making the play. "Didn't you learn last year that you couldn't get a pass in on me?" said Samuel, bringing the whole team to laughter. Even head coach Andy Reid chuckled on that one.

Very nice Asante, very nice...

First, everyone wanted to know whether McNabb thought the Eagles got the "playmakers" he asked for.

“I said playmakers, I didn’t say receivers,” McNabb said. “I said guys that can come in and make plays for us. We brought in Asante, who led the league in interceptions two years ago, and last year had a lot of interceptions as well. That was a start.

But did he like the offseason?

“(The offseason) wasn’t about my liking, it was for the team,” McNabb said.

Could the Eagles have been any more aggressive in the offseason?

“I think they did a great job,” McNabb said with a smile.

Can they win the Super Bowl this year with the players they have?

“I think we can win the Super Bowl every year,” McNabb said, this time without the smile.

If McNabb is bluffing, he’s doing a great job of it. He seemed upbeat, joking in the locker room and laughing with teammates.

Brian Westbrook was a bit more frank when he was asked about playmakers

"We added some guys that can play," Westbrook said. "At this point I guess you have to go to war with the guys that you have ... unless they add someone else. Me being satisfied doesn't mean too much. I want to add the best players to our team and I think we have some very good players already that can get the job done."

But ...

"If we can get a big-time receiver, a big-time runner, or whatever we can get, that's what I want as a player," Westbrook continued. "Coach (Andy Reid) made a point that he was going to get some playmakers on this team. I think he tried to. A lot of those (potential) trades and acquisitions didn't really go his way."

Westbrook on his contract situation.

"I'm paid," said Westbrook, who led the NFL with 2,104 yards from scrimmage last season. "I signed a contract that was fair at that (time), so there's no sense in me crying about it now."

Westbrook continued to deliver the goods on the topic of player compensation and his personal dealings with the Eagles' front office.

"All players want more money," Westbrook said. "I think the team's job is to not pay all the money that the player wants. I think that's where the conflict comes into play. I think this organization is a very good organization and they try to do things the right way. That doesn't necessarily mean that it al ways ends up the right way all the time, either."

I must say, I really love hearing Westbrook speak. He doesn't try to be controversial or even all that diplomatic either. He just comes off as honest and business-like. What more can you ask for?

Lito on his contract situation?

I'm not talking, so I don't know why you are all hanging around," a good-natured Sheppard told the horde of reporters gathered around his locker. "I'll answer a couple of questions on Monday."

Asante Samuel did his best to stay out of it.

"That's got nothing to do with me," Samuel said. "I just do what my coach tells me to do. It doesn't matter what I am used to. Whatever my coach tells me to do, I'm going to do it."

Sheldon Brown chimed in with his thoughts on the Lito situation

"I don't really know how Lito's situation is being handled," Brown said. "Obviously, Lito and me are close, but he doesn't really share that. As far as I know everything is OK. He's straight. He hasn't come to me and said they're doing it wrong. So, I just worry about my business. If we can play together and stay together, I'm cool with it. Hopefully we can stay together and win the (Super Bowl) and then all of us will get what we deserve."

And would Sheldon mind playing with Lito and Asante on the field?

  ``To be honest with you, I love it. Because I get to move into the slot. I get to rush the quarterback (from the slot). I get to do all that stuff. I hate it outside. It's boring out there.''

Brian Dawkins continued his defense of Lito

'It's different,'' Dawkins said of seeing a displaced Sheppard working as the third cornerback.

''[Sheppard's] play speaks for itself. When he's healthy, it speaks for itself. You have exactly what you need in a cornerback when you have Lito on the field. And when he gets the ball in his hands, it's almost six points.''

But he also defended the addition of Asante

'We were 32nd in the league in turnovers, so it doesn't surprise me they got playmakers on our side of the ball,'' free safety Brian Dawkins said. ''If we just hold onto some of the [turnover opportunities], we're not an 8-8 team.''