Philadelphia Eagles Team Report by Tom Merrick
| Phi Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
| Change | Name | Pos | Att | Comp | % | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | Pts |
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#fname# #lname# | #pos# | #NumberFormat("#pts#", '__,_____')# | ||||||||||||
| Totals | #NumberFormat("#tot_patt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pcmp#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#evaluate(100*tot_pcmp/tot_patt)#", '_____._')#% | #NumberFormat("#tot_pyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ptds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_int#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ratt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ryds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rtds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rec#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_cyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ctds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pts#", '__,_____')# | ||
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Quarterbacks Starter - Donovan McNabb Backups - Koy Detmer, AJ Feeley Starting Quarterback: Donovan McNabb has shown steady improvement each year he has been in the league. While the Eagles offense is not as passer friendly as the Rams (whose is?), McNabb will make the most out of his opportunities in 2002. Having another year of experience working with basically the same receiving and tight end crew will only help to improve McNabb's numbers this year. Considering he threw for 25 TD's last year and ran for two more, 30 total TD's is not out of the question. No Eagle worked as hard as McNabb did in the offseason. The signing of Antonio Freeman (see below) should only help his numbers. Backup Quarterback(s): On this team, the number one QB is clearly McNabb with Koy Detmer and AJ Feeley battling for the #2 position. Detmer is an excellent holder for kicker Akers, so his place as the #2 QB is firmly entrenched. However, Feeley has shown that he can lead this team as evidenced by the last game of 2001. Both backups could fill in for McNabb for a game or two, but if McNabb goes down for an extended period, they could be in trouble. Running Backs Starter - Duce Staley Backups - Dorsey Levens, Brian Westbrook, Rod Smart Starting Running Back: Duce Staley is almost two years removed from his Lis Franc foot injury. Last year, he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of a few games. When healthy, he is one of the most versatile running backs in the league, capable of obtaining 1000 yards rushing, 400 yards receiving. Expect him to share the backfield with backup Dorsey Levens in some formations which will provide many options for the offense. The question remains whether he can stay healthy for a full season. Backup Running Back(s): If Staley goes down for any length of time, the Eagles have two very capable backups in Dorsey Levens and Brian Westbrook. Levens was signed as a free agent this year after Correll Buckhalter went down in minicamp. Although Coach Reid has made it clear that Staley is #1, Levens has looked very impressive. He has shown a great deal of understanding of the offense, having played for Green Bay for the past 8 years. Brian Westbrook will probably be used initially as a third down/pass catching back. I met him at camp this year and was extremely impressed with how well put together this guy is. While on the small side in terms of height for an NFL RB (5' 9"), he is as solid as they come (200 lbs). In addition, he possesses two of the best hands on the team and will be groomed to replace Brian Mitchell on kick returns in the future. Fullback(s): Cecil Martin, Jamie Reader: Cecil Martin is an ideal fullback for this system. He catches the ball very well and is an excellent blocker. He provides McNabb with yet another option out of the backfield. Jamie Reader is a better blocker than Martin, but not as a receiver. Do not expect high numbers from these guys. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters - James Thrash, Antonio Freeman Backups - Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, Dameane Douglas Starting Receiver(s): James Thrash is the #1 receiver on this team, for now. He hasn't done much this preseason, but this being his second year with the Eagles, he really should improve on last years' numbers. 70 catches and 850 yards can be expected from Thrash - low for a #1 WR in a West Coast offense, but good for a 2nd or 3rd WR on a fantasy team. The long awaited signing of Antonio Freeman finally came. Although most experts believe he has lost a step, he knows this system very well (having played in Green Bay for the last 7 years) and he should contribute immediately. If he performs well enough, look for him to challenge Thrash for the #1 position on this team. Signing Freeman to an incentive based contract was a great move by the team. Backup Receiver(s): Todd Pinkston was the #2 WR until the signing of Freeman. He is actually having a decent preseason, and will only help to provide more depth to the receiving corps. The Eagles have high hopes for Freddie Mitchell, but thus far, he has not stepped up his game (part of the reason for the signing of Freeman). Drafted with the 25th overall pick last year, he was hot and cold as he learned the system. Another year of working with McNabb should help tremendously. He is a very confident WR and expects big plays of himself. Dameane Douglas has not really played enough/distinguished himself as a WR. He is a very good special teams player and that may be why he is still with the team. Formerly the team's weakest position, the WR's corps now has some depth which is desperately needed in the West Coast offense. Tight End(s): Chad Lewis, Jeff Thomason, Tony Stewart Chad Lewis is coming off another Pro Bowl season. He has great hands and has developed a chemistry with McNabb that will only get better this year. Expect 50-55 catches, 500 yards and 7 TD's. Jeff Thomason is a serviceable backup who excels at pass blocking. Tony Stewart is huge and has the speed to get downfield. Some day Stewart will be the man on this team. Place Kicker David Akers: Akers finished last year as the #2 scoring kicker in the NFC. He has a strong leg and is very good at kicking in bad weather. Expect another productive season as Akers will make the most of his opportunities to convert on stalled drives (120 pts). Defense Along with McNabb, this is the heart of the team. Led by super quick Corey Simon in the middle, Hugh Douglas as the sack man and a top flight secondary, coordinator Jim Johnson expects big plays from this high intensity unit. The team hopes that the combination of Levon Kirkland and Barry Gardner can make up for the loss of Jeremiah Trotter. The secondary has been re-fortified with the addition of Blaine Bishop and three Dbacks in the draft: Lito Sheppard (1st round), Michael Lewis and Sheldon Brown (both 2nd round). Thus far, Michael Lewis has been the only standout rookie player showing a penchant for huge hits. The team believes it has the formula for stopping the Rams by flooding the field with Dbacks. Expect this unit to be in the top 5 overall. Coaching Andy Reid has done a great job of getting his team to where they are at today - ready for the next level. This is his 4th year with the team and he has his players believing in themselves. 11 or 12 wins are possible. Intangibles This team was a little over 50 yards from the Super Bowl last year. This year, they are more determined to finish what they started. Combine that with overflowing confidence and it seems logical that the next step will be the Super Bowl. It remains to be seen whether the offseason moves were enough to put the Eagles over the top. |