2009 Team Outlook: Philadelphia

Say what you want about the headlines that seem to follow Donovan McNabb every season or Andy Reid's oft-criticized play calling or the Eagles playing the bridesmaid role year after year...the Eagles know how to run a franchise. Players come and go, but the franchise stays among the league's best and last year had another run to the NFC Championship game (though they fell just short of the Super Bowl, again). Instead of sulking following the loss to the Cardinals, the organization went out and acquired a Pro Bowl left tackle, moved up in the first round to grab a flashy receiver and brought in backfield help for their star running back.

All of that activity revolves around one Donovan McNabb, the Eagles' primary quarterback for all of their historically recent ups and downs. In a year in which he was briefly benched, McNabb actually had one of his more productive campaigns, to the point that his job is safe for the foreseeable future (or until the Eagles lose in Week One).

Brian Westbrook remains their top playmaker and one of the most electrifying players in the game, though he wore down over the second half and still cannot seem to earn those key short yards. Hoping to keep their star on the field more often than not, the Eagles drafted future starter LeSean McCoy and signed former Seahawks FB Leonard Weaver to open holes and produce on those 3rd and shorts.

In the McNabb era, the Eagles have historically lacked big play talent at receiver, but that has changed following the last two drafts. DeSean Jackson paid immediate dividends after being drafted in the second round last season and former Missouri Tiger star Jeremy Maclin was a round one selection this season. Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant and Reggie Brown (for now) round out the suddenly deep receiving corps. Playoff surprise Brent Celek takes over at tight end and could be a top red zone target as the giant amongst the smallish wide outs.

While the Eagles further upgraded their offense with the addition of LT Jason Peters (the aforementioned pro bowler) and G/T Stacy Andrews, the defense suffered a major blow when safety and team leader Brian Dawkins was allowed to leave town via free agency. With their defensive quarterback, the Eagles ranked seventh in the NFL in total defense, but now will rely on pass rusher Trent Cole (nine sacks), corner Asante Samuels (four interceptions) and third-year MLB Stewart Bradley (108 tackles) to lead the way. CB Sheldon Brown helps form a top-level corner duo with Samuels, but is a potential holdout. Fantasy owners will notice little difference with this year's crew, though the real world Eagles will be hard pressed to replace all that Dawkins brought to the table.

Playing in the brutal NFC East makes playoff talk iffy no matter the roster, but the Eagles are poised to make another run. McNabb must stay healthy -- and not have one his "sub par" seasons -- and the defense needs to establish themselves while changing their leadership on the fly. Not the conference favorite going in, but the Eagles are in the mix and nobody will be surprised this time if they reach the NFC Championship game. On the other hand, if they make the Super Bowl...

8/20: The signing of Michael Vick was only the latest news coming of out "Iggle" land. Former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away this summer and the Eagles will feel the loss of their blitz-loving guru, though his protege Sean McDermott is expected to largely leave well enough alone.

- One thing McDermott will need to adjust to is the loss of MLB Bradley, who suffered a torn ACL during training camp. Big hitting Joe Mays is expected to take over, but losing Bradley and Dawkins will make the Eagles weaker up the middle.

- Westbrook is back practicing fully, though he is unlikely to play in any preseason games. McCoy continues to shine is making look like at least a 70-30 backfield split for now and that number likely rises the more the rookie continues tom impress.

- As for Vick, he may very well become a Wildcat/jack of all trade option, but his fantasy value is limited to being McNabb's backup. Considering he would be a hot commodity if he was inserted into the lineup, Vick is worth a late round pick for McNabb owners.

QB Donovan McNabb, PHI (QB - #10) - Solid/Safe Pick

There is scant new territory to discover when it comes to Donovan McNabb, NFL Quarterback, one of the most talked about players of his era. In between all the headlines, McNabb managed to produce one of his better seasons, passing for a career-high 3,916 yards while throwing 23 touchdowns (the first time he tossed for at least 20 scores since 2004). There is no doubt that he will be one of the top QB's selected in fantasy drafts this season and the Eagles have rebuilt their offensive line and added rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin to the mix. However, McNabb is as also as streaky as they come; he threw 10 combined touchdowns in three games, but was shutout in four games and threw for only one touchdown in five others. There are also historical reasons why it might not be a bad year to let someone else go along for the ride. Three times in his career McNabb has thrown over 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons (including the last two), averaging 22.5 touchdowns along the way. Nevertheless, in that subsequent third season, injuries limited him to an average 9.5 games, 2,398 yards and 16.5 touchdown passes. McNabb is healthy entering training camp and good vibes are emanating from Eagle-land following last season's championship game run; so be cautious, but do not let him slide too far in fantasy drafts either. Then again, do not expect him to exceed or perhaps even match his '08 numbers either.

QB Michael Vick, PHI (QB - #39) - Fantasy Handcuff

Now that we are a few days past the shocking announcement that the Eagles signed Michael Vick, we have a little better understanding of how the coupling came to be and more importantly, how #7 will be deployed. First and foremost, there is no QB competition, nor should there be as long as Donovan McNabb (who pushed for the franchise to sign Vick) remains upright. Barring any setback -- and to this point it has not been made clear if or how rusty he is -- Vick will become the number two QB and even at that role, he has some value as a McNabb handcuff. The Eagles are making noise about lining Vick up in several different spots along the formation and if he can still get up to top speed, clearly he would be a scary threat. Of course, that will not likely matter to fantasy owners unless Vick gets in the lineup. If he does, there will be a mad dash to grab Vick off the waver wires, so consider holding onto him in advance if you have the space.

RB LeSean McCoy, PHI (RB - #11) - Fantasy Handcuff

With Correll Buckhalter leaving via free agency -- combined with the inevitable Brian Westbrook injury -- the Eagles wisely grabbed McCoy in the second round to be both current compliment and bridge to the future for their offense. Similar to Westbrook in size and style, the 5'10, 198lb McCoy is a shifty speedster who is more effective in space than running up the middle and has strong pass catching skills. The Eagles will now be able to keep using the Westbrook designed plays even when their star back is on the sideline, assuming the rookie beats out Lorenzo Booker for the backup role. FB Leonard Weaver is also in the mix, but primarily as the short yardage option, making McCoy the favorite for full time when/if Westbrook misses time (though he may feel free, he is to small to be a true every down back). For now McCoy's role will be as backup and perhaps as a passing game asset in PPR leagues, but he makes for a nice keeper/dynasty pick.

RB Leonard Weaver, PHI - Deep-league Only

Weaver is not a threat to Brian Westbrook's carries -- that is LeSean McCoy's job -- but he could be that annoying big back who gets the rock around the goal line. For the most part, the former Seahawk (who caught 39 passes in 2007) will act as lead blocker and safety valve in the passing game, though he has averaged at least 4.3 yards per attempt on his limited touches the last three years. The Eagles famously have struggled on short yardage plays and Weaver could get the call ahead of Westbrook and the similarly built McCoy, but that remains to be seen. Do not feel compelled to draft Weaver, but watch the scores; his value bumps up if Westbrook's injury flairs up.

RB Brian Westbrook, PHI (RB - #65) - Solid/Safe Pick

Ultimately, it was not in the cards for Westbrook to match his unreal 2007 numbers, but that is not to say last season was anything close to shabby. The all-around weapon was a top-10 scorer amongst fantasy running backs, racking up 14 touchdowns, 1,338 yards from scrimmage and generally scaring the daylights out of opposing defensive coordinators. Of course, he was once again an injury report regular with an assortment of ailments, including a knee problem that led to offseason arthroscopic knee surgery; all of which led to his decreased production in the final weeks. The Eagles know they need a healthy Westbrook in January if they are going to max out in the playoffs, so they added rookie LeSean McCoy to help in the passing game and FB Leonard Weaver as the likely short yardage option. As the team tries to keep the soon to be 30-year old Westbrook fresh throughout the season, it means fantasy owners should expect fewer touches. The explosive Westbrook remains a RB1 option, but he is closer to the bottom of the list than the top (especially in non-PPR leagues).

8/20 Westbrook is back practicing with the team, going through all drills without problems according to reports. He is still not expected to play during preseason and that could lower his fantasy draft value, but he should be a top-15 pick in PPR leagues and not much farther down in standard scoring.