2010 Philadelphia Eagles Season Preview

Trading McNabb was a play for the future, but there are few towns in the NFL's repertoire less patient than Philadelphia. Kevin Kolb is the new sheriff in town and will need to perform quickly to earn the confidence of his coach and fans, and keep trading McNabb from looking like a serious goof. Right now, the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Team Preview indicates that making the playoffs might prove to be diffcult for the Eagles in the 2010 NFL Season.

Kolb already showed an ability to succeed in the league a year ago when he filled in for McNabb in Weeks Two and Three. Against the Saints and Chiefs, he threw for over 740 combined yards and four touchdowns to give the Eagles a 1-1 record in relief.

But winning regular season games is far different than playoff games, a fact that inevidably ran McNabb out of town. Philadelphia has appeared in five conference championships since 2000, and only won one. Last season, the Eagles finished 11-5, but suffered two tormenting losses to the rival Cowboys at the end of the year, including a 34-14 defeat in the first round of the postseason. That led to another round of questions for head coach Andy Reid and the shake up at several key positions.

The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles' depth chart saw subtractions all over this spring, also losing Brian Westbrook to free agency. LeSean McCoy will take over primary duties at running back after enjoying relative success as a rookie.

The Eagles will likely be the second favorite to take the division crown behind Dallas, and no one will know either way until December 12th, when the two teams meet for the first time.

Philadelphia had the 12th-rated defense and 11th-rated offense in '09. With a lot of needs to address, the Eagles were one of the most active teams on draft day, scooping up 13 players in April. 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Coaching Staff & ChangesPhiladelphia chose Andy Reid. The ongoing saga to which the team should pick as the scapegoat cost Donovan McNabb his head, and gave one more vote of confidence for Reid. But that means there's no one else to blame if the Eagles under perform again. Despite losing in the first round of the playoffs for first time in his coaching career, Eagles' fans put him on the hot seat again.

With a new young team headed by Kolb and McCoy, this will be Reid's biggest project yet. He's spent the last 11 seasons on the sidelines with a 108-67 record, reaching the NFC Championship five times. He has won at least 10 games seven times, and won the division crown six times. He is also the team's executive vice president of football operations.2010 Philadelphia Eagles Key Free Agency Acquisitions & LossesAcquistions
WR - Hank Baskett from Indianapolis Colts
LB - Ernie Sims traded from Detroit Lions
DE - Darryl Tapp traded from Seattle Seahawks
RB - Mike Bell from New Orleans Saints
FS - Marlin Jackson from Indianapolis Colts

Losses
QB - Donovan McNabb traded to Washington Redskins
CB - Sheldon Brown traded to Cleveland Browns
RB - Brian Westbrook to Free Agency
WR - Reggie Brown traded to Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR - Kevin Curtis to Free Agency
TE - Alex Smith to Free Agency
LB - Jeremiah Trotter to Free Agency
LB - Will Witherspoon to Free Agency2010 Philadelphia Eagles NFL DraftRound 1: Pick 13 - DE, Brandon Graham (Michigan)
Round 2: Pick 37 - S, Nate Allen (South Florida)
Round 3: Pick 86 - DE, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (Washington)
Round 4: Pick 105 - CB, Trevard Lindley (Kentucky)
Round 4: Pick 121 - OLB, Keenan Clayton (Oklahoma)
Round 4: Pick 122 - QB, Mike Kafka (Northwestern)
Round 4: Pick 125 - TE, Clay Harbor (Missouri State)
Round 5: Pick 134 - DE/LB, Ricky Sapp (Clemson)
Round 5: Pick 159 - WR, Riley Cooper (Florida)
Round 6: Pick 200 - RB, Charles Scott (LSU)
Round 7: Pick 220 - LB, Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State)
Round 7: Pick 243 - DT, Jeff Owens (Georgia)
Round 7: Pick 244 - S, Kurt Coleman (Ohio State)
2010 Philadelphia Eagles QuarterbacksIn Kevin Kolb, Eagles fans will be getting a solid starter with a rocket arm who already has a taste of the big leagues. He filled in two games last season and threw for over 300 yards both times to split the series. He even completed 70-percent of his passes against Kansas City in his second start. But going 1-1 won't be good enough for a city that ran Donovan McNabb out after losing in four of five conference championships.

Kolb will be facing a lot of pressure this season as he tries to steer 2010 Philadelphia Eagles past the first round of the playoffs after the miserable one-and-done to the Cowboys in '09. Kolb is a gunslinger from the high-powered offense of Houston in college, and looks to be a good fit in Andy Reid's West Coast system. If not, it's a coin flip how much support he will get from the depth chart.

As of know, Michael Vick is in line to be his back-up, but with questions surrounding his involvement in a shooting this summer, and the rumors that Philadelphia is close to dumping him, those duties may fall back on rookie Mike Kafka. Even if Vick stays in town isn't a comforting option.

Vick hasn't started an NFL game since 2006, and looked mediocre at best in the wildcat formation last year. Still, the lefty threw one of his team's two touchdown passes in the wild card loss to Dallas, and would draw a crowd if Kolb goes down. Vick is the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

2010 Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Depth Chart
QB - Kevin Kolb
QB - Michael Vick2010 Philadelphia Eagles Running BacksLeSean McCoy gets the reigns now that Brian Westbrook is gone. The Eagles' front office gave the sophomore back an internship to the position last season when Westbrook was out due to a concussion, and McCoy seemed capable of taking over full-time. He had 40 catches last season, ninth among all rookies, and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. That number jumped to 4.54 when he got at least 17 carries a game.

The only concern is his home run ability with just one rush of 20+ yards in '09, and his durability. His YPC average dipped to just 3.4 over the last five games and was a non-factor in the postseason.

To ease the load, the Eagles re-signed Leonard Weaver and Mike Bell to take over goal-line and short-yardage duty. Bell gained 654 yards with the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, and scored five times.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Depth Chart
RB - LeSean McCoy
RB - Mike Bell2010 Philadelphia Eagles Wide ReceiversIt would have been a surprise to say three years ago, but wide receiver is probably the safest position on the field for Philadelphia in 2010. After years of discontent with the performance at wideout, the Eagles have finally put together an athletic, versatile group of receivers led by Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson. In just his second season, Jackson became a top-10 receiver with blazing speed, and a knack for breaking it open in special teams.

He scored nine times as a receiver, once as a running back and twice as a punt returner. His 1,156 yards led the team and his 62 catches were second. His 18.6 yards per catch was highest among receivers with 40 catches, along with five 100-yard games. Two of those came during Kevin Kolb's two starts, so there's no chemistry concern with the new QB.

Jeremy Maclin returns as the secondary receiver after a solid rookie campaign of 773 yards and four scores. He had at least 43 yards in 15 of 16 games, and had his biggest game (142 yards, two scores) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Depth Chart
WR - DeSean Jackson
WR - Jeremy Maclin
WR - Jason Avant
WR - Hank Baskett

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Tight End Depth Chart
TE - Brent Celek
TE - Cornelius Ingram2010 Philadelphia Eagles Offensive LineThe most pressing issue on offense this off-season has been Jamaal Jackson's shredded ACL. He is expected to miss all of training camp, and the front half of the regular season, leaving a gaping hole to protect Kolb. Nick Cole did a nominal job last year, and is the projected starter, but the Eagles are tuning up Mike McGlynn and A.Q. Shipley as a precaution.

Health issues are also bugging Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews. Andrews is still recovering from an ACL rip in 2008, and never really regained his Pro Bowl form last season in limited duty. Herremans has been complaining of pain in his foot, which is why he missed five games last year.

The only sturdy jobs on the 2010 Philadelpha Eagles offensive line are with Winston Justice and Jason Peters.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Starting Offensive Line
LT - Jason Peters
LG - Todd Herremans
C - Jamaal Jackson
RG - Stacy Andrews
RT - Winston Justice2010 Philadelphia Eagles Defensive LinePhiladelphia's run defense ranked ninth in the NFL last year thanks to a stable defensive line led by Trent Cole. The six-year veteran was a model of consistency with a career-high 12 1/2 sacks, and added two more forced fumbles to his resume. Cole is averaging 68 tackles and 11 sacks over his last three years, and seems to be a sure-bet to at least match those numbers again.

Joining him will be rookie Brandon Graham out of Michigan, a 268-pound sack machine taken with the 13th overall pick in April's Draft.

The issue is defensive tackle, where Mike Patterson will have to stay healthy. He picked up 55 tackles as a nose tackle, taking a lot of attention away from Cole. If he goes down, it's pretty thin behind him.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Starting Defensive Line
DE - Darryl Tapp
DT - Mike Patterson
DT - Brodrick Bunkley
DE - Trent Cole2010 Philadelphia Eagles LinebackersErnie Sims found himself an outcast in Detroit after his speed and over persuit frustrated coaches. He will get a new life in Philadelphia after a trade that now puts him in the middle of the Eagles' second level. The system has always valued speed and aggressiveness, and Sims could provide a shot in the arm to a unit that allowed 104 rushing yards per game in '09.

Sims joins Stewart Bradley and Moise Fokou, who combined for 37 tackles last season. That number is somewhat deceiving, however, with Bradley missing all of '09 with a knee injury. He had been relatively impressive before that, racking up 108 tackles in '08 with an interception and forced fumble. Bradley could turn out to be a sleeper in a division loaded with linebacker talent, and may be the key to a turnaround on D according to the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Season Preview.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Starting Linebackers
SLB - Moise Fokou
MLB - Stewart Bradley
WLB - Ernie Sims2010 Philadelphia Eagles SecondaryIn Marlin Jackson, the Eagles hoped they had a solid safety with Super Bowl experience and Pro Bowl potential. But with him now lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles, Philadelphia is left scrambling and looking elsewhere.

It took Nate Allen out of South Florida with the 37th overall pick in April's Draft, and will likely plug him in right away. But he will be challenged by veteran's Quintin Demps and Macho Harris. It will be a battle during preseason to nail down the job, and while coaches would probably like to see Allen hold on, falling back on veteran's may be necessary for now.

Cornerback is a little more secure with Asante Samuel returning with Ellis Hobbs. Samuel rebounded from an average 2008 campaign with nine interceptions in 2009. He also had 40 tackles, 16 deflections and a forced fumble.

The good news is Philadelphia was fourth in the league with 25 interceptions.

Bad news? It was 17th in passing yards allowed, including 555 to Tony Romo in the final two games of the year. That can't happen again if the Eagles intend to truly contend.

Projected 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Starting Seconday
CB - Asante Samuel
CB - Ellis Hobbs
SS - Quintin Mikell
FS - Marlin Jackson

2010 Philadelphia Eagles Preview