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Updated: July 21, 3:26 PM ET
Eagles camp preview
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By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Three Burning Questions
Has the window closed on the Eagles, or are they still a playoff team?
Although injuries played a huge factor in 2005, the Eagles did not record one win in the NFC East last year. The Eagles have an outstanding quarterback in Donovan McNabb, and while they have a variety of weapons in the passing game on offense, they no longer have anybody who scares you or forces you to change a game plan. Defensively, they are still aggressive and have made dramatic improvements up front, but age is starting to be a factor, and this group needs to stay healthy to be a dominant force. The biggest challenge, as always, will be to have some kind of offensive balance. There is not much of a chance for the Eagles to have a legitimate running attack, so ball control will have to come from the short passing game. It is conceivable that the Eagles could improve and still finish last in a division that has three other teams that also got better in the offseason. Even if Philadelphia is competitive going into December, it has a three-week stretch at Washington, at the New York Giants and at Dallas -- a brutal way to wind down the season.
After a down year in 2005, can the Eagles return to a dominating pass defense in 2006?
Ironically, three of the four starters in the secondary went to the Pro Bowl two years ago, but everything seemed to fall apart in 2005; a lot of that had to do with injuries, especially to cornerback Lito Sheppard. But this group just didn't make very many plays in 2005 and gave up 24 touchdown passes, although a lot of it was due to a marginal pass rush up front. Free safety Brian Dawkins is 32 and may have lost a step, but he can still play at a very high level. Strong safety Michael Lewis hits like a linebacker, and this duo intimidates anyone who comes over the middle. They are also great blitzers. Defensive corners Sheldon Brown and Sheppard can still cover man-to-man and play the blitz-happy schemes that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson loves to utilize. There is also good depth in the secondary, and with an improved pass rush up front, look for the Eagles' pass defense to return to elite status in 2006.
Will the Eagles generate a pass offense good enough to offset the departure of T.O.?
While the Eagles' chemistry, especially the offense, will be dramatically improved with Terrell Owens now residing in Dallas, the fact is the Eagles do not have a go-to guy in the passing game or an offensive weapon that really scares defenses. The closest thing is undersized running back Brian Westbrook, but he is not really a deep threat, and opponents can handle him with some bracket coverages by safeties and linebackers. None of Philadelphia's wide receivers are proven big-play guys, and there isn't really a vertical component to this passing game; so the reality is that Philadelphia's pass offense will rely on a committee approach, with McNabb spreading the ball around to a variety of targets. Although the coaching staff likes young wide receiver Reggie Brown, he is certainly not Owens and he won't require double-coverage schemes. The biggest problem with this group right now is that defenses can line up and play very straight coverage schemes and get the job done without many adjustments.
The player under the microscope
With Owens out of town, this is McNabb's team once again, and he is the key to success in 2006. McNabb would obviously like to forget the 2005 season, with all the Owens distractions and also a variety of injuries that finally forced him to the sidelines. McNabb now appears to be healthy and dedicated to turning this team around. With a lack of explosive weapons on offense, McNabb will have to carry the offense. But he is not the same running quarterback he was earlier in his career, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to test defenses by scrambling and making plays on the move. He doesn't have a legitimate running game or a great vertical threat in the passing game, so he will be asked to be almost perfect in the short-to-intermediate passing game, spreading the ball around and manufacturing yards while trying to avoid big hits. There is no question that McNabb is a warrior, and head coach Andy Reid truly believes in him, but he really has his work cut out for him. And the margin for error is really slim.
Breakout player
With Owens gone, Reggie Brown is now the go-to guy in the Eagles' pass-happy offense. Last year, as a rookie, he had 43 catches for 571 yards and four touchdowns; those numbers should go up dramatically with a healthy McNabb at quarterback. Brown does not have great size or speed, but he knows how to separate and get open, and he really works the sidelines well. He has good running skills after the catch and can turn a short grab into a big play, and he has earned the respect of the coaches because of his concentration and attention to detail. The Eagles run a very complicated pass offense, and many young players struggle to learn it, but Brown is way ahead of the curve. The Eagles threw the ball a whopping 620 times in 2005, so Brown surely will get a lot of opportunities.
Comeback player of the year
Sheppard is coming off a subpar 2005 season in which he had a serious ankle sprain in mid-November, and his loss to injury affected the secondary's schemes and Johnson's play-calling. Sheppard has excellent man-to-man cover skills and has a knack for being around the ball and making big plays, but he also will gamble at times and mysteriously give up some big plays that he should make. However, he will have an excellent defensive line in front of him to apply pressure, and he will line up in a lot of tight man-to-man schemes, which fit his turn-and-run skills. He should be a very strong part of an outstanding secondary and should make more big plays in 2006 than he did last year.
Offensive philosophy
Although offensive coordinator Brad Childress has moved to the Minnesota Vikings as their new head coach, the philosophy in Philadelphia will not change, as head coach Andy Reid has always run this offense. To be honest, Childress would have liked to run the ball more in Philadelphia, but Reid seems to believe that a short pass is just as effective as a running play. The Eagles don't have a group of backs who can provide a physical ball-control offense, so they play with what they have. In 2005, they threw the ball 64 percent of the time, but they would like to take that number down to 55 percent in 2006. Marty Mornhinweg is the new offensive coordinator, but nothing really changes, as Reid will still be in charge.
The Eagles will spread the ball around in the passing game, and they will use a lot of movement to try to create good matchups, especially with Westbrook, who can line up anywhere on the field. Even though they want to run the ball more, they just don't have a back who can give them quality carries between the tackles. The concern for this offense is that nobody, with the exception of Westbrook, really scares the opposition. Look for Philadelphia to use more two-tight end formations in 2006, which could help the running game, as the Eagles now have two quality tight ends in L.J. Smith and newly acquired Matt Schobel. They also may emphasize more quick slants and crossing routes to take advantage of the middle of the field. The reality is that this is still going to be a pass-first, run-second offense, and it will be up to McNabb to spread the ball around to a variety of offensive weapons in a somewhat safer passing game.
Defensive philosophy
Johnson is one of the most innovative and aggressive coaches in the league, and while the production for this unit dipped in 2005, the approach will remain the same in 2006. The Eagles used free agency and the draft to upgrade their pass rush, which wasn't good enough last year, as they only recorded 29 sacks. With new first-round draft pick Brodrick Bunkley at defensive tackle, and free-agent addition Darren Howard at defensive end, the defensive line is deep with a nice rotation that can come at opponents in waves. The mediocre pass rush of '05 really hurt a secondary that suffered through a lot of injuries; the defense gave up 24 passing touchdowns in 2005, which is simply too many for a group this talented.
Because of the injuries in the secondary, Johnson was forced to blitz less and play safer schemes, which is not his style. He played a lot of three-deep zones behind his zone blitz, but the secondary is at its best playing man-to-man and being very aggressive. They can even play Cover 1 or Cover 0 schemes and send everybody, putting their corners on an island. Although we expect the Eagles to go back to more blitzes this year, with a better pass rush up front, they could pull back on some blitzes, allowing their front seven to get the job done. The Eagles' defense went from 10th in 2004 to 23rd in 2005. While there is some age here, if the D stays healthy, it will go back to an attacking, one-gap philosophy with a lot of rotations up front and the element of surprise.
Gary Horton has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called "The War Room."
Eagles camp preview
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Three Burning Questions
Has the window closed on the Eagles, or are they still a playoff team?
Although injuries played a huge factor in 2005, the Eagles did not record one win in the NFC East last year. The Eagles have an outstanding quarterback in Donovan McNabb, and while they have a variety of weapons in the passing game on offense, they no longer have anybody who scares you or forces you to change a game plan. Defensively, they are still aggressive and have made dramatic improvements up front, but age is starting to be a factor, and this group needs to stay healthy to be a dominant force. The biggest challenge, as always, will be to have some kind of offensive balance. There is not much of a chance for the Eagles to have a legitimate running attack, so ball control will have to come from the short passing game. It is conceivable that the Eagles could improve and still finish last in a division that has three other teams that also got better in the offseason. Even if Philadelphia is competitive going into December, it has a three-week stretch at Washington, at the New York Giants and at Dallas -- a brutal way to wind down the season.
After a down year in 2005, can the Eagles return to a dominating pass defense in 2006?
Ironically, three of the four starters in the secondary went to the Pro Bowl two years ago, but everything seemed to fall apart in 2005; a lot of that had to do with injuries, especially to cornerback Lito Sheppard. But this group just didn't make very many plays in 2005 and gave up 24 touchdown passes, although a lot of it was due to a marginal pass rush up front. Free safety Brian Dawkins is 32 and may have lost a step, but he can still play at a very high level. Strong safety Michael Lewis hits like a linebacker, and this duo intimidates anyone who comes over the middle. They are also great blitzers. Defensive corners Sheldon Brown and Sheppard can still cover man-to-man and play the blitz-happy schemes that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson loves to utilize. There is also good depth in the secondary, and with an improved pass rush up front, look for the Eagles' pass defense to return to elite status in 2006.
Will the Eagles generate a pass offense good enough to offset the departure of T.O.?
While the Eagles' chemistry, especially the offense, will be dramatically improved with Terrell Owens now residing in Dallas, the fact is the Eagles do not have a go-to guy in the passing game or an offensive weapon that really scares defenses. The closest thing is undersized running back Brian Westbrook, but he is not really a deep threat, and opponents can handle him with some bracket coverages by safeties and linebackers. None of Philadelphia's wide receivers are proven big-play guys, and there isn't really a vertical component to this passing game; so the reality is that Philadelphia's pass offense will rely on a committee approach, with McNabb spreading the ball around to a variety of targets. Although the coaching staff likes young wide receiver Reggie Brown, he is certainly not Owens and he won't require double-coverage schemes. The biggest problem with this group right now is that defenses can line up and play very straight coverage schemes and get the job done without many adjustments.
The player under the microscope
With Owens out of town, this is McNabb's team once again, and he is the key to success in 2006. McNabb would obviously like to forget the 2005 season, with all the Owens distractions and also a variety of injuries that finally forced him to the sidelines. McNabb now appears to be healthy and dedicated to turning this team around. With a lack of explosive weapons on offense, McNabb will have to carry the offense. But he is not the same running quarterback he was earlier in his career, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to test defenses by scrambling and making plays on the move. He doesn't have a legitimate running game or a great vertical threat in the passing game, so he will be asked to be almost perfect in the short-to-intermediate passing game, spreading the ball around and manufacturing yards while trying to avoid big hits. There is no question that McNabb is a warrior, and head coach Andy Reid truly believes in him, but he really has his work cut out for him. And the margin for error is really slim.
Breakout player
With Owens gone, Reggie Brown is now the go-to guy in the Eagles' pass-happy offense. Last year, as a rookie, he had 43 catches for 571 yards and four touchdowns; those numbers should go up dramatically with a healthy McNabb at quarterback. Brown does not have great size or speed, but he knows how to separate and get open, and he really works the sidelines well. He has good running skills after the catch and can turn a short grab into a big play, and he has earned the respect of the coaches because of his concentration and attention to detail. The Eagles run a very complicated pass offense, and many young players struggle to learn it, but Brown is way ahead of the curve. The Eagles threw the ball a whopping 620 times in 2005, so Brown surely will get a lot of opportunities.
Comeback player of the year
Sheppard is coming off a subpar 2005 season in which he had a serious ankle sprain in mid-November, and his loss to injury affected the secondary's schemes and Johnson's play-calling. Sheppard has excellent man-to-man cover skills and has a knack for being around the ball and making big plays, but he also will gamble at times and mysteriously give up some big plays that he should make. However, he will have an excellent defensive line in front of him to apply pressure, and he will line up in a lot of tight man-to-man schemes, which fit his turn-and-run skills. He should be a very strong part of an outstanding secondary and should make more big plays in 2006 than he did last year.
Offensive philosophy
Although offensive coordinator Brad Childress has moved to the Minnesota Vikings as their new head coach, the philosophy in Philadelphia will not change, as head coach Andy Reid has always run this offense. To be honest, Childress would have liked to run the ball more in Philadelphia, but Reid seems to believe that a short pass is just as effective as a running play. The Eagles don't have a group of backs who can provide a physical ball-control offense, so they play with what they have. In 2005, they threw the ball 64 percent of the time, but they would like to take that number down to 55 percent in 2006. Marty Mornhinweg is the new offensive coordinator, but nothing really changes, as Reid will still be in charge.
The Eagles will spread the ball around in the passing game, and they will use a lot of movement to try to create good matchups, especially with Westbrook, who can line up anywhere on the field. Even though they want to run the ball more, they just don't have a back who can give them quality carries between the tackles. The concern for this offense is that nobody, with the exception of Westbrook, really scares the opposition. Look for Philadelphia to use more two-tight end formations in 2006, which could help the running game, as the Eagles now have two quality tight ends in L.J. Smith and newly acquired Matt Schobel. They also may emphasize more quick slants and crossing routes to take advantage of the middle of the field. The reality is that this is still going to be a pass-first, run-second offense, and it will be up to McNabb to spread the ball around to a variety of offensive weapons in a somewhat safer passing game.
Defensive philosophy
Johnson is one of the most innovative and aggressive coaches in the league, and while the production for this unit dipped in 2005, the approach will remain the same in 2006. The Eagles used free agency and the draft to upgrade their pass rush, which wasn't good enough last year, as they only recorded 29 sacks. With new first-round draft pick Brodrick Bunkley at defensive tackle, and free-agent addition Darren Howard at defensive end, the defensive line is deep with a nice rotation that can come at opponents in waves. The mediocre pass rush of '05 really hurt a secondary that suffered through a lot of injuries; the defense gave up 24 passing touchdowns in 2005, which is simply too many for a group this talented.
Because of the injuries in the secondary, Johnson was forced to blitz less and play safer schemes, which is not his style. He played a lot of three-deep zones behind his zone blitz, but the secondary is at its best playing man-to-man and being very aggressive. They can even play Cover 1 or Cover 0 schemes and send everybody, putting their corners on an island. Although we expect the Eagles to go back to more blitzes this year, with a better pass rush up front, they could pull back on some blitzes, allowing their front seven to get the job done. The Eagles' defense went from 10th in 2004 to 23rd in 2005. While there is some age here, if the D stays healthy, it will go back to an attacking, one-gap philosophy with a lot of rotations up front and the element of surprise.
Gary Horton has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called "The War Room."
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