|
2008 Team Preview by RotoExperts.com Staff Writer Matt Wirkiowski.
OVERVIEW
In 2007, Eagles fans were expecting more than an 8-8 record and a last-place finish for the second time in three years. Philadelphia’s offense got the job done, finishing the season sixth in total offense with 358.1 yards per game. They used the run and the pass successfully, as they were eighth in rushing yards per game with 123.4 and 10th in passing yards per game with 234.7. The player at the heart and soul of that Eagles offense is RB Brian Westbrook. When he plays well, the Philadelphia offense hums; when he doesn’t play well, they sputter. All of the key skill players return for 2008, which at first glance would seem to be good news, but the Eagles really needed an upgrade at wide receiver. While Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown are both fine receivers, neither one is a true “number one.” On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles were 10th in total defense, giving up 311.4 yards per game. The run defense was especially stout, finishing seventh in the league and giving up 95.8 yards per game. The pass defense was below average, finishing 18th in the league and giving up 215.6 yards per game. This unit should be better in 2008 with the off-season signing of CB Asante Samuel, but there are still rumors floating around that CB Lito Sheppard will be traded. So, which Eagles will soar this year and should definitely be targeted? Westbrook is an endangered species and will be gone in the first round. QB Donovan McNabb will soon follow, and his main receiving targets are all middle-to-late round choices. |
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART Players listed in order of fantasy relevance. Recommended round to draft in standard 10 to 12-team leagues with 16 rounds in parentheses. Quarterback: Donovan McNabb (6), Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley Running Back: Brian Westbrook (1), Correll Buckhalter, Lorenzo Booker Wide Receiver: Kevin Curtis (7), Reggie Brown (8), Jason Avant, Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett Tight End: L.J. Smith (14) Kicker: David Akers NOTABLE PLAYER MOVES Additions: CB Asante Samuel, DE Chris Clemons, RB Lorenzo Booker, TE Kris Wilson
Subtractions: DE Jevon Kearse, LB Takeo Spikes 2008 ROOKIES TO WATCH Round Two: DeSean Jackson WR, California  | | Open tryouts today? Will Mark Wahlberg be there? Photo Credit: jasonb42882 |
TOP POSITION BATTLE #2 RB: Correll Buckhalter vs. Lorenzo Booker 2008 SCHEDULE Top matchups in bold Sept. 7: St. Louis
Sept. 15: at Dallas
Sept. 21: Pittsburgh
Sept. 28: at Chicago
Oct. 5: Washington
Oct. 12: at San Francisco
Oct. 19: BYE
Oct 26: Atlanta
Nov. 2: at Seattle
Nov. 9: N.Y. Giants
Nov. 16: at Cincinnati
Nov. 23: at Baltimore
Nov. 27: Arizona
FANTASY PLAYOFF MATCHUPS
Dec. 7: at N.Y. Giants
Dec. 15: Cleveland
Dec. 21: at Washington
Dec 28: Dallas  | ENGEL EYE ON: THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | If Donovan McNabb can't stay healthy, we could have a big fantasy sleeper on our hands. Trusting A.J. Feeley with the offense is like giving Mike Tyson your ATM card. If given the chance to start, Kevin Kolb will prove to be a quick study, and he will manage the offense well. He will display a lot of poise and confidence, so look for some respectable fantasy outings if he gets the opportunity. Kolb will take what defenses give him, and he will value the football more than an erratic quarterback like Feeley. |
2008 FANTASY POSITIONAL OUTLOOKS Quarterback Entering his 10th season, Donovan McNabb has assembled a fine NFL resume. His total of 171 touchdown passes against only 79 interceptions is exceptional. However, his passing yards per game have decreased the past three seasons, and last year McNabb threw for only 237.4 yards per game, after averaging no less than 258-per-game in each of the previous three seasons. That is important to remember on draft day, because McNabb hasn’t played a complete season since 2003. At the age of 32, you would expect him to miss a game or two again this season. Donovan has the same main targets that he had in 2007 and none of his backs or receivers are “breakout” candidates this year. What you should expect from McNabb is 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with around 3,500 total yards. McNabb is a low-end starting quarterback for your fantasy team, and you should pick him no earlier than the sixth round. My two areas of concern for McNabb are the offensive line and his sore shoulder. He was sacked 44 times in 14 games last year, and that has to improve if he wants to play in every game this season. Donovan has also battled a sore shoulder this summer, and if he does miss any time, second-year player Kevin Kolb would step in at quarterback. Kolb didn’t show much last year, playing in only one game for five plays and amassing minus-15 yards of total offense... plus a fumble. Not exactly a debut which he’ll be showing the grandkids. Kolb throws the short and medium range passes extremely well, but he wasn’t asked to throw deep much in college, so that could be a problem area. A.J. Feeley is the third-string quarterback. Right now, Kolb should not be drafted, but if McNabb looks like he’ll miss significant time because of the shoulder, Kolb would be an interesting late-round flier. Running Back Brian Westbrook had an amazing 2007, compiling over 2,100 yards of total offense with 12 touchdowns. How integral was Westbrook to the Eagles offense? The Eagles ran or passed 771 times last year. Westbrook touched the ball on 368 of those plays, or 47.7 percent of the time. Think about that, almost every other play, he was involved in some way. While Westbrook will turn 29 in September, he has only rushed the ball 1,014 times in his career, so he should have plenty of mileage left. However, he has failed to play in all 16 games in his six seasons due to minor injuries, so if you draft him, be prepared to draft a third running back a little earlier than usual to cover yourself. The backup RB spot should produce a spirited training camp battle, as the incumbent, Correll Buckhalter, will try to hold off newcomer Lorenzo Booker. Buckhalter has battled an assortment of injuries in his career, including major knee surgery, and he has missed three complete seasons in his career. He is a straight-ahead runner with decent speed, and we expect he will give way to Booker this year as the primary backup. Booker is the more explosive back, with the ability to catch balls out of the backfield, something that Buckhalter cannot offer. Westbrook is a solid first-round pick and should be the fifth running back off the board in your draft. If you are looking to “handcuff” Westbrook late, go with Booker over Buckhalter.
 | | Kevin Curtis can make big plays, but consistency is an issue. Photo Credit: exeterpolice2824 |
Wide Receiver The Eagles wide receivers during the Donovan McNabb era, aside from the two years that Terrell Owens spent with Philadelphia, have been pretty mediocre. The fact that Eagles management did nothing to improve the receiving corps through free agency or trade will probably extend that mediocrity at least one more year. The two starters will again be Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown. When your running back has more receptions then either of your starting wide receivers, that speaks volumes about those receivers’ abilities. Curtis is the de facto number one WR. He did have a nice season last year, catching 77 balls for 1,110 yards with six touchdowns. Those are excellent numbers for your WR3, but that's all. Do not expect him to give you any more production than he did in 2007. The other starter, Brown, pitched in with 61 catches for 780 yards and four touchdowns. These numbers put Reggie solidly in WR4 territory, and he should only be used as a spot starter. Don't expect bigger numbers from Brown this year. The simple fact is that neither of these guys will get enough looks to be a consistent threat with Westbrook serving as the main receiving target for McNabb. The veterans behind Curtis and Brown include Jason Avant, Greg Lewis, and Hank Baskett. Of these three, Avant is the one with the most potential. A second year man, Avant has decent speed and is a physical receiver. The Eagles also drafted DeSean Jackson out of California in the second round. Jackson ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine, which was the fastest among all receivers. However, Jackson is a smaller receiver, as he is six feet tall and weighs only 166 pounds. On draft day, Curtis is no better than a late seventh round choice, and Brown is a late eighth round selection. Lewis and Baskett have no value, while Avant may have some value if Curtis or Brown gets hurt. Jackson should not be drafted unless you play in a dynasty-style league. Tight End
L.J. Smith seems to be the guy that everyone annually projects will have a breakout season. Entering his sixth campaign, we are all still waiting. His career highs are 61 catches and 682 yards (set in 2005), and five touchdowns (set in 2004 and 2006.) Coming off a season in which he only played 10 games due to knee and groin injuries, the window on his breakout potential seems to be closing fast. The most that one can hope for with L.J. is that McNabb will look for Smith more often in the red zone than he has in the past seasons. Smith is a borderline starting tight end for your team, but certainly not someone you should target. If you’re in the final stages of your draft and need a tight end, Smith is your guy. Backing Smith is the newly-signed Kris Wilson. Wilson is an athletic tight end who spent the last three seasons backing up Tony Gonzalez in Kansas City. The third string tight end is veteran Matt Schobel. Kicker
From 2000 to 2004, David Akers was one of the top kickers in football. In 2005, Akers tore the hamstring in his non-kicking leg and has never been the same. While he is still an extremely accurate kicker from 40 yards or less, he has struggled from beyond 40 since his injury. Last year he was 22-of-22 within 40 yards, but only 2-of-10 from beyond 40. Kickers who can’t make long field goals don’t help their NFL teams, and they certainly don’t help your fantasy team much either. Avoid Akers on draft day, and only consider him as a bye-week replacement. At least he hasn’t missed an extra point since 2004. Defense/Special Teams
The Eagles were good defensively in 2007, ranking ninth in the league in points allowed with 18.8 per game. They were especially stingy against the run, finshing the campaign ranked eighth in the league at 95.8 yards allowed per game. The front four for Philadelphia is back, led by Trent Cole. Chris Clemons was brought in during the off-season and second round pick Trevor Laws was drafted to provide depth. This defense was the weakest against the pass in 2007, ranking 18th in the league with 215.6 yards allowed and totaling an NFL-low 11 interceptions. Asante Samuel was signed during the off-season to bolster the defensive backfield, and Brian Dawkins is the leader at the safety position. One distraction is the persistent rumor that Lito Sheppard will be traded. The starting linebackers are all young, as Chris Gocong, Stewart Bradley, and Omar Gaither have all been drafted since 2006. Overall, the Philadelphia defense isn’t quite good enough to be drafted, but keep them on your watch list as the season progresses. They may be a good waiver pickup if your drafted defense performs poorly. Offensive Line
The offensive line for the Eagles was very good at run-blocking last year, but they had issues keeping McNabb vertical (44 sacks). The unit returns all five starters and should be considered a top 10 offensive line in 2008. The standouts are the two tackles, Jon Runyan and William “Tra” Thomas. Rounding out the group are guards Todd Herremans and Shawn Andrews and center Jamaal Jackson. If the line can limit the amount of sacks, it could jump up to top five territory before all is said and done. Nothing says Philadelphia like the Eagles and a cheesesteak. When Matt isn’t checking out the local cuisine, he’s pontificating on “Mother Lode or Fool’s Gold” every Saturday here at RotoExperts.com. Got a question or comment? E-mail Matt at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 |
Football 
Subscribe to this comment's feed