2006 NFL Preview: The Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback- Donovan McNabb had a horrible season in 2005, with injuries and poor performances casting doubt on his ability to take the Eagles to Super Bowl contention again. McNabb may have missed his best opportunity over the last three years to get Philadelphia back to the championship game and McNabb has been taking a pounding in the press and on the field. Look for McNabb to continue sinking into mediocrity in 2006 and for the Eagles to struggle on offense because of this development. Behind McNabb is veteran Koy Detmer, whose familiarity with Philadelphia and knowledge of Andy Reid’s system makes him an ideal reserve quarterback behind McNabb. To round out the quarterback position, the Eagles picked up Jeff Garcia to compete with Detmer and at the very least hold down the third string quarterback position. Garcia is still a good quarterback who can provide solid service in case McNabb and Detmer are injured
2006 NFL Grade: C+

Running back/ Full back- The Eagles had running back problems last year, most notably with the loss of reserve running back Correll Buckhalter in the preseason. Bryan Westbrook is a talented back but he is not capable of carrying the load for Philadelphia over an entire season. With Buckhalter back and Westbrook ready to prove himself a starting NFL running back, the Eagles should have a renewed vigor in their rushing game. However, they will get little help from the quarterback position and an injury to either one of them ruins the precarious balancing act that Andy Reid is hoping to maintain over the 2006 season.
2006 NFL Grade: B