Don't Believe the Hype

Ever since the Donovan McNabb trade occurred sending him to the Washington Redskins, every sports analyst seems to have started drinking the kool-aid in believing that now the Eagles are the bottom feeders of the NFC East. There has even been talk that the Redskins Superbowl odds were better than the Eagles....Really? OK, let's snap back to reality now and realize that one player does not turn around a dismal franchise even if he is a franchise quarterback. In the same light, trading away that one player does not doom a good team, that was literally 4 quarters from having the bye in the playoffs, to the pits of the NFL. Just to give a little perspective, lets look at each set of positions for both the Redskins and the Eagles:




Quarterbacks: Advantage Redskins So obviously the Redskins made a big upgrade by adding a Probowl QB in Donovan McNabb, whether that persists for years to come is a question that I guess no one can answer but for right now you can't do much better than adding one of the top 10 QBs in the league. The Eagles are going with the untested Kevin Kolb. I'm just hoping they saw enough in his practice reps to warrant this dramatic decision but we will have to wait and see.

Running Backs: Push - Now while I am not ready just yet to declare Shady McCoy the next Brian Westbrook, the combination of the Leonard Weaver and him should provide a nice compliment to the Eagles passing game and fit well into Andy Reid's system. On the other side you have Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis, and Willie Parker. Now while all of these players had success in their NFL careers they have all struggled as of late. All I have to say is there might be a reason that their teams were not so upset to see them go.

Receivers: Advantage Eagles - Yeah, the Redskins have found their (temporary) franchise quarterback but who is he going to throw it to this season? The Redskins wide receivers are abysmal or at least played that way last season. The only saving grace for them seems to be the play of their two tight ends: Fred Davis and Chris Cooley. The Eagles on the other hand have lots of depth in their receiving core which might prove to be one of the greatest strengths for the team next year.

Offensive Line: Advantage Eagles - The Redskins line was abysmal and let Jason Campbell get assaulted game after game. While they should get an up grade with the acquisitions of Casey Rabach and Artis Hicks as well as the probable drafting of Russell Okung with the 4th pick in the draft this line has far to go to be considered great. The Eagles line struggled a bit in terms of consistency last year mostly as a result of uncertainty on the right side of the line with injuries and locker room issues. In releasing the troubled Shawn Andrews, they hope those problems are solved especially because the line displays such talented players.

Defensive Line: Push - The only reason I say that both teams break even here is because the Washington Redskins might have a 6'6" 350 pound problem on their hands if they don't find a way to make Albert Haynesworth happy. He is the key to that line and if he isn't performing up to his normal standards that line will suffer. The Eagles have alot of depth on their defensive line but they still need to find someone to provide the same level of play as Trent Cole to really take this unit to the next level

Linebackers: Advantage Redskins - This was a big weakness for the Eagles this season and hopefully will be addressed with the return of Stewart Bradley from injury as well as the acquisition of Alex Hall. The Eagles will probably also look to get someone in the draft. The Redskins linebacker core is pretty decent held together by a great player in London Fletcher. Not a great unit but pretty good.

Defensive Backs: Push - Both secondaries have their ups and downs. On the Redskins side, their corners have all the skill necessary to play the position but for some reason that doesn't translate into crucial stops when they need it. For the Eagles, the release of Brian Dawkins may have come a bit too soon as that safety position is now one of their biggest needs going into the draft. Luckily with the Redskins pick the Eagles could take one of the to corners in the first round of the draft then find their safety with the early second round pick.

Special Teams: Advantage Eagles - The Redskins don't really have a sound kicker by any stretch of the word and DeSean Jackson is one of the best returners in the league, simple as that.

My Prediction for the NFC East: 1. Cowboys 2. Eagles 3. Giants 4. Redskins but I guess we will just have to wait and see what the youth revolution in Philly produces.