Brian Westbrook has been battling knee pain since his days at Villanova. This nagging irritation has caused the Pro Bowl runner to miss several games over the last five seasons. In 2008, the soreness seemed to escalate. He technically didn’t miss any games due to the “knee” but his inability to practice the latter half of the season contributed greatly to some of his sub-par game performances.
According to this Inquirer article ,Westbrook may require surgery on his ailing knee. It will be minor surgery, but with Brian staring down 30 before the 2009 season kicks-off, surgery of any kind doesn’t [...]

I knows two team’s fans that are. Yeah, it would be nice if we here at ITI were gearing up for the Big Game, but it wasn’t meant to be. It’s Cardinals-Steelers in XLIII.
If you’re looking for some great previews of tomorrow’s game, head on over to raisingzona and nicepickcowher. They have all the Super Bowl coverage you need.

Here’s hoping it’s a watchable game. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to give my prediction.

With the Super Bowl nearing, the Eagles are making changes and headlines. Here’s a sampling:
James Urban is the Birds’ new QB coach, replacing Pat Shurmur, who left to become Offensive Coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. Ex-signal caller Doug Pederson (remember him?) will replace Urban as offensive quality control assistant.
Rory Segrest is shifting to coach the defensive line to fill the vacancy left by Pete Jenkins who has retired. Assuming Segrest’s special teams coordinator duties is Ted Daisher, who use to assist John Harbaugh in 2004-05.
Wide receivers coach David Culley is set to take a larger roll in the offensive [...]

Some disturbing news was released by the Eagles yesterday. Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson has cancer in his spine. The back trouble that kept him from the sidelines late in the season had continued to bother him. Extensive testing revealed a tumor on his spine.
Johnson had melanoma in the same area in 2001. According to Head Trainer Rick Burkholder, “Now there are some other areas in his body (that have cancer), but I’m not going to get into where else some other stuff is.”
I hope all goes well for Johnson. Cancer is a scary thing, especially at age 67. Best wishes [...]

Yesterday, I finished up grading the offense. Not it’s time to take aim at the strength of the 2008 Eagles – the defense. First up, the D-line.
Defensive Line:
Trent Cole – I am a huge Trent Cole fan. Finished the season with 77 tackles, 9 sacks and two forced fumbles. Added 23 tackles and a sack in the playoffs. Cole is a complete defensive end. Can get to the quarterback and plays the run exceptionally well. Faced constant double-teams, but kept charging. I’m still waiting for him to become a dominant sack producer. Grade: A-
Juqua Parker – Parker had 4.5 sacks [...]

They’re not flashy, they don’t get much pub, but the Eagles‘ offensive line has been steady for the last few seasons. However, age and injuries have finally caught up to this group. 2008 proved to be good/bad situation for the O-line. They allowed a franchise low 23 sacks, but were horrendous in short yardage and redzone run blocking. Let’s dole out some grades.
Offensive Line:
Tra Thomas – A stalwart at left tackle for 11 seasons, Thomas’ future with the Birds is in limbo. Whether he returns for ‘09 and beyond is one of the big decisions Reid and Co. must make. [...]

Now is the time to analyze the most scrutinized position on the Eagles. The wide receivers. Despite a quality addition to the corps, the “upgrade the receivers” chant can still be heard loud and clear.
Wide Receivers:
DeSean Jackson – Let’s start with some good news. Jackson was a pleasant surprise since his day one arrival. The knock on the diminutive wideout coming into last April’s draft was his durability and experience level. Many pegged him as a great punt-returner, but only an average pass catching prospect. Not only did Jackson shine as a return man, but he turned out to be [...]

Day two of the post 2008 Eagles evaluation. Today I’ll take a look at the fullback(s) and tight end positions.
Fullbacks:
Dan Klecko – Is he a defensive tackle? Is he a fullback? I hear tell Andy Reid is pondering a move to right tackle should Jon Runyan not return. Klecko started training camp as the leading candidate at fullback, then was moved back to defense. Jason Davis and Jed Collins didn’t cut the mustard after three pre-season games, so Reid turned to reserve halfback Tony Hunt. Not big enough and unable to transition to lead blocker, Hunt was released in mid-October.
Out [...]

It’s that time of year Eagles Nation. Time to look back at the 2008 roster and hand out some grades. Who lived-up to expectations? Who exceeded them? Who flopped on the turf like dying fish? I’ll begin under center and in the backfield.
Quarterbacks:
Donovan McNabb – Started all 16 games for the first time since 2003. Had a 60.4% completion percentage, threw for a career high and franchise best 3,916 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Also rushed for two touchdowns. Was 2-1 in the postseason, threw for 892 yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs and ran for one score. Played [...]

I caught most of the Senior Bowl last night. It turned out to be a decent game. Most years these All-Star games stink, but this one had scoring and some good defensive play as well. Here’s some of my observations from the game:
If Darren Sproles can play in the NFL so can Pat White. The ex-West Virginia signal caller was named the game’s MVP and showed he is a playmaker. I don’t think White will ever be an NFL quarterback, but he’d make a nice third-down running back and punt returner.
Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell does not have a pro [...]

According to Daily News columnist Paul Domowitch, Eagles GM Tom Heckert did not make the trip to Mobile, Alabama to scout Senior Bowl workouts.
Am I the only one who finds this strange? The team’s supposed top talent evaluator not going to one of the best venues to grade the country’s top college talent. For my money, he would be the one guy I would want there. That’s nothing against the Birds’ scouting department, but isn’t Heckert the guy who recommends players to Andy Reid?
Perhaps I’m reading too much into Heckert’s travel plans. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well – a tad [...]

The Birds have some decisions to make on the following players:
Restricted FA’s
Nick Cole and Hank Baskett
Unrestricted FA’s
Offense: Tra Thomas, John Runyan, L.J.Smith and Correll Buckhalter
Defense: Brian Dawkins, Joselio Hanson and Sean Considine
Which players would you like to see return for 2009?