Some fans claimed yesterday’s post was too negative. Uh, that was the point. Crowning the 2009 Eagles champs in June is not only premature, it’s foolish. See the 2008 Cowboys. Or the 2007 Patriots. Or any number of pre-season faves who failed to meet expectations.

But it’s June. Not much else is going on, so I’ve decided to be foolish.

I promise there won’t be any tears in your morning cereal today. I’m here to turn those frowns upside down. Enough jibber-jabber. If all, or some, of the following five scenarios come to pass, a return trip to the Big Game is more than possible.

1) DeSean makes defenses pay – Jackson is primed to blow up this year. He’s added strength and knows the playbook. If he can become the go-to guy in the passing game by stretching secondaries, the entire offense will open up and be extremely difficult to defend. I’m confident DJax can total 1100-1200 yards and 6-8 touchdowns. If he can achieve those numbers, we’re looking at a top 5 offense.

2) Stewart Bradley becomes Brian Urlacher – Stew has all the tools to be the best MLB in the NFC. Last season provided a glimpse of how dominant he can be. For the defense to maintain its top 3 ranking, Bradley must lead the way. I envision 130 tackles, 4 sacks and a handful of forced fumbles. Look for Stew to reach a status not seen since the heyday of Trotter.

3) The return game is feared by all – We’ve come a long way since the disastrous 2007 opener in Green Bay. Reid’s ridiculous assumption that anyone (i.e. Greg Lewis) could return punts has been buried forever. Last season Jackson and Demps were good. Add Ellis Hobbs and Jeremy Maclin to the mix and the Birds have more depth and talent than any other team in the league. Look for the ‘09 return game to be the best of the Reid era.

4) The starting front four collects 30 sacks – The 2008 group accounted for a paltry 16 1/2 sacks. Not very impressive. The Giants totaled 28 1/2 without Umenyiora. I’m anticipating huge seasons from Cole and Bunkley. I also think Abiamiri has 7-8 sack potential. The defense needs to stop relying on blitzes to get pressure. I think this will be the year the front four crushes across the board.

5) The rooks make an impact – JMac, Shady and Ingram could be the most talented and athletic trio ever drafted by the Eagles. Each should see the field early and often. Reid seems to have softened on his stance of not allowing rookies to contribute. A dozen combined scores from the new arrivals is a realistic number. If all three are the real deal, the future is quite bright indeed.

Feel better? I’m not a total negative Ned. I expect big things from the 2009 Iggles. The offense has the potential to be the greatest in the history of the franchise. The defense should be sack and turnover happy. It’s only June 23, but we all have reason to feel excited and hopeful about the upcoming campaign.