Eagles Prepare for Most Important Training Camp in Years

In two and a half weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles will open their most important training camp in more than a decade.  Not since the summer of 2000, with Donovan McNabb heading into his first season as a starting quarterback, has Andy Reid led a squad into Lehigh Valley with more question marks.

After an 11-5 campaign, the Eagles jettisoned McNabb and Brian Westbrook, the two names that will likely be the first to come to mind whenever the Philadelphia offense of the Reid era is discussed.  In steps Kevin Kolb, looking to establish himself as the new franchise quarterback.  With Kolb taking control of an offense that averaged nearly 27 points per game last year, reps in camp and during the pre-season will be far more vital than they were for the veteran McNabb.

Source: Yardbarker.com

Beyond the major change at quarterback, running back LeSean McCoy needs to come into camp with the mindset of a starter who can carry the full load for a full season.  Make no mistake, McCoy was a better running back than Westbrook last season, but the rookie’s numbers faded towards the end of the year and he rarely saw a large number of carries.  McCoy averaged 42 rushing yards per game the first 12 games of the year, but just 22.2 in the final six.  He also only topped the 15 carry mark in three games.  Philadelphia needs McCoy to be a go-to back.

The defensive side of the ball is where things get truly interesting though. Gone are cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong, and positional battles could get interesting in several places.  Draft picks Brandon Graham and Nate Allen have high hopes of working their way into the starting lineup, while the newly acquired Ernie Sims is penciled in as a starter at outside linebacker.  Stewart Bradley also returns as the starter at middle linebacker after missing last season with a torn ACL.

In addition to sorting out their starting lineup, the Birds have to make quick decisions on a few new draft picks who could be used at multiple positions.  Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and Ricky Sapp could play defensive end or line up as pass-rushing linebackers.  With Philadelphia’s overload at defensive end (the Birds have eight on the roster), coordinator Sean McDermott needs to decide quickly who will be forced to a new position.  If the Eagles want to get any production out of their mid-round draft picks, they’ll need to be given time to adjust to their new roles.

While the Eagles don’t go into training camp in 2010 with the drama of Terrell Owens or the firepower to contend for a trip to the Super Bowl as they did throughout the last decade, their two and a half weeks at Lehigh University could go a long way to setting the stage for the next 10 years.   Often the more meaningful training camps come as teams are building a new core of young players.  That is certainly the case for the Eagles this season, which makes the start of the new season particularly interesting.