Last season, you could have compared former Eagles defensive end Jason Babin to a thoroughbred–a natural pass rusher with an elite motor who could disrupt the comfort and rhythm of opposing quarterbacks. As it turns out, Babin was less of a thoroughbred and more of a one-trick pony, a player that could only prosper in a divisive and flawed defensive line scheme.

As such, the Eagles scrapped the system and Babin, leaving the 2011 Pro Bowler to waste away in Jacksonville. Maybe he’s bitter, maybe his feelings are just hurt, but that hasn’t stopped Babin from taking jabs at his former employer–the one who erroneously signed him not once, but twice. Whatever the deal, Babin had some interesting to say about the Eagles on Wednesday.

Predictably, Babin defended former defensive line coach Jim Washburn, the architect of the gimmick wide-nine scheme, and the only defensive line coach in the league that could make Babin remotely relevant. Perhaps even more predictably, Babin had some unflattering things to say about the rest of the organization as he unleashed this puzzling and hard-to-follow diatribe.

From Adam Caplan:

“That was probably their approach because they don’t have amicable splits with people. You saw how dirty they did (Jim) Washburn with leaking out the false stories and the way they talked about him on the way out. It’s kind of a big socialistic system that they have. I didn’t really care. I’m only going to worry about what I can control, and that’s practicing hard, working hard and playing hard on Sunday.”

It’s not to say the Eagles didn’t paint Washburn in a bad light and it’s clear that the team’s problems went far, far beyond the defensive line coach. But there are several accounts, both from inside the locker room and from local media members that suggest these unflattering Washburn stories were far from false.

Early in the Andy Reid era, the coach was criticized for placing too much emphasis on character who were willing to grind and toe the company line–after years of failure and listening to selfish and irrelevant players pop off–I long for the days from the turn of the century.

The Eagles announced today that they released Jason Babin from the roster. Babin’s play, along with the rest of the defensive line, had fallen off dramatically from last year when he recorded 18 sacks.

November 18, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) stiff-arms Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin (93) at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

It’s a surprising move in that they did it now, but he was likely going to be released at the end of the season anyway. This allows the front office to see more of Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham, and Phillip Hunt the rest of the season. Seeing them play more snaps will let the Eagles determine whether or not they have a starting-caliber DE on the roster opposite Trent Cole. If these players struggle, look for the Eagles to acquire a veteran DE in free agency.

Could we see more of these moves the rest of the season? Perhaps. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Curtis Marsh start a game over Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Nnamdi Asomugha at some point. With Desean Jackson on injured reserve, they’re also going to be able to get an extended look at Jeremy Maclin as a #1 WR and also see more snaps from Riley Cooper, Damaris Johnson, and the newly-acquired Greg Salas on the outside.

One thing is for sure, however: change is coming in Philadelphia. It might be tomorrow, it might be next week, it might be after the season. The “when” might be up in the air, but the “what” is certain. This roster and coaching staff will look much different next season.

If we close our eyes and pretend that left tackle Jason Peters wasn’t lost for the season back in the spring, you could make the argument that the Eagles will head into their season opener with Cleveland on Sunday at full strength.

Jason Babin, Michael Vick, and Colt Anderson–three of the team’s biggest injury concerns–each practiced today.

Babin told reporters after practice that he is “98.9″ percent ready to go. At this point he appears to be a virtual lock to play on Sunday. Meanwhile, Anderson’s status is a bit more of an uncertainty.

“I could play; I could not,” he said. “It’s all still up in the air.”

One other notable absence for much of this preseason has been linebacker Casey Matthews. Matthews also practiced today, but he’s not expected to play.