On offense, the Eagles look about the same. Vick will lead the way at quarterback (with Vince Young as his backup), while LaSean McCoy will still start at running back (with Ronnie Brown now backing him up). DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will still be the top two wideouts, with Brent Celek at tight end. The only major change comes with Ryan Harris joining the offensive line, as he exited Denver to try and come start at right tackle for Philly.
But on defense? That's a different story entirely. They first traded Kevin Kolb for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, which immediately bolstered their secondary with playmaker Asante Samuel. Then they went out and grabbed Jason Babin, the talented Titans' defensive end who would immediately help take some pressure off feared Eagles pass rusher Trent Cole. Later on, they would also grab Cullen Jenkins to strengthen their line even more.
The real splash move though was the signing of the coveted Nnamdi Asomugha. That surprise transaction brought a whole new expectation of this Eagles team; the best available free agent had chosen to join the Brotherly Love and brought some Super Bowl expectations with him. Back in the secondary would now be Asomugha, Samuel, and Rodgers-Cromartie. Nobody can deny how scary of a cornerback trio that is.
It all looks terrifying; on paper. Football is a show-me game, and nothing is accomplished until it's done on the field. And what all fans need to remember is that there are still some pretty damn good football teams who are not going to be brushed aside by an Eagle's wing. Maybe the Green Bay Packers for instance? New Orleans Saints or Atlanta Falcons anybody? Care for some New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, or Pittsburgh Steelers?
Their own division will be no breeze. The Giants went 10-6 last year, and had the Eagles knocked out of the playoffs until they had one of the largest chokes in recent memory. Dallas is furious after last year's underwhelming performance, as Jason Garrett brings back a very talented and maybe even a for once motivated Cowboys team. The only cakewalk is in Washington, where Shanahan is riding the John Beck and Rex Grossman Express.
The NFL just has too many talented teams to call one a Dream Team. And what Vince Young did more than anything when he uttered those words was put a giant target on his teammates' backs. Whenever anybody plays the Eagles now, they're going to take even more motivation in trying to destroy the team that everybody never stopped talking about. It's what every football player calls "bulletin board material." The Eagles have made themselves a much better team, but until anything is shown on the field, that's where all of this hype about what's on paper belongs; on the bulletin board.
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