Philadelphia Eagles Information
Any football fan from the early 1990s would tell you the team that suffered more than most was the Buffalo Bills, the team best known for making it to four Super Bowls without winning a single one. Optimistic fans would tell you that the team was fortunate to be so successful, but eventually, everyone wants to be the best. Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles have been forced to deal with a similar situation over the last three years. Their team hasn’t made it to a Super Bowl since 1980, but they’ve been in the conference championship game three years running, each time coming up short in their quest for the Lombardi Trophy. The team has gone 46-18 over the last four years under Coach Andy Reid, now entering his sixth year as the leader in Philly, but they might end up sharing the same reputation as the Bills a decade before them.
The Philadelphia Eagles were very active in the off-season in both free agency and the NFL draft. They traded third string QB A.J. Feeley to the Miami Dolphins for a second round pick and wide receiver James Thrash to the Washington Redskins for a fifth rounder. They also acquired superstar wide receiver Terrell Owens from the San Francisco 49ers in a three team deal that also involved the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles also had ten draft picks where they used seven to upgrade an already strong offensive unit. They’re first pick, the 16th overall, was used to select Shaun Andrews, an offensive tackle from the University of Arkansas. Andrews’ excessive weight could be an issue but if it’s kept steady, he could be a force in the league for years. The only other first day pick for the Eagles was used on Matt Ware, a cornerback out of UCLA.
The superstar of the team is all-pro QB Donovan McNabb who is in his sixth year out of Syracuse. McNabb has shown he can single-handedly carry a team with his arm, his legs, his strength, and his instincts. In 2003, McNabb threw for more than 3,200 yards and 16 touchdowns while also running for more than 350 yards on the ground. His presence and the team’s recent regular season and playoff success also keyed the acquisition of Owens in the off-season. Duce Staley was the team’s starting running back before the 2003 season but arguments about his contract moved him to third in line. Staley is now in Pittsburgh and his replacements, Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter, will need to step up their games in 2004. Owens will team up with Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell to form one of the best receiving groups in the league.
Mark Simoneau led the team with 101 tackles in 2003 while Corey Simon recorded a team high 7.5 sacks. Simoneau and Nate Wayne tied for a team high with three forced fumbles each and Darwin Walker had a team leading six tackles for loss. Michael Lewis and Troy Vincent each had a team high three interceptions last season. On special teams, Brian Westbrook also showed he could do more than be a running back by catching 37 balls out of the backfield for 332 yards and four touchdowns. On top of that, Westbrook showed he could be a return man with almost 500 kickoff return yards on a 21.2 average. He also returned two punts for scores on 15.3 yards per return. David Akers established himself as one of the top place kickers in the league by converting all of his PAT attempts and going 24/29 on field goals. Akers, one of the few lefties in the league, was perfect from inside 40 yards and had a long of 57 yards.