The NFL draft came and went and with it came new optimism for the Eagles and their faithful. After making several stellar moves leading up to the draft and during it, the Eagles have now placed themselves as favorites to win the NFC East and maybe the conference as a whole.
Signing pro bowl-left tackle Jason Peters from Buffalo was a huge addition to bolster the offensive line for Donovan McNabb. It immediately makes the offensive line younger and more athletic. The combination of the Andrews brothers also helps bring the average age down. These trades could help provide the Eagles and McNabb with one of its best lines in years.
For days, even weeks leading up to the draft, the Eagles were rumored to be in the hunt for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin. When the price became too high to lure him into Eagles green, the organization decided to be aggressive by trading up in the draft to acquire wide receiver Jerry Maclin from Missouri. Many considered Maclin to be the second best receiver in the draft behind only Michael Crabtree. Having Maclin among the receivers adds a physical presence to go along with the speedy DeSean Jackson, who had a solid rookie campaign last season. With the departure of Terrell Owens to the Buffalo Bills, it's arguable that the Eagles now possess the best group of receivers in the NFC East.
When was the last time an Eagles fan or anyone else for that matter could say that?
But the drafting of Maclin was only the tip of the ice burg for the Eagles on draft day, as they made other key moves. They drafted outstanding Pittsburgh Panthers running back LeSean McCoy as the heir apparent to Brian Westbrook and fills the void left by Correll Buckhalter's departure. He's not an in-between-the-tackles kind of power back like Knowshon Moreno, but he fits the scheme of the Eagles' offense. He has quickness and versatility somewhat similar to that of Westbrook. More importantly, he spels Westbrook and keeps him fresh and explosive.
Along with the drafting of Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram, the word "explosive" could be a very accurate word to describe the new-look Eagles offense.
The defense also has a new look to it. With the departure of Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos (good luck, B-Dawk, and thanks for all the great years!), the Eagles looked to find an able replacement and landed safety Sean Jones from Cleveland. With Sheldon Brown having issues with his contract (a la Lito Sheppard), the Eagles traded two fifth-round picks to the New England Patriots and acquired cornerback Ellis Hobbs, potentially signaling the end of Brown's time with the Eagles. Hobbs reunites with former teammate Asante Samuel, hoping to rekindle a little bit of the Patriots success up in Philly.
With all the new pieces put into place, McNabb has to be happy with what he sees, as are Eagles fans. It seems like every year there's something to be optimistic about. The Eagles were a few plays away from returning to the Superbowl without these pieces; imagine how far they can go with them?
It's a good time to be an Eagles fan.
Keywords: Ellis Hobbs, Jerry Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles, Sean Jones
