Eagles on the Rise

We're used to the NFC East making headlines in free agency; it seems to happen every year. Dallas and (especially) Washington go nuts, wheeling and dealing, signing guys a couple years past their primes to big contracts, signing guys way past their primes to even bigger contracts ... we all know the routine. Washington has made headlines for a couple of big trades, but the real player so far is the Philadelphia Eagles.

We're used to Washington making waves in the offseason, because (1) the team is usually pretty bad, so a shake-up seems necessary, and (2) Daniel Snyder is a moron. But the Eagles went 10-6 last season and won the NFC East. Why are they making radical changes?

In this case, simply because those changes make them better. A week ago, I would have predicted Philadelphia to fall back into the middle of the NFC pack. Now, they've unloaded a backup (QB Kevin Kolb) for an impact DB (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie), and they've signed three huge free agents, CB Nnamdi Asomugha and defensive linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins. Ultra-talented Vince Young, who is probably an upgrade over Kolb, was signed as a free agent.

That's a radical re-tooling, but it also represents substantial upgrades at impact positions. The Vince Young signing actually might be my favorite. Young was a headcase in Tennessee, but he was also Rookie of the Year, a Pro Bowler, and far more successful than Kerry Collins. Michael Vick takes a ton of hits, both because he runs so frequently and because he gets sacked a ton. Vick is 31 now, and that's not old for a quarterback, but it's close to quitting time for most running backs. I really doubt that Vick can make it through 16 games, so having a good backup is essential. But the Eagles replaced the inconsistent Kolb, whose last outing with the team, in Week 17, was a disaster, with Young and Rodgers-Cromartie, a great move if you can pull it off.

Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha join new draft picks Jaiquawn Jarrett and Curtis Marsh in a defensive backfield that also includes four-time Pro Bowler Asante Samuel. There are rumors that Samuel could be headed out of town, but even if he leaves, the team now has a dynamite secondary in place. Perhaps even more importantly, the team has upgraded its defensive line. Babin, who posted 12.5 sacks with the Titans last season, will line up opposite Trent Cole, creating nightmares for opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. Jenkins, a 3-4 DE with Green Bay, will probably line up inside for Philadelphia, joining Babin, Cole, and Mike Patterson on a defensive line that — at least on paper — is probably the NFC's best.

Some good players are gone. Adding all those cornerbacks doesn't replace strong safety Quintin Mikell, who signed with the Rams. Longtime kicker David Akers joined the 49ers, and punter Sav Rocca, as of this signing, is a free agent. Stew Bradley, an effective middle linebacker when he was healthy, is also gone (to Arizona; an awful lot of former Eagles have joined the NFC West), with no one obviously ready to step in and replace him.

But the upgrades at defensive line and cornerback immediately keep the Eagles competitive at the highest level. Whenever so many top players are new to the team, though, there are chemistry questions. Like which has more electrons, Curium or Einsteinium? Sorry, nerd humor. But do the Eagles have a leadership gap? Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb are gone, Akers is gone, Jim Johnson is dead, and several other respected veterans are no longer with the team. The Eagles have several high-profile players, like Vick, Young, and DeSean Jackson, who have struggled to keep their heads on straight in the past. Will those guys keep it together in a locker room that may be feeling a bit of a leadership gap?

And what about on-field chemistry? How long will it take Young to learn a new offense? If Vick goes down in Week 3, will Young be ready to step in for him? What about a defense with so many new starters, probably about half of them free agents or draft picks? How long before they gel? That's a lot of question marks for a team some are pegging as an early Super Bowl favorite.

Of course, the wild card is quarterback play, and whether Vick is healthy or not, the team obviously can't expect a repeat of last year's performance, so I don't see Philadelphia as the team to beat in the NFC (gun to my head, Green Bay and New Orleans, but it's barely August — check back with me in a month), but I do think the Eagles have done enough that they deserve to be the early favorites in the NFC East.

I don't think Kevin Kolb is a bad player, but I don't believe he's the next Matt Schaub, and for Philadelphia to land Rodgers-Cromartie in the trade was a steal. Asomugha, Babin, and Jenkins are all high-impact free agent signings, and if the team can still tackle after the losses of Bradley and Mikell, Philadelphia's defense could be the best in the conference in 2011 ... provided that the chemistry is there. Too many question marks for me to anoint them as a Super Bowl favorite, but certainly a contender in the shallow NFC.