FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Philadelphia Eagles - Avoid the Trainer

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterbacks: That nagging, annoying question is back. Will Donovan McNabb stay healthy for a full season? Will Kevin Kolb rot on the bench again? Obviously, most Eagles fans hope Kolb doesn't see the light of day this year. McNabb, however, hasn't gotten through a season healthy since he and Terrell Owens were getting along. Injuries have kept him on the sideline for seven, six, and two games, respectively, each of the last three years. The injuries are the only thing keeping McNabb from being mentioned among the truly elite quarterbacks in the game. Certainly, his numbers last year weren't subpar, but McNabb continues to take way too many hits. He was sacked 12 times by the Giants in Week Four last year, and 44 for the season. For a comparison, backup A.J. Feeley started twice for McNabb last year, and he was sacked three times in those two games. Also worrisome is McNabb's sudden inability to throw the deep ball. One season is not a fair sample, especially considering the Eagles' relative lack of big-play ability at wide receiver. However, it's a development that bears watching, especially if McNabb's penchant for getting hurt doesn't go away. Heat Index: 7

Running backs: Count me among the people who didn't think Brian Westbrook could get any better than he was in 2006. I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only did Westbrook set another career high in rushing yards, but he tacked on 90 catches to set a career high in that category. His 2,104 yards from scrimmage led the NFL. While he has improved virtually every year, Westbrook's size still brings about concerns regarding his durability. With that in mind, the Eagles are well-stocked at the position. Correll Buckhalter has battled through three major knee injuries to be the primary backup, and Lorenzo Booker was brought in from Miami to help out as a multi-purpose backup. If Westbrook stays healthy, you can still expect coach Andy Reid to manage his touches throughout the season. If Westbrook gets hurt again, Reid knows he has help readily available. Heat Index: 9

Receivers: Efforts to upgrade this position have failed. It was well-publicized during the off-season that Philly tried to sign Randy Moss, going so far as to offer him more money than New England eventually did. They may still be after disgruntled Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin. Who knows? What we do know now is that the Eagles aren't good enough at this position. Kevin Curtis was a great find for them, but he's out for a while because of a sports hernia. Reggie Brown, while a nice player, isn't the physical, big-play threat the Eagles need. Neither is second-round pick DeSean Jackson, who might at least inject a bit more speed into the offense. If tight end L.J. Smith can stay healthy, he's a huge target in the red zone. However, just like McNabb and Westbrook, Smith's health has been known to betray him. Heat Index: 6

Offensive line: While they're getting old at some key positions, there are some really good players along the Eagles' line. Right tackle is manned by Jon Runyan, and it's hard to find a bad word to say about his work. He's tough, durable, and still a very good player. Shawn Andrews returns at right guard after a battle with depression kept him away from the first part of training camp. Veteran Tra Thomas is back at left tackle, and he's solid blind-side protection for McNabb. The club seemingly would like youngster Max-Jean Gilles to push harder for a starting job, but the guard continues to struggle with his weight. Poor tackle depth was exposed in that aforementioned 12-sack Giants game last year, as Winston Justice was a turnstile while filling in for Thomas. Look for King Dunlap to win the job backing Thomas up. Heat Index: 7

Defensive line: Things are going so well for Philly at defensive end that free-agent signee Chris Clemons - brought in from Oakland - isn't a lock to make the team. That's because guys like Trent Cole, Juqua Parker, Darren Howard, and rookie Bryan Smith have continued to show they can do just fine with the bulk of the work, and Clemons has struggled with injuries. Cole is more than a fine player. He's a star. He led the team with 12.5 sacks last year, and he's easily the most consistent of the Eagles' linemen. As it stands, the Eagles could keep as many as 11 defensive linemen, including top tackles Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley. Both big men are recent first-round picks by Philadelphia. Overall, this group was pretty productive a year ago, and an addition like former Notre Dame lineman Trevor Laws is only going to help the already-strong depth. Heat Index: 8

Linebackers: There is a lot of talent here, but the Eagles aren't very experienced anymore. Guys like Takeo Spikes and Jeremiah Trotter have spent time in Philly recently, but the youth movement eventually won out. The senior player is sixth-year man Rocky Boiman, a free-agent acquisition from Indianapolis who isn't even slated to start. Instead, the Eagles are expected to go with Chris Gocong, Omar Gaither, and Stewart Bradley as its starters. The three have all shown varying degrees of promise, but the reality is that none of them have logged any significant time as starters. There aren't any guarantees when you go with such young players, but there's also no guarantee that the Eagles could throw money at the position and have success. With such uncertainty at linebacker, one has to wonder how it will affect coordinator Jim Johnson's defensive play-calling. Heat Index: 6

Secondary: Former All-Pro Brian Dawkins is no spring chicken anymore, as he turns 35 in October. He's still the rock of the Eagles' defense, but the safety's durability is up in the air after he missed six games last year. The big free-agent splash by Philly was the signing of former Patriot corner Asante Samuel. He's expected to justify the big money by shutting down opponents' top receivers. That signing pushes Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard down the depth chart, which is a good thing for the Eagles. Since there are some perfectly capable third receivers all over the NFC, having three quality corners makes the Philly defense all the more dangerous. Heat Index: 8

Special teams: A problem. Kicker David Akers continues to lose range on his field goals and distance on kickoffs. This hampers the offense, which has to get closer to the end zone to give Akers a reasonable chance at three points, and it hampers the coverage teams, which are dealing with shorter, less effective kickoffs. Punter Sav Rocca was up-and-down a year ago and should improve. Jackson was drafted - in part - to help inject some life into a return game that has done virtually nothing since Westbrook stopped returning kicks. Heat Index: 4

Coaching: He's taken plenty of criticism, but Reid continues to do a good job. Getting this team to the next level is a huge priority for the organization, but don't take that as a statement that Reid is anywhere near a hot seat. This team was ravaged by injuries at key positions again last year, and Reid did well to keep them competitive for a playoff spot. Heat Index: 7

Intangibles: Well, divisions don't get much tougher than the NFC East, which earned both wild card berths last year and is home to the defending world champion Giants. Oh, and there's Dallas, the 2007 division champs who look to be extremely dangerous again. With the disappointments of the last three seasons, there is no shortage of motivation for this team. Heat Index: 7

Total Heat Index: 69

Philadelphia is dangerous, but so much of their fortunes could turn on poor health. The Eagles are not very deep along the offensive line or at safety, and they need to be lucky here. McNabb won't be in the lineup for 16 games without top-notch protection and a running game anchored by Westbrook.

If all comes together, the Eagles are a legitimate division title threat, and could win 10-12 games. If they get hot like the Giants did last year, they could also make a similarly improbable championship run. But it all comes down to the good health of players who have largely had trouble staying healthy.