Philadelphia Eagles: Is This Finally Donovan's Team?

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The Eagles underachieved for most of the 2008 season (the nadir had to be either tying the lowly Bengals are getting thumped by the Ravens -- take your pick) only to get hot during the last month of the season.

Philadelphia would eventually lose to Arizona in the NFC Championship game. And while nobody saw that coming as recently as Thanksgiving, the team did have high expectations heading into the season. Assuming Donovan McNabb is indeed in the organization's long-range plans, what do the Eagles need to do in the coming months to make a Super Bowl run?

Free Agents: RB Correll Buckhalter (UFA), S Sean Considine (UFA), S Brian Dawkins (UFA), CB Joselio Hanson (UFA), OT Jon Runyan (UFA), TE L.J. Smith (UFA), OT Will Thomas (UFA), WR Hank Baskett (RFA), G Nick Cole (RFA)

Draft Picks: 1 (21), 1 (28), 2 (53), 3 (85), 4 (117), 5 (132), 5 (149), 6 (182), 6 (183), 7 (213)

Needs

1. Offensive tackle: William Thomas and Jon Runyan are both in their 30s and Runyan just had knee surgery. It looks like the team will try to re-sign Thomas, but with a relatively strong draft class -- not to mention that the Eagles have two first-round picks -- finding a young tackle seems like a good idea.

2. Tight end: The club franchised L.J. Smith last spring, but after another inconsistent season, he'll hit free agency in a couple weeks. Third-year player Brent Celek will likely be the starter in '09, but having an explosive, big-play tight end is important in Andy Reid's version of the West Coast offense, and it wouldn't be completely surprising if the Eagles went looking for such a player via the draft. The most obvious choice: Oklahoma St.'s Brandon Pettigrew.

3. Wide receiver: I know, I know -- same song and dance, different year. The Eagles have been looking for a legit No. 1 wideout for more than a decade. Terrell Owens certainly fit the description, but his well-documented inability to get along with others hastened his departure out of town. DeSean Jackson is coming off a solid rookie season, but he's better as a No. 2 option. If Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin were to fall into the bottom half of the first round, they'd likely get serious consideration. In terms of free agents, T.J. Houshmandzadeh best fits the Eagles scheme.

Obviously, replacing Brian Dawkins would be high on the club's to-do list, but it sounds like the ball-hawking safety will be back in Philly for a 14th season.