Philadelphia Eagles

Watching the Eagles assemble their roster over the shortened off-season was a thing of absolute beauty.

Andy Reid was incisive, aggressive and publicly passionate about the construction of a championship calibre team.

And boy, what a result! This team is loaded with fantasy super stars; stacked with talent and fuelled by a desire born of frustration and the knowledge that they are, as they have been for many years, perhaps the most deserving of a title that has, thus far, eluded them.

There are no weak spots throughout the Eagles starters. The only areas I would like to see more depth at, though, are Running Backs and Quarterbacks. If Michael Vick goes down, this team doesn’t just lose their starting passer, but also one of the major reasons why defences refuse to over-commit to the pass rush – there is no QB in the history of the game more dangerous with his legs than Michael Vick.

Vick is a lynchpin in this team – keeping him upright and healthy is essential to their success. Should the line protect the main man, this team will romp their way through the NFC, which is softer than it has been of late.

Verdict: the most improved team by a country mile. There is every reason to believe the Eagles could go all the way, but I’m a fan of trending in football and I reckon they’ll make the playoffs as number two or three seeds and stumble against either the Saints of Packers before the NFC Championship game. Record around 11-5 and a pitiful fade-out of the playoffs as per usual.


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