Eagles find three for the road

By Lou DiPietro  |   Thursday, August 28, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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Thursday night, the Eagles finished a 2-2 preseason with a narrow 27-20 loss to the New York Jets at Lincoln Financial Field. It’s always nice to come out a winner – preseason or not – but the main focus of August is to evaluate talent, make sure no one gets hurt and get everything ready for the games that do count.

Unfortunately, the Eagles only went 2-for-3 in that department, as their receiving corps – already perceived as thin by fans and media pundits alike – took two major hits with Kevin Curtis’ sports hernia and Reggie Brown’s nagging hamstring injury.

No worries, though, as the offense has stepped up nicely. Even without his top two wideouts, Donovan McNabb completed 63 percent of his passes and the first team made some noise. Three players, in particular, stepped up huge in August and will give the team depth beyond the starting 11 that could make the difference between .500 and the playoffs. Let's take a look at that trio ...

No. 3: Michael Gasperson

There were a dozen receivers in camp, with more than half of those fighting for one or very slightly possibly two spots. Then the injuries to Curtis and Brown opened a crack in the door, and Gasperson kicked it open.

Gasperson may have had a small inside track, as he spent most of 2007 on the Eagles' practice squad. In the 2008 preseason, however, he’s looked like an All-Pro. Gasperson made six catches for 145 yards in August, showing a speed burst and an affinity for YAC that the Eagles drafted DeSean Jackson for. Lined up with the starters against the Jets, Gasperson made a great third-down catch with Ahmad Carroll draped all over him – pass interference was called, but declined – that kept a dying drive going. Later, in the fourth quarter, he got loose for an AJ Feeley bomb that brought the Eagles from their own territory to inside the Jets 10.

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he has the ideal size of an NFL wide receiver, with a little bit of speed mixed in. He has outdone most of the receivers in camp, and may have worked himself into the final WR spot on the depth chart with one last excellent performance.

No. 2: Lorenzo Booker

Much like injuries helped the receiving corps, Brian Westbrook’s holdout gave Booker the opportunity to show Eagles fans why Andy Reid coveted him so much in last year’s draft. And like Gasperson, Booker -- whom Philly acquired via trade from Miami during the offseason -- didn’t disappoint. Better to get the second-year man late than never, right?

Booker has looked good both rushing and receiving this preseason, and if you take away Tony Hunt’s 51-yard rumble earlier in the exhibition schedule, Booker leads the team in rushing during August. When you couple that with his seven-catch, 57-yard performance against the Jets in the preseason finale, it appears the Birds have a dual threat that’s the perfect complement/replacement for Westbrook. Booker gives the offense a speedier option than it had with Correll Buckhalter in the past, and packages featuring “Book and ‘Brook” give the Eagles a deadly receiving option out of the backfield. With his play and the emergence of Hunt so far, Buckhalter might even find himself on the waiver wire when roster cutdowns occur this weekend.

No. 1: DeSean Jackson

I know that Jackson's seemingly the topic of every one of my writings. But the second-round pick is good -- really good. Reid very rarely plays rookies much, especially on offense, but Jackson may have forced his way into regular rotation even without injuries. His return TD against New England showed flashes of what could be, and he led the team in receptions and receiving yards during the preseason.

His speed is something you can’t teach and other teams can’t deny, and he’ll almost certainly be lined up with the starting offense on Sept. 7. If Brown remains gimpy and/or inconsistent beyond the first few weeks – until Curtis returns – Jackson could be there full time.

NFL kickoff is less than a week away, and those on the bubble can smell the finish line.

Who says the preseason is meaningless?

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!</i>">Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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CommentsComments: 7  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jacotaco3		09:37 AM
08/29/2008
People are really high on the eagles this year to make the playoffs if people like McNabb Westbrook stay healthy they are going ...
No.2
10:32 AM
08/29/2008
The only thing with the Eagles is that they do play in a tough division and McNabb hasn't been able to stay healthy. Also they ...
No.3
jacotaco3		08:15 PM
08/29/2008
The WR position has always ben a problem but I feel they are moving in the right direction which is a bad thing for any nfc east ...
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