The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles will be an interesting squad to say the least.
The Eagles made three recent moves, adding safety Jarrad Page, tackle Ryan Harris, and the signing of running back Ronnie Brown, who was the number 2 overall pick by the Dolphins in 2005.
While Page and Harris can definitely be impact players in 2011, the big addition here is former Pro Bowl RB Ronnie Brown, who made solid contributions during his time in Miami. Brown recently signed a one-year deal with the Eagles to giving them more depth at the running back position.
Brown did not wow anyone during his tenure as a Dolphin but he was incredibly efficient while healthy. He was a big part of the Dolphins’ wildcat offense when it was implemented heavily into the Dolphins’ offensive schemes in 2008. Due to him being left-handed, he was a threat to throw the football depending on the formation. Brown is also an underrated downhill runner as he can be trusted to be the main back in many offenses.
The best thing about him as an Eagle is that he will be backing up LeSean McCoy. Brown is good enough to be a starting running back in the NFL, so to have him as a spare back/third down back/special teams player will definitely be to Philadelphia’s strength. Eagles fans have to be pleased with this signing as it makes the team more complete. The front office is elated to have the former Dolphins running back and this is evident by GM Howie Roseman’s words.
“Ronnie is an all-around running back with a versatile skill set,” general manager Howie Roseman said in a statement. “He can run the ball, catch it, and does very well in pass protection. He’ll add some good size to our backfield and he’s a good character guy. We think he’ll be a tremendous compliment to LeSean [McCoy] and the other young backs on this team that we really like. You can never have enough good running backs in this league and we are happy to have Ronnie join us.”
The Eagles have been the clear winners of this year’s free agency and the addition of Brown is a good example of the rich getting richer. However, we all know that championships aren’t won on paper as there are real games to be played. Watching this “dream team” play and interact with each other should be exciting and makes me thankful for the mere fact that the lockout ended so that we do have football this year.
In a matter of days, the Eagles have managed to add Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Vince Young, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Evan Mathis, Ronnie Brown, Jarrad Page, and Ryan Harris. It’s not like the Eagles were a horrible squad before. They had a great year last year, made the playoffs, and nearly knocked off the eventual champions, the Green Bay Packers. They managed to get two Pro Bowl corners to add to the Pro Bowl CB they already have in Asante Samuel. They add Ronnie Brown to a rushing attack that was already dangerous with Vick and McCoy. Additionally after trading away Kolb, they acquire an overqualified backup with tons of potential in Vince Young. Anything less than a Super Bowl would be a disappointment for the Eagles.
The Philadephia Eagles open the season up in St. Louis, Missouri at the Edward Jones Dome against Sam Bradford and the young Rams on September 11, 2011.
Can’t Wait (Bart Scott voice)