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McNabb Pitching Injuries Scoring Salary Playoffs Trades Superbowl
Brian Westbrook ready to run
Published: August 19, 2009
The most dangerous weapon in the Eagles arsenal says he will be at 100 percent when the regular season gets underway.
And no, this has nothing to do with Michael Vick.
Star running back Brian Westbrook spoke to the media for the first time this preseason on Wednesday and said that the bone spurs in his right ankle have been cleaned up and that he is ready to get going.
“My plan is to go out there,” Westbrook told the Eagles official web site, “Help this team get the playoffs, win some playoff games, and get to the Super Bowl. That’s our goal, that’s my goal as well, so I’m going to do everything I can to get back to that level of play.”
He also admitted he still has some rust to shake off after missing all of the offseason workouts prior to this week.
“I still want to continue working on my cuts; I still want to continue working on my balance, things like that,” Westbrook said to the web site. “It’s coming along. It’s one of those things where it’s a work in progress. I’m excited about being back though.”
For the Philadelphia’s sake, Westbrook needs to return to peak form and stay there throughout the season.
While there has been much buzz about rookie second-round pick LeSean McCoy, the running back from Pitt is still un-proven. McCoy figures to start the season as the primary backup to Westbrook, in part because of his impressive camp and in part to the lack of depth at the position.
Third on the depth chart is Lorenzo Booker, who saw little action a year ago. Booker came in with much fanfare as the Eagles brass talked about him playing alongside Westbrook in many formations. That never came to be and Booker finished the season with a meager 53 yards rushing on 20 carriers He was also inactive for six games.
Philadelphia decided against singing a veteran backup in the offseason, staying away from the likes of Dominick Rhodes and Warrick Dunn. The move should be a smart one if Westbrook remains healthy and McCoy proves to be as good as he has shown in the preseason. If Westbrook goes down for a prolonged period of time and McCoy takes a while to learn the nuances of the difficult West Coast offense, the Eagles chances of getting back to the NFC Championship game will be severely diminished.
For now Eagles fans should be excited by the prospect of Westbrook being at 100 percent by the September 13th opener against the Carolina Panthers. Westbrook has and will continue to be the biggest piece of the offensive puzzle.
