Eagles have their sights set on winning a Super Bowl after falling short again

Eagles have super hopes on first day of camp

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Donovan McNabb took a knee next to Brian Westbrook on the sideline and watched the end of practice while enthusiastic fans shouted praise from just a few yards away.

“Hey Donny, this is our year,” one man yelled. “We gotta win it all, baby! You hear me?”

Expectations are high — as usual — for the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Fans are counting on McNabb and Westbrook to deliver that elusive Super Bowl title.

While the supporting cast keeps changing, McNabb and Westbrook remain the focal point on a team that has reached the NFC championship game five times in the past eight years. The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback and the former All-Pro running back have plenty of help around them.

The Eagles added two veteran offensive linemen and three rookies who could make an impact at skill positions. Team president Joe Banner even boasted recently that Philadelphia has the “best roster in the league.” Now all they have to do is prove it on the field. That’s the hardest part.

“Everybody is a paper champion,” veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown said Friday after the team practiced in full pads for the first time in camp. “Until you see the final product on the field, you can’t answer that.”

The Eagles overcame daunting odds to make the playoffs last year, then advanced to the conference title game only to lose as favorites on the road against Arizona.

Nothing less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a success this year.

“I think we have a great team,” McNabb said. “We have some great athletes here, but we have to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

McNabb was sharp in passing drills, and several other players were impressive on the first day. Westbrook was only a spectator because he’s recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Coach Andy Reid said the versatile back could return sooner than expected, however.

“Right now he is chomping at the bit to get back in,” Reid said. “We just have to make sure he’s healthy and ready to go. He wants to play. He’s in great shape. He’s just got to heal up and he’ll be back in soon enough.”

With longtime bookend tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan gone, McNabb and Westbrook take on a bigger leadership role. They’re the ones the young players turn to for advice, direction and encouragement. Westbrook did his part Friday, chatting up second-round pick LeSean McCoy and third-year pro Eldra Buckley, who has never played in an NFL game.

“I do appreciate him being out there and being a part of it, and I know that the players do,” Reid said. “He has a lot of experience, good words of wisdom for them.”

Westbrook was among several key players not practicing. Injuries forced the Eagles to reshuffle their offensive line. Center Jamaal Jackson was the only one of the projected five starters at his normal spot. Shawn Andrews, who is switching to right tackle after excelling at guard, sat out with back problems. His brother, Stacy Andrews, the new right guard, still is recovering from knee surgery. Two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, acquired in a trade with Buffalo, has a quad injury.

McNabb is excited about the revamped blocking unit.

“You bring in a Jason Peters, one of the best at his position. And you bring in Stacy Andrews, who many have said is the best at tackle or guard,” McNabb said. “Then you get Shawn Andrews back healthy and ready to roll. I thought Jamaal was doing a great job at the center position, the catalyst of the offensive line. So, you have that security and you have Todd Herremans who I felt should have made the Pro Bowl last year, and him coming off a great year. So, they have to gel and we have to gel with them.”

On the defensive side, the Eagles have to make major adjustments. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, widely considered one of the best coaches in the NFL, passed away this week after battling cancer. He was replaced by Sean McDermott, an assistant for several seasons. The defense also is without its emotional leader, Brian Dawkins. The seven-time Pro Bowl safety signed a free-agent contract with the Denver Broncos.

Safety Quintin Mikell, one of the guys expected to fill the leadership void created by Dawkins’ departure, said many players were thinking about Johnson when they took the field for their first real practice without him.

“It was tough, really rough,” Mikell said. “When we went out there, it was quiet at first. Then we got it rolling, but it was weird.”