It's been a little while since the Eagles made some noise, but today, they certainly did that. As of 3:00 this afternoon, Brian Westbrook is no longer an Eagle, as he was released by the team today.
Ever since Duce Staley left the Eagles back in 2004, Westbrook was the main weapon on offense, both out of the backfield as a runner, as well as in the open field as a receiving threat. He could make moves on top of moves in his prime, and he actually led the NFL in yards from scrimmage back in 2007. He made the rest of the running game better, and was always a step or two away from breaking a big play.
However, time had not been kind to Westbrook, especially this last season. He never played a full 16 game regular season, as he always missed at least a game or two due to injuries, and this year, the wheels fell off. Westbrook was bothered by ankle and knee injuries, as well as suffering multiple concussions that allowed him to only play in eight games. Though he was only 5'8", Westbrook was also one of the best blocking running backs in the NFL, and he was one of the smartest players on the entire team. I'll never forget him taking a knee at the one yard line against Dallas two years ago.
He was also an explosive punt returner in the early part of his Eagles career, and even when he became the starter, Andy would still put him back there, every once and a while, just to keep opponents on their toes and make the fans think that he could break another big one, just like he did against the Giants back in 2003. The truth is, I could go on for hours about all that Westbrook did, but I'm not going to do that. It would take far too long, and, unfortunately, I think this was the right decision.
Last season, Westbrook clearly didn't have the same speed that he used to have, even before the concussions. When a smaller running back loses his speed, there isn't much left that he can do for a team. Add onto that the fact that he was supposed to make over $7 million next season, and it was a perfect storm for him to be let go. As much as it hurts to see him leave, and more than likely play in another city, it had to be done. He had just 274 rushing yards and a touchdown last season, and while LeSean McCoy could have benefited from another season of learning from Westbrook, I think he'll be fine as the starter coming into next season. As soon as the Eagles drafted McCoy, I thought the writing was on the wall that Westbrook would be gone sooner, rather than later.
For his entire college and professional career, Westbrook has been in Philadelphia. He starred at Villanova, and was probably Andy Reid's best pick ever in the draft, getting nabbed in the third round by the Eagles back in 2002 to do basically what LeSean McCoy is going to have to do now: replace a popular running back. In Westbrook's case, it was Duce Staley. The shoes are a little bigger for McCoy to fill, as Westbrook was, without a doubt, one of the most popular Eagles of this, or any other, era. He never got into trouble, his name was never in the papers unless it was about how he played, and he was one of the most explosive players that I've ever seen in his prime. It's going to hurt not seeing him in the backfield any more, or knowing the Donovan isn't going to have the swing pass to #36 out in the flat as an option, but the time was right to move on.
Best of luck to you for the rest of your career, Brian. I've got your jersey, and I'm going to keep wearing it for a long time to come.
Philly.com: Westbrook era over
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