Moats-positive article on Friday

[Akbil]

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/spo...l/12308181.htm

We know he's the man. He might get a chance to prove it.

[shreveportdawg]

Copy and past the article please. That link makes you sign up for access.

[theprofessor]

John Smallwood | Without Westbrook, life goes on for running backs



BETHLEHEM - Nobody is trying to underplay the significance of Brian Westbrook's absence from Eagles training camp.

When the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback calls the versatile running back the team's "ultimate weapon" as Donovan McNabb did on Wednesday, there is no understating how important Westbrook is to this offense.

Ultimately, everyone knows it is in everybody's best interest for Westbrook and Eagles management to work out their differences, come to a contract agreement and get him into camp ASAP.

Still, while it might be in Westbrook's best interest if camp just shut down because things can't work without him, that's not the way things work.

And in the problematic event that Westbrook and the Birds can't reach an agreement before the season begins, somebody still must line up at running back.

"Brian will be in soon," said second-year running back Bruce Perry, one of four backs holding down the fort in the early days of training camp, "but we've still got to practice.

"Somebody's got to take the snaps and run the plays. We're just doing our best to work hard, learn things and make the team."

Let's face it; neither Perry, oft-injured veteran Correll Buckhalter, special-teamer Reno Mahe nor rookie Ryan Moats will strike the fear in opposing defensive coordinators that Westbrook does.

But that's all the Eagles are working with right now, and it seems as if that's how things will stay until either Westbrook reports or coach Andy Reid decides he must bring in an additional player.

In the meantime, however, nothing has changed in how the Birds are running their offense or what they are asking the running backs to do.

They might not be Westbrook, but Perry, Moats, Mahe and Buckhalter are running the same multidimensional packages Westbrook did.

"Every back is splitting out wide and those type of things," said Moats, who was selected in the third round, 77th overall, out of Louisiana Tech, the highest draft pick Reid has spent on a running back. "You wouldn't be here if you couldn't do that. You've got to be that kind of back.

"I caught the ball in college, but I was never spread wide. It's a learning process for me now. It's coming, though. I'm getting used to it.

"But this offense is complicated. I'm not going to try and make like it isn't. You really have to know what you are doing."

The irony is that if Westbrook decides to make this a lengthy holdout, Moats, who knows the least about the offense, might be the best candidate to replace him.

Perry and Buckhalter are coming off injuries that cost them the entire 2004 season.

After setting a franchise rookie rushing record with 586 yards in 2001, Buckhalter has played only 15 games and totaled 542 rushing yards in the last three seasons. He also missed the 2002 season with a knee injury.

It's early, but right now he doesn't look as if he's back to form.

Perry, a seventh-round pick out of Maryland, has looked good so far and said the shoulder injury that cost him his rookie season "isn't even a factor."

Still, it raised a red flag about his durability, because Perry, a product of George Washington High, suffered a variety of injuries in his last two collegiate seasons.

Mahe, who has 23 career rushes for 91 yards, is what he is - a special-teams player and a seldom-used role player on offense.

All of which brings us back to Moats.

It's no coincidence that, at 5-8 and a muscular 210 pounds, Moats is almost a physical clone of Westbrook, (5-10, 205).

The Eagles could have drafted bigger backs, but they went with Moats, who rushed for 3,112 yards and 28 touchdowns at Louisiana Tech, because they envisioned him doing many of the things Westbrook does.

Except for McNabb, the Eagles view every player as a replaceable part. They're always looking for the next guy who can step in.

I'm not saying Moats was drafted to immediately replace Westbrook, who is a restricted free agent, but Reid has a clear idea of what he wants his running back to do, and Moats looks like a good insurance policy.

"I really don't know what my role is right now," Moats said. "Maybe as we get closer to the season, I can find my place. I just want to learn as much as I can, learn on the run and try to contribute to a winning season."

The Eagles need Westbrook in camp, but until he gets there, somebody still has to do the things he did.



theprofessor

[TulsaDawg]

GIVE IT TO MOATS!