One of the more interesting situations to watch during the Eagles training camp will be the back up running back position.
Clearly the Eagles need somebody talented and dependable behind star running back Brian Westbrook. He was banged up for most of the season a year ago and had off season arthroscopic surgery on his knee.
Nobody knows how much time he has left and how healthy he is, so we will be watching closely.
The guy they want behind him is rookie running back LeSean McCoy. He has the toughest job of the rookies in getting ready to play for the Birds because of the way the team uses their running backs.
I've said this before that the Birds ask to know as much about the offense as the quarterbacks. At times, their running backs move outside and play the wide receiver position along with doing their jobs as running backs.
In addition they have to understand what the offensive line is doing because they have to know all the blitz pickups. The smallish McCoy will also have to be able to execute the blocking.
He's going to have to step up and pickup a 250 pound linebackers coming at him full speed. You don't know that he can do it, until he does it.
As a security blanket for McCoy and the pass blocking, the Eagles have fullback Leonard Weaver to step in and do the job until McCoy is comfortable and reliable doing it.
Weaver was a key acquisition because his knowledge of the offense. He played in the west coast offense all his years in Seattle, and his ability to run and catch the football, will give the Birds another weapon and depth in the backfield.
In the battle for the final running back spot, Kyle Eckel will be competing with Lorenzo Booker. Eckel can help the Birds on short yardage. He can block, but isn't known as much of a pass catching threat.
Booker on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a chance as a blocker. He's much too small and lacks the power to stand up to a blitzing linebacker.
The one advantage he has over Eckel is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He's got quickness as a runner but doesn't have much power at all.
It seems like a no brainer that they would keep Eckel, but you can't over emphasize Andy Reid's love of pass receiving running backs.
