Current Odds as provided by WagerWeb:
Division -150
Conference +325
Super Bowl +650
Win Total 10.5 (Over -145    Under -105)

When Jeff Fisher was let go by the Titans, Philadelphia’s Andy Reid assumed the dubious title of being the longest tenured head coach in the NFL. In his 12 previous seasons with the Eagles he has led them to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl, but he is still searching for that elusive world title. With team owner Jeff Lurie opening up the purse strings and 36-year old General Manager Howie Roseman wasting little time in spending every penny he could find, this could be the season that Reid finally adds the Lombardi Trophy to his long and illustrious resume.

Offense

Everyone is familiar with the Michael Vick story, but this season could also be his shot at redemption for a brilliant career that jumped off the tracks. He will enter the season as the starting quarterback for the first time since his days in Atlanta, and he has this team firmly in his grasp. The talent level that surrounds him is high as well with WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, TE Brent Celek, and RB LeSean McCoy making up the rest of the skill positions. Reid addressed a gaping hole in his offensive line by selecting Danny Watkins in the first round of this year’s draft. He also selected two more linemen in the later rounds to add some youth as well as depth to an offensive line that has had trouble staying healthy the past few seasons.

Defense

Ever since the death of coordinator Jim Johnson a few years back, the Eagles’ defense has lacked the ferocity that used to strike fear in any opponent through his use of an elaborate maze of blitz schemes  and defensive sets. Philadelphia is counting on new coordinator Juan Castillo to bring back the swagger this once-proud unit used to have. It also used the draft to add some much needed youth, including LB Casey Matthews, who is the younger brother of Green Bay’s All-Pro LB Clay Matthews. If he can play anywhere near the level of his older brother, this could end up being one of the biggest steals in the draft.

Personnel Moves

The Free Agency feeding frenzy started with the trade of backup QB Kevin Kolb to Arizona for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick in next year’s draft. It ended with the Eagles signing WR Steve Smith right out from under the nose of the rival Giants. In between, Philadelphia added Vince Young as an insurance policy for Vick, running back Ronnie Brown as a compliment to McCoy, defensive linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins , who combined for 19.5 sacks last season, offensive tackle Ryan Harris, who started 34 games for Denver over the past four seasons, and the prized jewel in this year’s free agent market, defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha. With a roster that now reads like a Pro Bowl lineup, it is easy to see why the Eagles have been coined as the ‘Dream Team’ this season. The question remains as to how quickly all these individual talents can come together as a team, but you have to remember that Vick was just one completion away from knocking Green Bay out of the playoffs last season, so this team was already talented to begin with.

2011 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule

Philadelphia will be tested right away with a trip to Atlanta in Week 2 and a home game against the Giants in Week 3. The AFC East will also pose a few tests, but they get a major break with the Patriots visiting Lincoln Financial Field in late November and the Jets coming to town in Week 15. A Christmas Eve trip into Cowboys Stadium in Week 16 could be for a first-round bye in the playoffs, which would be crucial to a Super Bowl run.

2011 Philadelphia Eagles Predictions

As mentioned before, this team was pretty darn good without all the players they added, but there really is no excuse for the Eagles to not make a legitimate run at a title this year with the quality upgrades they made at all the right positions. They will still lose a few along the way, but a 12-4 record should be good enough to be hosting a home game in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in mid-January.

Doc’s Sports is coming off a monster year for NFL picks, highlighted by an easy victory with our NFL Game of the Year. Last season we rode the Detroit Lions to victory in seven of their 17 games, going a perfect 7-0, +31 units ($100 bettors up $3100) in games when we used their game as a selection. Doc’s Sports has another surprise team this year and look for us to use this team early in the season. We expect big returns in the NFL and would love to have you aboard with a full season subscription service. Click Here for more details.