LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, and Dion Lewis give the Eagles their best trio of RBs since the great 2003 lineup of Duce, Buck, and Westy. That group combined to run for 1,618 yards and 20 TDs. They caught 83 passes for 847 yards and 7 TDs. That was a great season for the RBs. FB Jon Ritchie added 17 catches and 3 TDs.

I’d love for the current trio of backs to match the running total, but I’m not sure how likely that is. We all know that Big Red is a passing coach, through and through. Donovan McNabb was hurt in 2003 and that forced us to run a bit more. The thing I’m hopeful about is that Reid has to know what a good trio of RBs he has at his disposal.

In some past years the drop-off from starter to backup was pretty significant. That’s not the case right now. Ronnie Brown could start for a lot of teams in the league. He was hurt by the shortened offseason and had to settle for the backup role with us. Ronnie is a complete back. He’s got size and running ability. He is our best pass blocker. He’s also a good receiver.

Shady McCoy looks like he’s ready to have a great season. He was terrific in the open field against Cleveland. He looked great up at Training Camp. He got through the summer in one piece and didn’t look the least bit rusty. He’s got a chance to be a Pro Bowl type RB this year.

Dion Lewis is someone I had doubts about. No more. He has impressed the heck out of me. He looks faster now than he did at Pitt. Maybe the pre-Combine training got him into great shape and he stayed that way. Whatever the reason, I’m thrilled about it. Normally the number three back for us gets a touch every 6 to 8 weeks. Lewis looks like the kind of player you want to mix in. He’s a bit different from Brown and Shady. Just give him 2 to 4 touches a game. Run him on a draw. Throw him a screen. Let the guy get in space and show you what he can do.

The Saints had a great passing offense from the moment that Sean Payton and Drew Brees arrived. The 2009 Super Bowl team was the one group that had a great set of RBs. Pierre Thomas was the workhorse, Reggie Bush the playmaker, and Mike Bell the big back. We don’t have the exact same formula, but having 3 RBs gives you the ability to mix them in heavily without wearing anyone down.

If we have a good lead late in a game, why not feed the ball to Lewis and let him gets some work in? We did that with Eldra Buckley a couple of times in the last 2 years, but Buckley is an effort guy and that’s all. He’s got limited skills. His long run in the NFL is 13 yards. I’m willing to be that Lewis will have a longer run than that this year.

Andy Reid has under-used his RBs more than a few times since the great 2003 season. I think one of the reasons why is that he’s been nervous about depth. You couldn’t help but think of Buck as fragile. Westy had his knee and ankle issues. The young players just didn’t develop as hoped. This year Reid has a trio of quality runners. Brown and Shady have proven to be durable. Lewis is an impressive rookie. There’s no reason not to feed them the ball.

We aren’t going to suddenly become a running team, but we should see an upswing in RB touches. The last 2 years the numbers were down from 2006-08. If we can just get back to that level, it will bring more balance to the offense and that will help the passing game. The OL would love that and Mike Vick would take fewer hits.

I don’t care if it is Iso plays, draws, screens, or what…use the RBs, Big Red.

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The coaches decision to take Casey Matthews out of the Nickel defense proved to be a wise move. He played better in the base defense. That move also got Brian Rolle, the little ball of hate, out on the field. Rolle is made for the Nickel D. He’s fast enough to cover ground and cover. He’s also tough enough to take on inside runs and be effective.

Matthews is a gifted cover LB. Taking him off the Nickel had nothing to do with skill. It was simply a way to let him catch his breath and clear his head. Rookies biggest obstacle is the mental side of things. If you can clear a guy’s head and help him get in a comfort zone, he’s more likely to thrive.

Instead of having one player struggling, the Eagles now have 2 rookie LBs playing solid football.

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I’m sorry for avoiding all the OL stuff. I’ll post a link to my column as soon as it goes up.