Any real fan looking at Brian Dawkins could tell he was losing a step. Nobody liked it or wanted to admit it, but that was the unfortunate reality.

He was still a good player, but his role had changed dramatically and had left us a man short in coverage.

But what never changed was the man’s intensity and will to win. All of which he conveyed to everyone in the organization and city. From Jeff Lurie to the most casual Eagles fan.

To everyone’s dismay, he’s gone now.

The Eagles’ front office has filled the free safety void in acquiring Sean Jones from Cleveland via free agency, but they have no way of filling the leadership void.

So who takes the torch? Who will be the guy giving the “dog gon” speeches before kickoff and willing this team to victory?

There are a few likely candidates on the defensive side of the ball, which is where the leadership will have to come from. The offense consists more of players who would rather lead by example like McNabb and Westbrook.

The most ideal situation would be for the young man Stewart Bradley to step up and continue what Dawkins started here in ‘96.

The middle linebacker is the strategic leader of the defense, so for him to take over as the emotional leader would be great to see for his career and the Eagles as a whole.

The other likely man would seem to be Quintin Mikell, who has been playing behind and beside Dawkins for a couple years. He’s a guy who made this team as an undrafted free agent by playing as a special teams ace and has now made his way to being considered for the Pro Bowl as a strong safety.

No matter who it is, he will have a huge shoes to fill.