Would Willie Parker be a good fit in Reid's offense?
With the release of Brian Westbrook, the Eagles could really use a guy behind LeSean McCoy to split the carries or give him a breather if necessary. Right now, the Eagles have Eldra Buckley and Martell Mallett behind McCoy, but it's doubtful they feel comfortable with that group.
Leonard Weaver will see his share of carries, but overall the Birds would probably prefer that he see his carries in short-yardage situations and leave the running back duties to a running back.
Dwayne Wright is also on the roster, but if he makes the roster it will be as a special teams ace and a backup fullback were the worst to happen to Weaver.
The Eagles will be looking for a veteran to come on behind McCoy rather than a draft pick, and outside of Chester Taylor, Willie Parker is probably the best guy on the market. Taylor is going to want a starting spot, while Parker may be more willing to come to a winning franchise, only have to cross the state, and still see his fair share of touches.
Personally, I would prefer more of a smash-mouth running back, but I've dealt with the fact that it's just not going to happen under Reid. That's not the offense he runs and it's not the running back he's going to employ. With that in mind, Parker does become a good option.
McCoy, while quick, doesn't have the straight-line speed that Westbrook had or that Parker has. McCoy is very good at running between the tackles and making people miss in a phone booth, whereas Parker is better running outside the tackles on a pitch or stretch play.
He's serviceable in protection and catching out of the backfield, though he's no Brian Westbrook, so McCoy is going to really have to take everything he learned from Westbrook as far as pass protection goes and transfer it into 2010.
If Parker can come in and give 5-10 touches per game, and average about five yards per touch, he can really help this team move the sticks and give an extra element of explosiveness that the team hasn't had since Westbrook was truly healthy in '07.
He certainly won't be challenging McCoy's starting spot, but he would certainly be able to help immediately, which is exactly what the Eagles need.
