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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

You look at the stats from last year and they tell you that Brian Westbrook had 278 carries in 15 games. That represents 57.8 percent of the Eagles' total carries as a team and 79.4 percent of the carries by Eagles running backs.

Take out the game Westbrook did not play against the Giants and you find that when Westbrook was available, he had 60.7 percent of the total carries and 84 percent of the carries by Eagles running backs.

His team-high 90 receptions represented 25.7 percent of the Eagles' total receptions and 87.3 of the receptions by Eagles running backs.

Again take out the Giants game and when Westbrook was available, he had 26.9 percent of the Eagles' total receptions and 91.8 percent of the receptions by Eagles running backs.

So when Westbrook finally addresses the media yesterday, he was asked about whether the coaches has talked to him about lightening his workload.

“No, they haven’t talked to me about lightening, or anything like that," he said. "I’m a fan of carrying the ball, and having the ball in my hands, but I also want the best for this team. I know sometimes it’s better to spread the ball, allow them to get the ball into different people’s hands so that we can present problems for a defense. I love having the ball in my hands. I think I’m a better player when I have the ball in my hands."

But that does not mean that the coaches won't try to ease off Westbrook at least a little bit in training camp.

“I think, at some point, they’ll limit the things that I do," Westbrook said. "Coach usually does a great job of taking care of the players during training camp and things like that so their legs and arms can remain fresh, and I don’t see that changing this year.”

The Eagles seem to have a better option potentially as a complement to Westbrook in Lorenzo Booker, acquired in a daft day trade with Miami.

"We’re just trying to get more speed on the field," Westbrook said when asked how he anticipated the Eagles would use Booker. "Give the defense a lot of different things they have to cover, a lot of different things they have to worry about. Lorenzo brings a big play capability as well to the field. He’s very fast, very shifty, has very good hands. We’re just trying to put more playmakers on the field at the same time.” 
 

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Also, Les Bowen writes about Donovan McNabb's shoulder issue, Dan Klecko's move to the defensive line from fullback and more from Brian Westbrook in the notebook.

Les has more from Jon Runyan on the retirement of Michael Strahan and Rich Hofmann has his take on Strahan's departure.

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The Eagles are back on the field today for the second of four days this week that close the organized team activities before training camp in July.

Posted by Josh Barnett @ 7:46 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
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Posted by Bama 10:12 AM, 06/10/2008
We're hearing so many fantastic reports about Lorenzo Booker. Why did Miami get rid of him? Are we supposed to believe that Andy Reid is so much smarter than Bill Parcells? Second, is this thing with McNabb's shoulder the second coming of Flash Gordon. It is a problem; it isn't a problem; it's only precautionary; he threw great; he threw a bunch of air balls; there's nothing wrong but it will get better. What are we supposed to believe? How about some straight shooting for a change?
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About The Daily News' Eagles Blog
Les BowenLes Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.

Paul DomowitchPaul Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982. He has spent most of his 27 years at the paper covering the Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo came to the Daily News from the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually wa s boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose two sports coats to blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley, a University of Oklahoma grad and very dangerous to be around following a Sooner loss, have been married 29 years and have raised 2 terrific daughters – Allison, 26, a lawyer and graduate of Boston University School of Law; and Amy, 23, who graduated from Clemson and works in marketing and sales for a professional baseball team.