Time Catching Up To Westbrook

Time catches up to every player in the National Football League, so it isn’t surprising that the Eagles’ Brain Westbrook — the league’s most dynamic running back — will now miss some time for ankle surgery. But as we look at Westbrook’s career, this was inevitable — and relief might have come too late.

Age Becoming an Issue

Brian Westbrook will turn 30 years old in September — and age might finally be catching up with him.

He’ll have surgery to clean out his ankle, and there’s no clear timetable for when he might return to full football action. As I sit here writing this, I can’t say I’m surprised.

As our own Michael Lombardi wrote this morning, this is anything but a death sentence for the Eagles’ Super Bowl hopes, as the time off might be beneficial for both Westbrook and the Eagles. But it doesn’t hide the fact that running backs who turn the calendar to 30 frequently break down like old cars.

Think of it this way: Every time an NFL running back is tackled in the hole, it’s the equivalent of a head-on car accident on their bodies, and the effects — when multiplied over years — catch up to them when they reach their 30s.

I’ve written before about Eddie George, whom I still believe is a perfect example of age and how careers can decline from injures and overuse at the running back position. When I was a rookie in St. Louis, we practiced with the Titans during training camp in Macomb, Ill. — and I was absolutely petrified by the man. He ran over me countless times, and I felt like my organs would explode every time he stuck one of his high knees in my gut.

Flash forward to George carrying the football for the Cowboys. He wasn’t the same back, he didn’t run with the same power and we couldn’t wait for him to get his hands on the football. Yes, the back who was feared in the NFL became target practice for defenders.

I don’t think Westbrook is there yet, and that’s why the Eagles drafted Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy in the second round this past April.

But for Westbrook and the Eagles’ sake, it might have come too late.

The Main Weapon

When have the Eagles had another option to make plays on offense outside of Terrell Owens during their Super Bowl season?

Westbrook is the Eagles’ offense. The west coast system is an ideal fit for a player with his ability. You can use him in a variety of ways and align him anywhere on the football field and run your offense through him.

Donovan McNabb is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, but the Eagles offense succeeds because of Westbrook’s ability to win one-on-one match-ups and get the ball in space.

I played three seasons in Washington against Westbrook, and we never had an answer for him. He is just that dynamic when it comes to the west coast system, but the Eagles never found a pure complement. We can sit here and talk about Correll Buckhalter, but he was a bad fit at running back for that offensive scheme, and Lorenzo Booker never transitioned into what people hoped at the pro level.

Because of that, more and more of that offense went through Westbrook. We ask all the time why the Eagles never added more weapons for McNabb to work with on the outside, and I think Westbrook is the answer — because the Eagles still viewed him as the No. 1 option in the run and the pass game. Why take that away?

Plus, in reality, that’s what they should have done. He is that good, and teams in the NFL ride their running backs into the ground — because that’s what they’re paid to do. But time is beginning to catch up with Westbrook.

This will be his second surgery this offseason as he has already had his knee cleaned out. I can tell you from personal experience that this is a sign the end is closer than you think. You don’t take parts out of race cars and expect them to run at top speed — and the same goes for running backs.

I hope, for the Eagles’ sake, that McCoy is that second option and can carry a substantial workload as a rookie. Because now that Westbrook is starting to show signs that his body is breaking down, they need another option to run their offense through.

It’s not time to write off Westbrook, but this team will have to keep an eye on him and get McCoy involved early in the season. Westbrook can still put up huge numbers, but the days of him getting 25-plus touches a game might be coming to an end — if the Eagles want to make a Super Bowl run in ’09.

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