Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Brian Dawkins, and Lito Sheppard. Pretty star-studded group wouldn't you agree? With the new addition of Samuel, the All-Pro cornerback, and Hall of Fame bound Brian Dawkins this group is stacked. The potential for this secondary is unlike any Eagles secondary that I can ever remember. But after naming all these players there is one more. The starting strong safety Quintin Mikell is left out of the picture. He is not a star, a pro-bowler, or a future Hall of Fame inductee.
Quintin Mikell burst on the scene last year when the Eagles finally decided to pull the plug on the Sean Considine experiment. One that didn't last a long time. Mikell started to make plays immediatley. You all remember the play where Mikell sprawled out in the air and leaped on Jon Kitna in week three against Detroit. If you ask me, it was a spitting image of Brian Dawkins. Mikell has an absolute perfect opportunity in front of him. With this superstar secondary he has his work cut out for him and he will have to show the coaching staff that he has a "twinkle" about him too. But I am sure Mikell doesn't just want to twinkle, he wants to shine. With quarterbacks focused on keeping the ball away from playmakers like Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel or ballhawks like Lito Sheppard, Mikell will be able to creep up and make huge plays. He will be tested a lot this year. Can he live up to the challenge? The starting strong safety position is his to lose this offseason. The real question is can Quintin Mikell not only keep his starting spot on the defense but can he shine among the brighter stars in the secondary? Well, you know I think he can, but that is a question that will be answered come September.
Quintin Mikell burst on the scene last year when the Eagles finally decided to pull the plug on the Sean Considine experiment. One that didn't last a long time. Mikell started to make plays immediatley. You all remember the play where Mikell sprawled out in the air and leaped on Jon Kitna in week three against Detroit. If you ask me, it was a spitting image of Brian Dawkins. Mikell has an absolute perfect opportunity in front of him. With this superstar secondary he has his work cut out for him and he will have to show the coaching staff that he has a "twinkle" about him too. But I am sure Mikell doesn't just want to twinkle, he wants to shine. With quarterbacks focused on keeping the ball away from playmakers like Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel or ballhawks like Lito Sheppard, Mikell will be able to creep up and make huge plays. He will be tested a lot this year. Can he live up to the challenge? The starting strong safety position is his to lose this offseason. The real question is can Quintin Mikell not only keep his starting spot on the defense but can he shine among the brighter stars in the secondary? Well, you know I think he can, but that is a question that will be answered come September.
