ABC's & 123's

Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings win on Monday night, the Eagles have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. Now that January football in Philadelphia is not possible, I’ve shifted into "ABC" mode in terms of the NFL post-season.

Anybody But the Cowboys.

I have also reluctantly started focusing on next year, a year that, depending on who you ask, may or may not include Donovan McNabb.

During Sunday’s Eagles-Cowboys game, FOX sideline reporter Pam Oliver said she had a conversation with McNabb where he indicated he thought his days with the Eagles were numbered and that the organization had already started to distance itself from him. When questioned post-game, McNabb denied the comments.

I’ve said this before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but I feel McNabb should be back as the starter next year. I think he’s given the organization everything they could have asked for, and they owe him a chance to play again.

No matter who you believe in the he-said, she-said between McNabb and Oliver, the focus for the Eagles is clearly on 2008. Here are their three biggest areas of need in terms of re-establishing themselves as a contender:

1. Safety – I love Brian Dawkins and what he brings to the team, but he’s 34 years old and has had some pretty serious injuries. He’s probably only got a year or two left. The cupboard is pretty bare behind him. Sean Considine has dealt with his own injuries and wasn’t exactly stellar when he was in there. Quentin Mikell is a nice player, but probably better suited to special teams. J.R. Reed is a return specialist who has filled in admirably when pressed into duty. Against a crop of outstanding tight ends in the NFC East, the safety position is crucial and must be addressed.

2. Kick/Punt Return Man – The aforementioned Reed looked like a game-breaker as a rookie, at least as far as kick returns are concerned. Not so much anymore. The Eagles have used Reed, Greg Lewis, Reno Mahe, Correll Buckhalter, and Brian Westbrook to return kicks and punts. Westbrook has been the best, but your pro-bowl running back should not be returning punts. Not to go Mel Kiper Jr. on you, but a guy like DeSean Jackson from the University of California would be a nice add.

3. Receiver Help – I’m grouping wide receivers and tight ends together here, as there will be a need for both. Either through a trade or free agency, the Birds need a top-flight, outside receiver (Chad Johnson, for example) that would allow Reggie Brown to be the second receiver and move Kevin Curtis into the slot, which is his natural position anyway. I’d also like to see Hank Baskett’s role increased. L.J. Smith is as good as gone and will need to be replaced.

If there’s been one constant in the Jeff Lurie-Joe Banner-Andy Reid administration, it’s been their collective willingness to put a contender on the field every year. With that in mind, I expect the Eagles to be aggressive in free agency and the draft in hopes of addressing these needs.

Here are the Week 16 NFL Picks (Home team in CAPS):
ST. LOUIS (+7.5) over Pittsburgh
CAROLINA (+10.5) over Dallas
JACKSONVILLE (-13.0) over Oakland
DETROIT (-4.5) over Kansas City
INDIANAPOLIS (-7.0) over Houston
Philadelphia (+3.0) over NEW ORLEANS
BUFFALO (+3.0) over New York Jets
Green Bay (-8.5) over CHICAGO
Cleveland (-3.0) over CINCINNATI
ARIZONA (-10.0) over Atlanta
SAN FRANCISCO (+6.0) over Tampa Bay
TENNESSEE (-8.5) over New York Jets
NEW ENGLAND (-22.0) over Miami
SEATTLE (Off) over Baltimore
MINNESOTA (-6.5) over Washington
SAN DIEGO (-8.5) over Denver