The Eagles have descended upon Lehigh Valley this week, and that can only mean one thing: The football season is upon us. It may be a little preliminary to bust out that cheesehead or dog mask, but the start of training camp is a simple summer reminder that Sundays will soon be transformed yet again. And for Philadelphia Eagles fans, it’s a subtle reminder that, much like the seasons, their team is changing too.

I expressed my discontent about moving McNabb (especially within the division) on many occasions. At the time, I was angry and dismissive of anything Eagles related for months, and it was an easy attitude to adopt because football was out of sight and out of mind, many months down the road. However, now that players have reported to Lehigh Valley, I find myself hanging on the daily updates, wondering what lies ahead for this new core of players.

I have to admit, though, it’s a very strange feeling to watch these early practices without seeing the players who laid the foundation of this team over the last decade. Last year it was hard enough to move on without Brian Dawkins, and then even more solemn when Jim Johnson lost his battle with cancer. It felt like the heart and soul of the defense had been ripped out. Now this year the Eagles move forward without McNabb and Westbrook, the two biggest offensive weapons perhaps in the history of the franchise.

Yes, the times they are a changin’. Andy Reid said it best when he gave a press conference following Monday’s practice: “There’s a little bit of unknown, which I kind of like. I like that. I think it’s

a great challenge, for the coaches and for he players. There’s some big name, proven players on this football team that aren’t here. And so it’s important that the young players on this football team step up and go.”

I can honestly say that, for once, Andy and I are on the same page. I don’t think that anyone, including the players and coaches on the Eagles, really know what this team is capable of, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The unknown can sometimes be scary, but it also means that there can’t be any unreasonable expectations. I have yet to come across anyone who is declaring this Eagles team the favorite to win the Super Bowl. In fact, many analysts have projected them in the 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7 range, which is fair.

But the benefit there is that this team can simply go about its business and learn to function together as a cohesive unit. And sometimes the unknown can really bring a team together by forming an “us against the world” mentality, when everyone has already ruled them out because of their inexperience.

Look, I’m not going to be the first to declare this team a Super Bowl favorite. It wouldn’t make any sense based on everything that I just mentioned. However, this team has talent, and a lot of faith is being put in Kevin Kolb. As much as Andy has frustrated the fan base over the years, he did manage to go against the grain on that fateful draft day to select Donovan McNabb, and although that moment was the first in a series of controversial McNabb moments in Philly, I sincerely doubt anyone on that day could have imagined that No. 5 would become the best QB in franchise history.

So if Andy Reid felt compelled to go against the grain in 2007 and draft a QB with the Eagles' first pick when they had so many other needs to fill, then I’m guessing that Andy saw something that made him feel as though this guy could be the heir apparent to the Pro Bowl QB he already had; a bailout plan if McNabb couldn’t get over the hump.

So, as the new season approaches, and I become more familiar with a new Eagles family that includes Kolb, Jackson, McCoy and Celek, it’s no wonder that there’s some kind of anxious excitement building. The torch has officially been passed, and it’s time to find out just exactly what kind of foundation this new generation of Philadelphia Eagles can lay. Much like Andy, I’m embracing the unknown.

-- SEAN JOHNSON
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