I haven't really talked much about the Eagles draft day acquisition of running back Lorenzo Booker. This actually might be the most exciting move the Eagles made this offseason, so I waited until I could devote a whole article to him. Let's take a look at Booker and the move.

Booker is 5-10, 191 pounds. That puts him two inches taller than Brian Westbrook and about 25 pounds lighter. He does not have the build to be a starting running back, but he's ideal as a third down back and role player.

I had Booker rated as a third-round prospect last year and the number six running back overall. I thought he would be a player the Eagles would target because of his ability as a receiver and his potential as a kick returner. He was long gone by the time the Eagles were on the clock in the third round last year, however I was quite happy to hear the Dolphins had sent him to Philly in exchange for a fourth-round pick this year. That's good value.

RB Lorenzo Booker

The question some skeptics raise is "if Booker is so good, why would Miami trade him?" Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano are building an offense based on power running. Booker was just smaller than what they were looking for. The lightest running back on Miami's roster now is 210 pounds. Booker also didn't offer them value in the return game because of the presence of Ted Ginn. The change in Miami's offense made Booker expendable. The friendship between Andy Reid and Parcells allowed them to work out a deal that helped both teams.

Some people wanted the Eagles to draft a running back with the 19th pick last month. Westbrook will turn 29 in early September.  Correll Buckhalter will be 30 in October. Tony Hunt is a player we're all expecting to improve in 2008, but is still an unknown.  Ryan Moats is still a gifted runner, but has an uphill battle to make the team. Booker is only 24 and has shown he can play at the NFL level. In some ways, he's actually a smarter addition than taking a running back in the first round. The investment is less. They have already seen him perform against pro competition, and he's a great fit for the offense.

You can see what an athletic runner he is. He's extremely elusive and makes dynamic cuts. Put him one-on-one with a defender out in space and he'll make the guy miss more often than not. Booker is quick and fast. He's got an excellent burst. He's one of those players who only need a small opening in order to create a big play. The one downside to his running style is that he will "dance" at times. On some plays a runner is smart not to try and make guys miss, but to just go north-south and get up the field.

Booker is also a gifted receiver. He caught 114 passes at Florida State and 28 last year with the Dolphins. All of those 28 catches came in the last five games of the 2007 season, meaning he averaged almost six receptions per game in that stretch. He is very dangerous on screen passes, which makes him perfect for the Eagles offense. Booker is gifted enough to catch balls downfield as well.

Now the question is what Booker's role will be in 2008. How does he fit in and how will the coaches use him? He comes in with two key roles - offensive weapon and insurance policy. As I said earlier, Booker will be a role player here. He's not coming in to get 20 touches. I'm sure Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg are excited about the possibility of getting Booker and Westbrook on the field at the same time. Neither guy can play the traditional role of fullback. This would be a pair of running backs playing together. Reid has paired Westbrook and Buckhalter a few times, with some success.

The reason to get Booker and Westbrook out there together is to put pressure on the defense. Both players can split out wide like a receiver. They can both catch screen or swing passes. Both can run draws or quick-hitting running plays. Westbrook certainly is the better player, but Booker is too dangerous for teams to ignore. Booker also is a threat when he is on the field as the only back. The Eagles can put three receivers and a tight end on the field with him. They could even put four receivers on the field with him. That would spread out the defense and allow Booker to get isolated with only one or two defenders, whether a run or pass play.

I mentioned Booker as an insurance policy. Take away Westbrook and the Eagles offense has to change. Neither Buckhalter nor Hunt has the ability to be much of a factor in the passing game. Buckhalter had 12 catches last year and Hunt has yet to catch a pass in the NFL. Each guy has been effective on screen passes in the past, but neither is the kind of receiver that Booker is.  Not only is Booker better at catching the ball, but he is more explosive after the catch. Last year, Buckhalter had three receptions of more than 11 yards while playing in the Eagles top-10 offense. Booker had three receptions of more than 18 yards while playing for the Dolphins mediocre offense. Get him the ball in space and he will make things happen.

Special teams coordinator Rory Segrest said that Booker will also get a chance at returning kickoffs. I think this would be a very wise move. Booker cuts well enough to make the initial tackler miss and then has the speed and acceleration to turn the play into a big gain. Booker is one of those players who you want to get touches because of his big-play ability. The Eagles struggled  last year in terms of average starting field position. Taking advantage of Booker's speed in the return game makes a lot of sense.

It occurred to me that the addition of Booker is also a compliment to the development of Westbrook as a runner. Westbrook came into the league as a mid-round pick who would primarily be a role player and punt/kick returner. He has developed into one of the top running backs in the entire NFL, a bona fide superstar. Booker now joins the team to take the role that Westbrook was brought here for back in 2002. That isn't an insult to Westbrook, as some reporter insinuated the other day. The Eagles can now feed the ball to Westbrook as much as they want on first and second down, knowing they have another player to come in and spell him in some passing situations.

I'm curious to see what Booker can do in 2008. I think the team would like to get him 10-12 touches a game, including kickoff returns. Reid loves versatile players and Booker is definitely that. He'll create some tough match-ups for opposing defenses. He also offers the kind of big-play ability off the bench that the Eagles have lacked since Westbrook became the go-to guy in the 2003 season. Fast, elusive players are always a welcome addition to an offense that needed help with big plays and scoring touchdowns. This was a really good move that has somewhat flown under the radar, but will pay big dividends in the upcoming season.