EAGLES WILL BE GREAT IN '08

Trent Cole has made himself at home in Honolulu. The Pro Bowl defensive end is an outdoors fanatic and he's been able to spend time tuna fishing and hog hunting in the days leading up to Sunday's Pro Bowl (4:30 PM (EST), FOX). "I'm having a great time out here," said Cole is at his first career Pro Bowl along with fellow Eagles teammates Shawn Andrews and Brian Westbrook. "It's nice to know that you're among the best and that you're considered one of the best in the NFL. It's a good environment out here. I see it as a big reunion. Everybody comes out here at the end of the season to celebrate the wonderful year that everyone had." DE Trent Cole Cole did plenty of hunting on the football field this past season. He finished sixth in the NFL with a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2007, the most by an Eagle since High Douglas hit that same total in 2002. In the NFC, he was fourth in sacks behind Seattle's Patrick Kerney (14.5), Dallas' DeMarcus Ware (14) and New York's Osi Umenyiora (13). Cole also finished with 103 tackles as he and defensive tackle Mike Patterson became the first pair of Eagles defensive linemen to record 100-or-more tackles since the Gang Green defense of Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, Reggie White and Mike Pitts in 1991. At first, however, Cole's amazing season was not enough for a ticket to the Pro Bowl. Kerney, Umenyiora and Green Bay's Aaron Kampman were the three defensive ends on the original Pro Bowl roster. But when Kerney bowed out of the all-star event to have shoulder surgery, Cole was given Kerney's roster spot. Cole may not yet be a household name, but he's well respected in league circles. He's been told many times over the past few days how he was the one guy opposing offenses keyed on stopping. While Cole is happy with the success he has had over his first three NFL seasons (his 25.5 sacks ranks 15th in franchise history), he wants to be able to enjoy what one of his Pro Bowl teammates savored just a week ago. Umenyiora's Giants capped off an improbable run to the Super Bowl title by winning four playoff games away from home including the upset of the New England Patriots in the title tilt. The Giants sacked Patriots Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady five times and held them to a season-low 14 points in a 17-14 win. The obvious question is whether the Eagles have the pieces to potentially duplicate the Giants' success in 2008? "I think there's a lot of things that our team can do that we don't realize we can do yet," said Cole. "Our team is growing. We had a young team last year, but I think we got past the young phase and you saw at the end of last year how guys stepped up and did a great job. I think our team is going to be great this year." But first things first, there is a game to be played on Sunday. There may not be a shiny Lombardi Trophy on the line, but Cole still wants to come away with a win. "There's an MVP award on the line," said Cole.