Lorenzo Booker

By: JOE DOLAN of philadelphiaeagle.com

While Westbrook's load in past seasons – he's entering his seventh - hasn't been nearly that of former MVPs Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk, whose stats plummeted as the bruises multiplied in the twilights of their careers, the Eagles don't want to take their chances.

Enter <a onmouseover="ShowNewsLinks(link_text[4]); return false;" onmouseout="htm();" href="http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?STORY_ID=15632#"> Lorenzo Booker, whom the Eagles acquired from Miami for a fourth-round pick in April's NFL Draft.

Much more a doppelganger than the complementary hit-absorbing big back players like Westbrook traditionally have as a cushion, Booker has a knack for the pass-catching and shiftiness that make Westbrook such a threat, and the second-year back has a fresher set of legs.

Booker saw quite a few reps in the spring workouts, and he's mirroring Westbrook – lining up as a lone setback, tailing a fullback or running routes from the slot. The idea seems to be allowing Westbrook to get a little extra rest while not drastically changing the gameplan for head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

"We're just trying to get more speed on the field. Give the defense a lot of different things they have to cover, a lot of different things they have to worry about," Westbrook said. "Lorenzo brings a big-play capability as well to the field. He's very fast, very shifty, has very good hands. We're just trying to put more playmakers on the field at the same time."

Not only does Booker provide an adequate substitution for Westbrook, he could create a calamity for linebackers. Overthinking on the defensive side of the ball is a possibility, with having to worry about both Westbrook and Booker running patterns into the flats or across the middle. As is often the case with the West Coast offense, deception is the key.