The Eagles were just one touchdown shy of advancing to the Super Bowl in 2001, losing at St. Louis by five points in the conference championship game, and Philadelphia spent the offseason attempting to finagle a way of closing the gap. That the Eagles believe the road to the NFL championship goes through the Gateway Arch was most obvious in the draft, when coach Andy Reid used each of his first three selections on defensive backs, in large part to help defend the Rams' four-wide receiver sets.

This is a young Philadelphia team, one where president and chief operating officer Joe Banner has done a masterful job of keeping open the window of opportunity by signing players to timely contract extensions, but it remains to be seen if this is the year the club matures into a champion. The Eagles clearly are on the championship road, but would prefer it to be a fast track and not a two-lane highway.

If there is a question that repeated itself during the offseason it was whether the Eagles had done enough to overtake the Rams. The team lost three defensive starters, including middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, the unit's most valuable player, and the underrated Jim Johnson will coordinate a group that still must stop the run more effectively to reach its goal of a Super Bowl appearance.

Another season of maturation should further catapult quarterback Donovan McNabb even higher into the elite group of playmakers at the position. But teams frequently found ways to keep McNabb bottled up on the pocket last season and he must continue to improve his accuracy, particularly in the short and intermediate areas.

Where will this bring the Eagles?

	CAMP AT A GLANCE
	Duce Staley rushed for only 604 yards last season.
	Location: Lehigh, Bethlehem, Pa. Rookies report: July 26 Veterans report: July 29 Preseason schedule:    Aug. 10: Green Bay    Aug. 17: at Arizona    Aug. 23: Baltimore    Aug. 30: at N.Y. Jets

Only if they have divined a way to beat the Rams will the Eagles advance beyond the NFC championship game again. The Rams aren't necessarily an obsession in Philly, but more like a reality. Most observers acknowledge that Philadelphia is probably the second best team in the conference, but the Eagles have to find a way to top the Rams, and the best way appears to be with their aggressive, blitzing defense.

Johnson is a master at bringing rushers from exotic angles, sometimes even blitzing both cornerbacks at the same time. And if the Eagles don't collect a lot of sacks, they certainly put more hits on league quarterbacks than any other NFL defense, and are opportunistic and takeaway oriented.

In a division that has been dramatically weakened over the past three seasons, the Eagles should dominate, and capture a second straight crown. This team, however, has a bigger prize in mind.

Man in the spotlight
The Philadelphia hierarchy will deny it, especially in light of the season-ending knee injury Correll Buckhalter sustained in a minicamp, but this was the summer that the club was set to throw in the towel on tailback Duce Staley. At the combine sessions, Eagles brass spoke with the Miami Dolphins about a Staley trade, and several other franchises were approached as well.

Obviously, the Buckhalter injury altered those plans and ensure Staley the starting job. But it also made him a marked man since, nearly two years removed now from a broken foot, he must again assume the role of running game workhorse. The recently acquired Dorsey Levens is just a 10-20 snap "spot" player at this point in his career and, even if Philadelphia coaches like what they have seen so far of third-rounder Brian Westbrook, the productivity of the rushing game is one Staley's shoulders. In 1999, he rushed for 1,273 yards and appeared to be an emerging star. This year, he must re-emerge, and re-establish himself as the centerpiece of the Eagles offense.

Key position battle
In his 2001 rookie season, first-round draft choice Freddie Mitchell caught a paltry 21 passes, scored a measly one touchdown, and earned the disdain of some veterans on the team with his know-it-all attitude. This season, Mitchell will vie with third-year veteran Todd Pinkston (42 receptions for 586 yards in 2001), for the starting spot opposite the surprising James Thrash.

No offense to Trash, who was thrust into the lead receiver role in 2001 and responded with career bests in catches (63), receiving yards (833) and touchdowns (eight), but the Eagles need a true No. 1 wideout. Mitchell clearly has the tools, notably a burst after the catch and the toughness to navigate through traffic, to claim the role. Reid has said in the offseason that Mitchell is a different player this year. We'll find out in training camp.

One other battle that bears watching is the fight for the starting job at defensive left end, between incumbent Brandon Whiting and young Derrick Burgess. A second-year pro, Burgess is a potentially explosive upfield rusher, a guy a little off-center who will play hard every snap but must bulk up a bit.

Injury update
Obviously, the loss of Buckhalter, who will not return until 2003, is a tragic one for the Eagles, who felt he could supplant Staley as the starter this season. The surgeons feel that Buckhalter will make a complete recovery, but that won't help in 2002. The only other major injury confronting the Eagles is a broken foot defensive tackle Hollis Thomas suffered late in the season. Chances are that the Eagles will take it easy on the squat Thomas at the outset of camp.

Rookie report
There was no mistaking Reid's intentions when he grabbed cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown with his first and third picks, respectively, and safety Michael Lewis with the second. Sheppard is a talented ballhawk, one who possesses better hands than many NFL wide receivers. But the guy in this trio who might most quickly break into the lineup is Lewis.

The Eagles lost starting strong safety Damon Moore to a severe knee injury in the NFC title game and subsequently decided not to tender him a qualifying offer. The club signed the venerable Blaine Bishop to replace Moore, but the former Tennessee star has not yet returned to 100 percent after battling injuries much of last season. That could put Lewis, a big hitter with limited speed but who likes to play close to the line of scrimmage, into the position of logging extended playing time.

Westbrook has a chance to win the third-down tailback job but the surprise of minicamps has been defensive end Raheem Brock, a seventh-round pick from Temple.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.