By: CHRIS McPHERSON
And then there was one.
Defensive end Victor Abiamiri
and running back Nate Ilaoa each agreed to terms on four-year deals Sunday. With Ilaoa and Abiamiri in the fold, the only Eagles draft pick who remains unsigned is the team's first - quarterback Kevin Kolb - with the rookies and selected veterans scheduled to report to Lehigh University on Friday for the start of training camp.
Abiamiri was the second of the Eagles' two second-round picks in April's draft out of Notre Dame. The 6-foot-4, 267-pound end racked up 10.5 sacks last season which was the second-highest single-season total in the illustrious school's history. For the second straight season, Abiamiri was honored as Notre Dame's defensive lineman of the year.
The Eagles expect a strong rotation at defensive end this season with the return of three-time Pro Bowl honoree Jevon Kearse, who missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury. Opposite of Kearse, third-year man Trent Cole will battle Darren Howard, last year's big-ticket free agent signing, for the starting right end spot. The Eagles re-signed Juqua Thomas who had a career high six sacks last season and also have former first-round pick Jerome McDougle.
During the spring minicamps, Cole was amazed at the size that Abiamiri brings to the rotation. Abiamiri believes that is a part of his game which will allow him to be an all-around defensive end.
"I think I have a good combination of size, speed and power that lets me be versatile enough to be an every down defensive end," said Abiamiri. "I can play the run, pass and you don't have to take me off the field in any situation."
Coming from a high-profile school like Notre Dame and playing against the top collegiate competition, Abiamiri has "high expectations" of himself. Despite the names and experience that are in front of him, Abiamiri's goal is to be an immediate contributor his rookie year. The fact that he will be in training camp on time reflects that desire.
"I am going to go in ready to compete and learn from the older guys," said Abiamiri. "Hopefully, I will see the field on Sundays."
Ilaoa, a seventh-round pick from Hawaii, was one of two running backs selected by the Eagles in the 2007 draft, Tony Hunt from Penn State was drafted in the third round. The 5-foot-9, 245-pound Ilaoa earned All-WAC honors as a senior rushing for 990 yards and scoring 18 total touchdowns (13 rushing, 5 receiving). Able to catch the ball out of the backfield, important for the Eagles offense which often uses the running back in the passing game, Ilaoa set a single-season school record for a running back with 67 receptions and 837 receiving yards.
When Ilaoa was drafted, he said his role at Hawaii was very similar to Brian Westbrook's role in Philadelphia.
"The type of formations that Philadelphia runs and the things that they use, as far as their running backs go, kind of compare to what we do here," said Ilaoa. "Somebody as versatile as Westbrook is, they like to utilize him in so many different ways, and that's the same case here in Hawaii."
The Eagles have five running backs on the roster - Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, Ryan Moats, Hunt and Ilaoa. Four running backs were kept on the original 53-man roster last season at the end of training camp. At 245 pounds, Ilaoa is the biggest running back on the team's roster.
Nicknamed "Nasti" for his style of running, Ilaoa ranked 12th in Division I-A with 139.5 all-purpose yards per game in 2006, and his all-purpose yardage total (1,827) was the third best single-season total in school history.
Ilaoa finished his career as the school's all-time leader among running backs in receptions (151) and receiving yards (1,694), while ranking fourth in all-purpose yards (3,383) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (20).
The 24-year-old Ilaoa was a two-time all-state, all-region, all-area, all-district and all-league selection at North Stafford High School in Stafford, Va. His father, Filipo, served in the Marines as he and his four brothers and two sisters have lived in California, Utah, Oklahoma, Missouri, Virginia and Hawaii.
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