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It was no surprise that Trent Cole got off to a hot start this season.

Cole has made a habit of fast starts throughout his three-year career. In his rookie season of 2005, he picked up five sacks in his first eight games. He finished with five. In 2006, he picked up five sacks in his first three games, and eight in his first ten. He finished with eight.

For Cole, the hard part wasn't picking up nine sacks in his first seven games of 2007. The hard part was not allowing the rigors of an NFL season to eat into his production in the second half, and for the first time in his career, he didn't.

Cole overcame a five-game sack drought in the middle of the season to notch 12.5 total sacks in 2007, solidifying his place as one of the most dangerous young pass rushers in the NFC. It took three years, but the once undersized tweener out of Cincinnati is beginning to get the credit he deserves.

He was voted MVP of the defense by his Eagles teammates, and finished fourth in the NFC Pro Bowl voting among defensive ends, making him the first alternate for the game. Maybe most impressive though, is how Cole - who weighed less than 240 pounds when the Eagles selected him in the fifth round of the 2005 draft - has transformed himself into an all-purpose end who can play the run nearly as well as he can rush the quarterback.

Cole finished with 103 tackles in 2007, and he and defensive tackle Mike Patterson became the first pair of Eagles' defensive linemen to record 100-plus tackles since 1991.

Still, Cole's forte is getting after opposing passers, and he was a consistently disruptive presence in the backfield even in games in which he didn't record a sack. Despite adding more than 30 pounds to his frame since being drafted, Cole has not lost any of his explosiveness, and that, combined with his incredible motor, make him a handful for opposing tackles.

He - like the Eagles as a whole - was dominant in the blowout of Detroit, and he recorded a career high 3.5 sacks and forced a fumble. Five weeks later, Cole put on a clinic against Minnesota, picking up two sacks, 13 tackles and NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Maybe the most encouraging sign of Cole's development came in his two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams. In the first game, a disheartening 38-17 loss, Cole was a non-factor, and Adams used his massive size and strength to manhandle the smaller defensive end.

In the past, Cole's play has begun to drop off as the wear and tear of an NFL season takes its toll on his body, but the second time Cole faced Adams, it was a completely different story. Cole used his speed to give Adams fits, and his one sack, forced fumble, and consistent pressure on quarterback Tony Romo played a huge role in forcing three interceptions and securing a 10-6 win for the Eagles.

It was a sign that Cole had turned the corner and become a top-flight defensive end who can put together a quality 16-game season. Big things will be expected of Cole next year, and as one of the emerging leaders on a young defense, he will be looking to take it one step further with 19 quality games in 2008 instead of 16.

- JUSTIN KUNKEL

NOTE: PhiladelphiaEagles.com will not profile players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

I love everything about the way Cole approaches the game. He is diligent in his film study and has really become a student of how to attack from his defensive end position. Cole has quickly become a force who is a complete defensive end. He is tireless and he clearly loves playing the game.

In the big picture, the Eagles need to add a piece or two more around Cole. If teams are going to double team Cole, somebody else has to step forward. That hasn't always been the case, but look for the Eagles to try to add some help up front in the off-season.

Cole is a great story. He was a fifth-round pick who is now one of the better ends in the league. It is no accident. You get out of something what you put into it, and Cole has been all about hard work and dedication to his craft. He is the next great Eagles defensive end very early in his career.