With Brian Westbrook's impending surgery (he'll have it on Friday) to clean up bone spurs around his ankle, that leaves the Eagles awfully thin at running back.

I talked to an Eagles coach last night -- well, we traded texts -- and they don't seem overly concerned. They have been down this road with Westbrook before, and as I wrote yesterday, they like what they have seen from rookie LeSean McCoy so far.

Fine. But with Lorenzo Booker as the only other back on the roster, there is a need for help. if the reports are true that Westbrook might be out until well into the preseason, or possibly right before the regular season, you'd have to think the team would go for a veteran option as insurance.

So what do they need? I would say they need a back who can handle two things -- inside running and pass blocking. That's probably their biggest shortcoming with a gimpy Westbrook and no proven third-down back. McCoy is said to be a work in progress in terms of his pass blocking.

Of the free-agent options available at running back, and there are many, it might be tempting to say that Edgerrin James or Deuce McAllister.

But believe it or not, I think someone like Michael Pittman -- the ultimate do-it-all guy -- would be a great fit, even at 33 (34 in August). He'd be more like Dorsey Levens, who played for Andy Reid in two stints in 2002 and '04. Pittman has played in a West Coast system before and would be a pinch hitter in any role they needed, even at fullback. I don't think players such as Ahman Green or Warrick Dunn would be as great of fits. Green almost has to be in a zone-blocking system, and Dunn might be too similar in size to McCoy and Booker.

Who should they sign? Or should they stand pat?