To understand the Brian Westbrook contract mess the Eagles and their best player have gotten themselves into, you have to go back to 2005.

Westbrook was a restricted free agent going into that season, signed his one-year tender, held out at the start of training camp, finally reported, and was given an extension -- Sunday, Nov. 6. That was the night of a loss to the Washington Redskins which dropped the Eagles to 4-4 on the way to a 6-10 season.