I’ll admit that I really couldn’t believe the “Brian Westbrook is going to get a new contract” rumors when they first started percolating a couple weeks ago.

Not because the 36 Chambers of Brian Westbrook doesn’t deserve a raise, mind you. My man crush on this topic is amply documented. It just didn’t seem like, ahem, the sort of thing that the Joe Banner administration was in the business of doing. That is, handing out new contracts to players who got new contracts two years ago.

But lo, the rumblings on the radio gave way to speculation in the blogosphere, and pretty soon the salaried classes of blathermonkeys were reporting said rumors as true! Talks have begun, they tell us.

I consider this to be awesome news for the following reasons:

1. I really like Brian Westbrook (this counts as a semi-legitimate reason).  He is the best player on the Eagles.  We should be investing in Westbrook cloning technologies. 

2. Unlike other RBs who have asked for more money in their late 20s, I cannot imagine a scenario where Brian Westbrook would respond to his extension by half-assing it for the remainder of his career (Shaun Alexander, take a bow!). Westbrook wants to win the games, and he actually plays his best in big games and demands the ball when the stakes are highest (see also, punt return against Seattle). So even if they pay him at 28, he’s coming to work every day and busting it until he can’t.

3. Brian Westbrook has a hyperbaric chamber. This makes him more durable. Or, um, something.

4.  I really liked Reuben Frank’s argument about how paying Westbrook is good PR for other free agents to come to Philly, especially in the wake of the team taking such a hard line with T.O.  This absolutely makes sense to me, and actually sets a nice precedent for future renegotiation requests (in that Westbrook sets a pretty high bar). 

In conclusion, Brian Westbrook is awesome and I hope he gets paid.  He can have Kearse’s extra money.