Lorenzo Booker starts fast [Philadelphia Inquirer]  — The Lorenzo Booker trade thrilled me from the start.  I don’t know how many people are familiar with his college career, but when I watched his Florida State games two seasons ago, I was always paying attention to him.  Every time he got the ball, he had a chance to take it to the house.  His ability to get yards after the catch is uncanny.  So far, Booker’s talent and level of preparation in camp is being raved about.  Not only does Booker fit in perfectly in the Eagles’ system, not only will he be able to take some pressure off Westbrook, but he has a great attitude that Eagles fans love.  You have to love quotes like this:

I’m a perfectionist.  I expect to go out there and when you tell me something once, I get it right. I just love the game. I love to play football. I’m not a guy that can go out there and jog through stuff. To me, there is no halfway. Going full speed and working hard is the only thing I know how to do.  You want to always get used to finishing a play or breaking a long run because you never know in the course of a game when it’s going to happen.

Big tackle has big name, big hopes [Philadelphia Inquirer] — King Dunlap was a great low-risk, high-reward draft pick.  Dunlap was a pre-season All-American and could have been taken in the one of the top two round this draft, but he lost his starting spot his senior year because of some injuries and his draft stock plummeted.  Dunlap ended up being the 35th tackle taken in the draft. Despite a poor senior season, you have to be intrigued with his physical assets and credentials: 6’8″, 310 pounds, size-18 shoes, 5.0 40-yard-dash (that’s fast for a tackle — Jake Long ran a 5.23, Ryan Clady ran a 5.2), 225-pound bench press 20 times, and a very good Wonderlic score.  Give him two or three years behind Tra Thomas and I’m sure he’ll pan out just fine with the Eagles.

Offensive tackle Justice has something to prove [Philadelphia Inquirer] — Justice is ready to prove wrong all the critics who say that he has no heart/fight/fire/bite.

Still Excited About the LBs… [Iggles Blog]  — A bit of pessimism/criticism to relax all the praise that is thrown to the Eagles young linebacking corps.  I happen to love the Eagles linebackers.  They’re young, have a ton of talent, and should continue improving.  Gaither will move to the WILL where he will be able to utilize his athleticism more.  I’m expecting big things from Stewart Bradley in the middle — he made a statement at the end of the season and was drawing comparisons to Brian Urlacher.  Gocong should only keep getting more comfortable in his role on the strong side.  Interesting article nonetheless.

Bryan Smith Buys Food, Gains Weight [Bleeding Green Nation] — I was a little worried about Smith’s small size (231 lbs. at the combine, 243 lbs. right now) as a DE, but Smith says that he could barely afford to buy food in college since D-II athletes get about half the amount of scholarship checks that D-I athletes get.  They get $438 a month and once you deduct money for rent, utilities, and other expenses, you’re not left with a whole lot of money to feed a 240-pound athlete.  Smith has the frame to pack on weight and he should be able to get up to 250 pounds.

Getting To Know Joe Mays [Inside the Iggles] — Joe Mays looks like he could be a beast on the field.  He’s short and stocky, so he has some problems changing direction, but he’s a downhill player, a tackling machine, and he does a great job at shredding blocks.  It seems like Joe Mays is a guy that the Eagles could use in the middle on running downs to stuff the line.  He may get a roster spot if he proves to be a valuable asset on special teams.

Sizing Up Some Prime Roster Battles [Dave Spadaro]  — It’s already pretty clear who will make the 53-man roster.  The only real question marks are what runningbacks won’t make the roster and whether the Eagles go with Jason Davis or Dan Klecko at fullback.

Lito Sheppard lining up as a wide receiver? [Yardbarker] — I don’t see the point of that when you have DeSean Jackson, but sure, why not?

Will the Ravens bring the return of Freddie Mitchell? [Bleeding Green Nation] — The Ravens have worked out “The People’s Champ” Fred Ex.

Eagles getting some love [Iggles Blog]  — According to Iggles Blog, Vegas gives the Eagles the 6th-best odds to win the Super Bowl.  By my count, the Eagles have the 10th-best odds to win the Super Bowl.  The Jaguars, Steelers, Browns, and Saints are all ahead of the Birds.  The Eagles odds to win the Super Bowl are currently 25-1 on sportsbook.com.

Eagles defense ready to soar [Sporting News] — Nothing we don’t already know.  On paper, this defense looks as good as ever.

5 teams that could surprise [ESPN - Matt Mosley] — Here is what Matt has to write on the Eagles:

Even in the very talented NFC East, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles staying down for long. Andy Reid didn’t suddenly become a bad coach and he still has a very talented roster. Keeping quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook healthy always is going to be a challenge, but the Eagles will be contenders if McNabb and Westbrook can stay on the field. Reid firmly believes Lorenzo Booker, acquired in a trade with Miami, can help lighten Westbrook’s load.

Wide receiver remains an issue, but the Eagles drafted DeSean Jackson to try to give McNabb another playmaker. Reid’s had a rough couple of years, dealing with family issues and the saga of former Philadelphia receiver Terrell Owens. But when Reid has the time to just focus on coaching, he’s as good as anyone in the game.