Any Reid finally got the memo to run the ball and look at what happened.  Brian Westbrook had 4 TD’s.  Of course the Cardinals defense isn’t anything close to the Ravens defense, but I’m just saying that Donovan McNabb is only as good as his running game.

I, among most others, threw Donovan McNabb under the bus after the Bengals game.  Four turnovers in that game, another three turnovers to boot in Baltimore.  That’s seven turnovers in seven quarters of football.

Was it all Donovan’s fault?  No.  The playcalling was terrible, the offensive line played poorly, the Eagles had no running game, and the wide receivers were dropping passes and not getting open.  That still doesn’t take away the fact that Donovan McNabb should have won that game against the 23rd ranked defense. That was the worst game from McNabb that I have ever witnessed.  Balls were thrown right to defenders, balls were thrown right into the ground 20 feet shy of a receiver.  Balls were thrown 15 feet over receivers heads.  Donovan was terrible.

Things didn’t improve much the next week at Baltimore and Andy decided to light a fire under McNabb’s ass to get him playing better.  If McNabb still played at this poor level, there’s a young guy that we drafted #1 that we could throw in there.

The McNabb I saw against the Cardinals is someone I haven’t seen play all season long.  He wasn’t the careless player who laughs when he makes a terrible throw.  He had a little hustle in his step.  Instead of being a statute in the pocket like he has been most of the year, he actually tried moving around a little bit and look at the results.  McNabb finally played like his job was on the line.  If there’s anything positive that came out of the benching of McNabb it’s that the pressure of losing his job is making him play with more passion and pride.  That’s something that should have been in his head from the start.

Do I still want Kevin Kolb as the QB of this team?  Let’s look at the facts.  Yes, McNabb was incredible in 2004, but we can’t keep living in the past.  It’s 2008 going into 2009 and since 2004, McNabb has suffered two very serious injuries, is now 32, has gained a bit of weight, has lost his best asset (his mobility), and hasn’t had a single season that’s close to earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl.

I’m willing to give Kevin Kolb a mulligan.  Andy Reid threw him to the wolves.  He had to go in  relatively unprepared against the NFL’s best defense.  If you expected him to go in there and play like Joe Montana, that’s delusional.  Kolb made two bad interceptions and a critical one in the endzone, but let’s give Ed Reed a bit of credit.  He is the best safety in the NFL and if I was playing Madden and saw Reggie Brown come across the endzone, I probably would have made the same call.  Throughout that drive, Kolb was looking sharp and looked like he had a good grasp of the West Coast Offense.  Kolb throws a very nice ball, he’s more mobile, but his decision making is obviously poor due to inexperience.  I don’t think he’s going to end up being a bust.  Kolb will be a very good player one day.

The Bottom Line: The Eagles are 6-5-1, which is last place in the NFC East, and unless they win every single game on the remainder of their schedule, they will not make the playoffs, something that McNabb has gotten to since 2004.  Remember who the QB was the last time the Eagles made the playoffs?  That would be Jeff Garcia.  McNabb: 5-5.  Garcia: 5-1.  Garcia clinched a playoff spot, beat the Giants in the first round, and then lost to the Saints in the next round.  The Saints loss wasn’t Garcia’s fault.  He played great.  The Eagles run defense lost that game.  If the 2008 Eagles defense played on that 2006 team, the Eagles could have played the Colts in the Super Bowl.

I’m tired of McNabb costing us a playoff spot season after season.  McNabb plays very good at times, but performances like last night are few and far between.  Westbrook won that game for the Eagles, not McNabb.  Unless McNabb can miraculously get the Eagles a playoff spot, the Eagles need to go in a new direction.  I still love McNabb.  He’s given us many great memories, but let me define insanity to you.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  McNabb hasn’t led the Eagles to the playoffs since 2004 and his time is running out.  The Eagles need to take a new direction and that means a change at QB and at head coach.

If the above statement were true, then I would have to conclude that the majority of Eagles fans who wish to have Donovan McNabb benched are idiots. If you people who hate on #5 have anything to be thankful about this Thanksgiving, it should be that you were blessed to have on your team, one of the most revered and dominant QBs to play in the NFL in the past 25 years. In his 10^th season as lead Bird, D-Nice still throws nearly 32 times a game to horrendous receivers, and until recently, puts up jaw dropping numbers. What we as true Eagle fans should be doing is orchestrating a coup to overthrow the Eagles front office and management. I, along with hopefully some of you, have been kicking and screaming for the front office goons to sign a #1 wide receiver (or at least a #2) since the beginning of the season. If you as a reasonable, logical and rational Eagles fan can’t see how the absence of a #1 wide receiver is the single most destructive variable in the Eagles demise over the past 4 years, then you are nothing short of delusional. In 2004, with the help of just one big time wide-out (who will remain anonymous) McNabb was able to pass for more than 30 TDs on nearly 4,000 yds passing with a ridiculous passer rating of 104.7. Both Donovan and the anonymous wide out thrived and put up career numbers since both were the key ingredients in catalyzing the infamous Eagles heavily pass oriented west coast offense we still use to this day.

So you see my friends, the problem does not lie with our franchise QB, it lies with the front office final decision makers. I am insulted that Donovan McNabb was benched last Sunday, I’m insulted that my friend, colleague, and co-owner of this site wrote some anti-McNabb article and then went ahead and posted it, and most of all I’m insulted that the front office of my team stands steadfast to their commitment to sign players like Greg Lewis year after year, while shutting the door on available #1 receivers. I don’t buy the, “We offered him a contract” excuse anymore when I know for a fact that we can offer/buy any receiver with the shat-load of money the Eagles can currently allocate.

“GET ME A RECEIVER OR GIVE ME DEATH IN THE FORM OF KEVIN KOLB”

– Jay Vaidya

McNabb added a new blog over at Yardbarker.  This is in his own words on the team that he faces this Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens (in Baltimore):

The Ravens are a good team. Their defense has a number of Pro Bowl players like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs and they are playing at a high level again this season. They are tough against the pass and even stronger against the run. John Harbaugh is a great coach and has helped them turn things around and restore their confidence. I remember as a rookie having to run the scout team for special teams. John’s practices were always organized and instructive, but they were also fun. I’m not surprised at all that he has the Ravens playing so well.

Translation: Don’t hate me and try to run me out of this town if I lose against the Ravens.

During Donovan McNabb’s press conference, I thought that he would admit that he had a long night of taking shots of Patron with the boys at the local strip joint, but instead, his lame excuse for his performance was that he didn’t know the game could end in a tie.  Please, if you can’t beat the Bengals in 75 minutes when your defense gives you every opportunity to win the game, you don’t deserve to play in the NFL.  Period.

The ride is over.  We were fooled into believing that McNabb will resurrect his career after finally getting healthy again.  We were wrong.  McNabb doesn’t have it anymore.  He is a washed-up has-been.

Just look at the stats.  Since the bye week: 53.8 completion percentage, 6 TDs, 5 INTs.

Don’t give me this McNabb just had one bad game talk.  The only time that we see a brilliant performance from McNabb is when he’s playing the Rams or Lions.  Those games don’t count.  When McNabb faces any middle-of-the-pack defense, he struggles.

This team needs to take a new direction.  It’s time to fire Andy Reid.  If we could have only fired him last year and promoted John Harbaugh, we would be in pretty good shape.  It’s time to trade McNabb for whatever we can salvage.  And it’s time for the Kevin Kolb era to begin.  Begin it now!

Do you think we can get a 4th-round pick from the Lions for McNabb this offseason?

Let the Bill Cowher rumors begin!

Fourteen. Fourteen freaking dropped balls. That is almost 3 dropped passes a game. That means 2-3 at Week 6. So, am I surprised? No, and here’s why.

The Eagles front office has set this team up for disaster. By bringing back Donovan McNabb for this season, the Eagles basically told the whole league, “We are going to throw the football”. What the Eagles didn’t do, however, is go out and get somebody for McNabb to throw the ball to (a la any #1 wide receiver and/or any other TE other than LJ Smith). So now Eagles fans are basically stuck watching a form of two plays on offense. Either, (A) our sub-par wide receivers get covered and/or drop balls, or (B) we watch 12th string RB turned FB, Tony Hunt, create phantom holes for our runningbacks to not run through. On the defensive side, Eagles fans also watch a form of two plays. On one hand, we watch the opposing runningback, who always has the luxury of a real NFL FB as well as a TE who blocks, run for 100+ yds (I don’t need to hear that bull of us leading the league in run defense anymore…seriously, how long will that last?) or, we can all watch a real NFL TE catch (“catch” being the keyword here) for 100+ yds and set up camp in the middle of our defense, because for some reason we don’t like to cover the TE…ever!

The front office and Andy Reid should be ashamed of themselves not only for the play calling gaffes and the ridiculous roster decisions (I mean, I think we all could have done without Greg Lewis this year), but also for not realizing the urgency to get a #1 WR.  The days of coasting through the NFC East and getting into the NFC Championship with WRs like Stinkston and Trash are over.  Every NFC East team has tooled up and now all have what we in Philly crave, a legit wide receiver and a TE (oh yeah, they also have a FB).  The Cowgirls have Owens and Witten, the VaGiants have Burress and Boss, and the Redskins (don’t have a clever name for them…yet) have Moss/Randle-El and Cooley. To have a team like our Eagles, that is so dependant on the pass, not have a premier WR, is nothing short of infuriating.  Its absolutely despicable, not to mention a slap in every Eagles fans face, to be the laughing stock of the NFC East at the end of Week 5, when simple moves in the off season could have made Philadelphia “Title Town, USA” with both a World Series and a Super Bowl under our belts. It’s just awful.

– Jay Vaidya (Please feel free to comment and vent your anger as well)

Although the Eagles lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10 in last night’s meaningless preseason opener, there were still many positives that the Birds could walk away with from the contest.  For starters, our franchise quarterback, Donovan McNabb looked stellar in his limited action throwing for 97 yards on 10-13 passing.  We all know that #5 throws a great deep ball, but I must say that I was much more impressed by his accuracy on the shorter routes.  As a result of Donovan’s confidence in himself and his receivers, the Eagles offense scored 10 points in their first two drives downfield (28 yd FG-David Akers, 3-yd TD Jason Davis).

Another plus was the superb play of the Eagles first-round draft pick DeSean Jackson.  Jackson had 5 catches for 51 yards, his longest catch being a 19 yd reception, including the phenomenal grab shown in the video below this story.  DeSean also saw limited action on special teams where he returned 3 punts for a dismal 3 yards.  I look to see more from the rookie out of California in the return game in the second preseason game at Carolina on August 14th.

Coming into the game I was looking at four important components that the Eagles needed to impress me on in order for them to regain the NFC East dominance which we are all used to just two seasons ago.

1)      QB Play

2)      RB Play (besides B-West)

3)      Special Teams play

4)      Lineman Play (in protection and rush)

In all four of these categories, the Eagles did not disappoint.

– Although AJ Feeley had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds when he overthrew an open Kris Wilson in the end-zone, the overall QB play of all three QBs was satisfactory [McNabb 10-13 (97yds), Kolb 12-21 (81yds), Feeley 6-14 (51 yds)].

– As it was reported here by my colleague Zach Zawarski, Brian Westbrook got his lucrative new deal.  The details listed in this 52-page draft were so intricate however, that B-West was sidelined the first two quarters so that he had a chance to look over and understand the entire contract alongside Joe Banner.  This gave Eagles fans the chance to watch Correll Buckhalter, Lorenzo Booker, Tony Hunt, and Ryan Moats in action.  Buckhalter and Booker looked impressive and seem to be great compliments to the best running back and possibly best player in the league, Brian Westbrook.  Tony Hunt proved he can be relied on to gain 1 or 2 yards in the trenches when called upon.  Ryan Moats, who is trying very hard to make this Eagles team, played well and with a lot of heart.  Reluctantly, I must say that I just don’t see Moats making this year’s team.  His play on the field was more of an audition to showcase to other NFL teams scouts his ability to play, rather than for Eagles coaches and management.  I wish Ryan well, but I stand behind my opinion that there just is no room for him on this year’s roster.

– Special Teams dropped only one ball (L. Booker still gained positive yards) during returns yesterday, but atleast didn’t turn the ball over to the Steelers.  This in itself is definitely an improvement from last year when the Eagles were plagued by turnovers in the return game.  In addition, David “Moneyfoot” Akers should no signs of an ailing hamstring and looked to be in Pro-Bowl form.  Also, Sav Rocca punted the ball well.

–The lineman on both sides of the ball looked great.  In addition to Trent Cole, I was impressed by Jerome McDougle.  He seemed aggressive and made his presence felt at Heinz Field.  RG Max Jean-Gilles subbed in for Pro-Bowl G Shawn Andrews and also played very well.

–  Jay Vaidya

———————————————————————————–

Preseason Game 1 Injury Notes:

–CB Asante Samuel DNP (Hamstring)

–WR Reggie Brown DNP (Achilles)

–G Shawn Andrews DNP (Depression)

From the Desk of Jay Vaidya

I purposely arrived late at camp today (around 8:30am) so that  I could go through the trials and tribulations of parking far away and making the long walk with other Eagle fans to the Lehigh practice field.  Today, Saturday July 26th, marked the first day that the entire Eagle team (including RB Brian Westbrook and CB Lito Sheppard) practiced in full contact drills in front of more than 15,000 passionate and die hard Eagle fans.  As I sauntered through the crowds making my way to the main practice field where the offense was going through some drills, I stopped and talked to some of the Philly faithful about their thoughts on this glorious day.  “I’m here with my boys to finally see some hitting.  We have all waited long enough to see some football,” said Dave of Wilmington, DE.  The nest was surely a buzz. Angela from Philadelphia added, “This is my first year ever coming to camp.  It reminds me of a Woodstock-like concert.  There are so many people here.  My boys and husband are happy that they are able to see some of the new players on the team.  This Eagles camp is probably the best professional training camp in the country.  Don’t you think?”

Angela could not have been more right in her assessment of Eagle camp.  Eagles training camp is not probably, but definitively the best NFL camp in the nation.  Where else can you find passionate fans in the tens of thousands, driving up to 5 hours from their homes in places such as Virginia Beach (VA), Wilmington (DE), Lancaster (PA), Harrisburg PA), etc. just to see some guys they cheer for on weekends practice?  I mean…we’re talking about practice.  Not the game, not the game….but practice.  (Thanks again for those words A.I., you are truly missed)

The first thing I saw as I reached the stands to watch the actual practice was Donovan McNabb throwing a dart across the middle to a cutting Hank Baskett in stride for a 15 yard gain.  McNabb looked great and poised, and so did this year’s probable receiving corps of Kevin Curtis, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, as well as new comers DeSean Jackson, Shaheer McBride, and Bam Childress.  Not only that, but our secondary looked great as well.  Led by Brian Dawkins, the corners and safeties also put in great work picking off and deflecting numerous passes from our QBs (this is not to say that the QBs played poorly).  For example J.R. Reed made a great read on a McNabb to Curtis route and jumped the route to pick of Donovan and take the ball back 20 yards.  This play was then immediately followed up by a delayed handoff to Brian Westbrook, who received a clamorous cheer from the gallery as soon as he touched the ball.  B-West was cutting and weaving past the linebackers and headed directly for the secondary before he decided to get out of bounds on many of his touches.  What followed was truly amazing.  Fans began to stand and yell comments from the gallery such as “Don’t worry Brian, we will pay you”, “Don’t hold out on us Brian”, “We need you Brian”, and “We love you Brian” for about 3 minutes after his 7 second run.  This got me thinking.  Should the media saturate the airwaves with talk of holdouts by Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook (as once reported here by me) along with contract disputes, rather than talk about other more pressing issues (i.e. what to make of an offense who struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone) surrounding the team and the players who are content with their roles on the 2008 Eagle squad.  So, to get an idea of what Eagle nation thought about this issue I decided to ask some fans for their thoughts on the subject and then relay their thoughts to you the reader.  What I found was that there were two schools of thought regarding this matter.  On one hand we had Eagle fans that were fed up and disgusted with the media who at times made more of these distracting contract issues then the players themselves did.  Conversely, on the other hand we had fans that were adamant that contract “hoopla” is important for fans to know about and discuss as part of Eagle nation.   “I’m tired of all this contract stuff,” complained Joe of Malvern, Pa, “If I hear that garbage on TV or the radio, I simply switch the station.  Fans shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff.”  When asked specifically about the B-West and Lito contract disputes Will of Lancaster, PA replied, “The media makes more of it than they do.  It’s all infuriating.”  Rob of Bethlehem, PA agreed with Joe and Will but also added, “All these NFL guys are way overpaid.  I honestly don’t think any of them are worth even a million dollars.  I mean, it’s a million dollars we are talking about here!”  Not all fans, however, saw the media’s role as “distracting” to the real issue at hand; getting to the Super Bowl.  “The players and the media are only as noticeable as the fans want them to be,” explained lifelong Eagle fan Nate L. of Sicklerville, NJ, “Take a look around.  How many #5, #20, and #36 jerseys do you see walking around?  We (the fans) all pay upwards of a $100 for tickets and jerseys and most other Eagle paraphernalia, and take more than 3 hours plus a week cheering on the team during the regular season.  Don’t you think, especially in today’s economy, that that money could be spent in other places?  But no, we the loyal Eagle fans see ‘being a fan’ in a different light.  In a way, through spending our hard earned money on the Eagles franchise, we become shareholders of this company called the Philadelphia Eagles.  When they win, we win.  When they lose, we lose.  It’s a mindset and a lifestyle each one of us has chosen.  Therefore, when asked should the fans care about contract ‘stuff’ and the media’s role in telling us about that ‘stuff’, I think we the fans must have a say, and be fully briefed on what is happening.  In a way, these players are being paid with our money.”

It was now 10:15am, and I turned away from the practice field to take a minute in the shade to reflect on what I had heard from you, the Eagle fans, and also gather my thoughts and then jot them down in a notepad.  My attention was then suddenly taking away by the joyous yelping of young Bird fans playing in the designated play section located about 100 yards away from the practice field.  Every little kid’s face I observed playing on the moon walk, participating in kick, pass and punt competitions, or simply eating Italian ice was one of delight and happiness.  This is what it should all be about I thought, Happiness.   These kids probably cheer our team, the Eagles, just as hard as you and I.  When we (adults) concern ourselves with contract disputes, what player said what, and who is hurt or not, we take away the element of happiness from our lives.  Rather than concern ourselves with the above mentioned distractions, we should all learn from the children and just enjoy.  We have a great team and a great fan base, and that alone should make us all happy.

– Jay Vaidya

(Thanks to every fan and person that took time out of their day to stop and talk to me.  I learned a lot from you guys and appreciate it.)

QUICK EAGLE NOTES:

– Shawn Andrews is still a no show at practice, citing personal reasons.  There is no word on when he will arrive at Lehigh.

– Asante Samuel’s practice was cut short when he re-aggravated his hamstring.  This injury has plagued the $10mil a year Pro-Bowl cornerback ever since his arrival in Philadelphia.  No further information was given about this injury.

Jay’s Day 1, Morning Practice Review: A perspective other than Dave Spadaro.
Donovan McNabb/DeSean Jackson:

After viewing the Eagles morning practice today, I was pretty impressed with what I saw.  I began the day, obviously, by watching Donovan McNabb in action to see how our franchise player looked.  He began his practice by throwing some quick outs and flare patterns, followed by launching some deep balls to the rookie wide receivers including DeSean Jackson.   I mention Jackson specifically, since his presence on the field was very apparent to the point that it almost seemed as though McNabb was targeting the first year rookie, out of California, during the drills.  This is great to see since good QB/WR chemistry (especially with a rookie WR) is a huge factor in determining how well the offense will get things done this coming season.  Although McNabb’s knee injury seemed not to bother him, I couldn’t help but notice the signs of rust from his shoulder injury that he and the team have been calling a “non-issue” during the QB drills.  But it was not only me who felt this way.  Perez and Jordan from Downingtown, Pa said, “He (McNabb) seems to be in the best shape we’ve seen him in the last three years.  His arm strength was great, but his throws seemed to come out a bit wobbly”.  Jeff of Emmaus, Pa added, “Donovan looked to be in great shape and threw some great deep balls to DeSean Jackson.  I must admit, however, that he wasn’t throwing a very pretty ball”.  Like Jeff, I was a bit discouraged by #5′s throws but was amazed by the pure speed and agility of DeSean Jackson.  The only knock on the rookie today was the many drops I witnessed during his workout.  Let’s hope these drops only last another few days until he learns the “ins and outs” of Marty Mornhinweg’s offense.  Joe, a veteran Eagle fan from Philadelphia said of Jackson, “Although DeSean looked good and had some spectacular moves and catches, I’m afraid he’s gonna turn out to be a ‘hot dog’ on the field”.  When asked what he thought about the Eagle QB situation Joe replied, “McNabb may have looked rusty, but that’s normal.  He is a proven veteran and leader and will be ready for opening day.  But what really stood out to me, was how good Kevin Kolb looked.  To me, he had just as much zip on the ball as Donovan, and at times seemed to outplay him (McNabb) and Feeley on this first day of training camp”.

The Linebackers:

After watching the offense for a good 35 minutes, I got up and walked over to where the rookie linebackers were getting some work in.  I must say that I was completely blown away by how good our young LB corp looks.  The presumtive starters at the LB position include 2nd-year man Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong, but any of the other six LBs could fill the void if one of the starters were to go down.  The only problem I can think of concerning the LBs is that there is no possible way that we will be able to pay and/or keep all of these young studs, and will inevitably lose some of these guys to other contenders in the NFL that need help at the LB position.  The Eagles must decide decisively and quickly which of these linebackers they need to keep around the huddle.

To conclude, practice ended a bit early, around 10:25am, just as the heat began to wear down not only the players, but the spectators as well.  Afternoon practice is scheduled for 3:30pm.

– Jay Vaidya

From the Desk of Jay Vaidya

Even as the price of a gallon of gasoline nears $5 and heat indexes soar above 100 degrees in the Lehigh Valley, Eagle fans are once again expected to converge at Eagles Training Camp 2008 on the campus of Lehigh University in record numbers.  Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the summer amongst the fans and the media is nothing new to Coach Andy Reid, who will be preparing for his 10th year as head coach of the Eagles.  Yet controversy and concerns still loom amidst an anxious and eager 2008 Philadelphia Eagle squad before the pads even go on.  As all of Eagle nation knows, six of Coach Reid’s past Eagle teams have found their way into the post season with limited success (aka one Super Bowl appearance) and four of them have forever been deleted from our memories (not to mention the lingering  void from not reaching the playoffs in two of the last three seasons).  This all of course is in addition to the salty taste and anger that has been brewing in Southeastern Pennsylvania ever since David Tyree’s “immaculate reception” in last year’s Super Bowl.

Topping the list of the afore mentioned concerns include the contract dispute of disgruntled Pro-Bowlers RB Brian Westbrook and CB Lito Sheppard, the health of Donovan McNabb, and rookies WR DeSean Jackson and DT Trevor Laws.

(1)          To begin, both Westbrook and Sheppard have fired their current agents and have re-signed with different agents in order to gain leverage against Eagle management, since their previous representation could get nothing done during talks in their favor before training camp.  At the “Welcome to Training Camp” press conference, Coach Reid made it clear that he has been in contact with Westbrook in the past few days, but has not spoken with Sheppard since the discontent cornerback skipped Organized Team Activities (OTA) last month.  To me, although the Eagles can survive and thrive in a season without Lito Sheppard (a la Sheldon Brown), a season without Brian Westbrook would mean disaster.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope that a Westbrook holdout is not in the near future.

(2)          Moving to less turbulent news, Coach Reid also noted (as reported here at www.allphiladelphiasports.com by Zach Zawarski) that Donovan McNabb’s shoulder problems are now in the past.  #5 has spent the last few weeks rehabbing his injury and training in Arizona (as he does every year) along with teammate Brian Dawkins and has been quoted as saying his shoulder ailment is a “non-issue”.  It is good to see the captain of our offense and the captain of our defense spending some of the offseason together butting heads in attempts to get the Eagles Team focused on another Super Bowl run.  Once again, we should all pray that both these cornerstones of our team remain healthy for the duration of not only training camp, but the entire season.

(3)         Finally, we move to the contract situations with rookies WR DeSean Jackson and DT Trevor Laws.  It is my pleasure to report to you that as of July 21st both these explosive players, one on each side of the ball, have inked 4-year deals with the Eagles.  (NOTE:  DT Trevor Laws will likely miss a portion of training camp due to what’s described as a “foot injury”, however this injury does not seem to be a major concern to either Laws or the Eagles’ staff)Near the end of his press conference, Coach Reid announced his new “30 Plus Club” policy.  This policy is specifically targeted at older veterans (i.e. Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, and Jon Runyan) to keep them fresh and ready for the start of the regular season.  Basically this means that after these players workout back-to-back days, they will receive the following next day “half-off” in order to relax, recuperate, and keep from getting fatigued in the intense summer sun.  Players over 30 not included in the “30 Plus Club” include Donovan McNabb and AJ Feeley, since they wear the protective red jerseys, and don’t get as physically into the practices as the rest of the players do.

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE NOTE: Over the next three days, the Eagles will work out their rookies and some select veterans (27 in total), including throwing sessions with Donovan McNabb, AJ Feeley, and Kevin Kolb so that these select players are ready for when the pads go on this Saturday July 26th.

Training camp is officially 1 week away.  That’s right, 7 more days until there is some real Eagles news to report.  Despite the slow days in Eagles news, I was able to come across a few pieces of Eagles news to share.

First, Donovan McNabb has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at Yardbarker.   McNabb discusses the Elton Brand signing, the Phillies, and more.  Here’s an update on his offseason and his health from the man himself:

Speaking of the Eagles, fans might be happy to know that I’m in Arizona working out with Brian Dawkins. Next week some other players will come out and we’ll work together for a few days before training camp opens. I’m feeling great, the shoulder is fine, and I can’t wait to get started this season.

Also, here’s a short but sweet NFL Network video on the Eagles 2008 outlook.  Finally we get a guy in the media who gives Donovan a little credit for what he was able to accomplish in his last 4 games of the 2007 season.  Thank you Jamie Dukes.

One last point to make, DeSean Jackson and Trevor Laws remained unsigned.  However, that is not unusual since only three first-round picks and no second-round picks are signed.  Once other second round deals fall into place, the Eagles will be able to make their offer based on those.  I.e., I wouldn’t expect to see a Bunkley-like holdout from either Laws or Jackson.