The Eagles traded linebacker Joe Mays to Denver in exchange for running back J.J. Arrington according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.  Mays was one of nine linebackers on the Philadelphia roster and had 18 tackles in 11 games last year.  Mays is entering his third season in the NFL.

Arrington has rushed for 654 yards on 183 carries during his four year career.   The California product also has 91 career receptions for 693 yards.  The 5′9, 212 pound running back spent the last four seasons with Arizona before signing with Denver in the offseason.

Arrington was released on May 27, 2009 after failing his physical, but resigned on March 4, 2010.  Arrington joins LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley and Charles Scott in the backfield.

All eyes were on Brandom Graham today, as the Eagles first round pick made his first appearance at training camp after ending his holdout.  While the rookie defensive end may be the media darling at the moment, Graham is in the midst of a heated competition for a starting spot on the defensive line.

In fact, competition for starting spots could be fierce in several places for Andy Reid’s young Eagles squad.  ”We’re trying to present it at every position.  That’s what Howie Roseman does with his crew, and I think there’s some situations there where there’s going to be good competition.”

That’s particularly the case at defensive end, where Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp and Graham are all battling for a starting spot and Ricky Sapp and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim hope to make the roster.  Trent Cole is locked in at one defensive end spot.  At defensive tackle,e Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley are slotted in to start.  Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon, Boo Robinson and Jeff Owens all hope to land on the roster.

Reid is happy to have the depth at a position he values highly, “If I can come out of there with eight guys who can play, two at each spot, I’m great with that.  If there’s more, the more the merrier.  You can’t have enough defensive lineman.  I like to rotate those guys and throw those fastballs at the offense.”

The main reason there’s so much competition on defense is the youth, and one of the youngsters shined today even in non-contact drills.  Rookie safety Nate Allen came up with two interceptions off of third string quarterback Mike Kafka, who struggled against the first string defense.  Allen was known as a ballhawking safety at South Florida and showed why today.

On the offensive side of the ball, Kevin Kolb was all business from the moment he walked onto the field.  The signal caller strode onto the field with his chin strap already buckled, and kept a serious demeanor through practice.  Kolb ran the offense smoothly, with nearly every pass looking crisp.

The Birds showed some offensive creativity with the first string, as Kolb connected with DeSean Jackson for a touchdown on a flea flicker.  A few plays later, the Eagles offense ran a double reverse.  The wideouts as a group shined throughout practice, with the highlight being a one handed diving catch in the endzone by Jason Avant.

That said, as Andy Reid acknowledged in his press conference, it’s difficult to tell much about how anybody will produce until the pads go on and the hitting begins.  Time will tell – we’re now less than 12 hours away from the first full pad, full team practice.

Notes

DeSean Jackson continued his media silence, with head coach Andy Reid commenting that the wide receiver was focused on football and ready to produce.

Reid also confirmed that he still plans to use Jackson as his top punt returner.  Chad Hall, Ellis Hobbs, Jeremy Maclin and Macho Harris also fielded punts this afternoon.

Eagles guard Max Jean-Gilles came into camp around 50 pounds lighter after undergoing lap-band surgery.  It didn’t go unnoticed by Reid, “It looks like he’s ready to pose for Esquire.  He’s lookin’ good. He looks good.  And that’ll help Max, Max is a good football player.”

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Source: Yardbarker.com

With Brandon Graham signed, sealed and delivered to Lehigh, the battle to start at the defensive end position across from Trent Cole heats up.  The rookie from Michigan will be playing a bit of catchup as he tries to unseat Juqua Parker as the starter.

Also challenging will be Darryl Tapp, acquired from Seattle for Chris Clemons in the offseason.  Tapp is likely to get a lot of playing time in the rotation, but remains an underdog to start.  Also making the defensive end position interesting are a slew of “tweeners” who could play linebacker or defensive end.  Two of this year’s draft picks, Ricky Sapp and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim are listed as defensive ends but were talked about as possible pass-rushing linebackers on draft day.

The Eagles are unlikely to keep six defensive ends on the active roster, so someone is going to have to switch positions or end up on the practice squad.  That said, there aren’t exactly a lot of openings at linebacker either, which we’ll take a look at tomorrow morning.  The bottom line is that somebody is going to be the odd man out, with a lot of players who are highly regarded by the coaching staff in the mix.  That makes it an interesting position to watch during training camp.

At defensive tackle, the starting spots are firmly held by Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley.  Trevor Laws figures to be the third man in the rotation, although he faces challenges from a group of youngsters.  Second year man Antonio Dixon and rookies Jeff Owens and Boo Robinson hope to get into the mix.  However, with the depth at defensive end, the Eagles are likely to keep just three defensive tackles on the roster along with four or five defensive ends.  One of the larger defensive ends could then play tackle on passing downs.

Also of note, defensive end Victor Abiamiri comes into the season on the physically unable to perform list due to a knee injury.  With so much depth at defensive end, it will be interesting to see how long Philadelphia holds onto the injury-riddled Notre Dame product.  Abiamiri has just four sacks in three seasons.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Source: Yardbarker.com

The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to terms on a five year contract with first round pick Brandon Graham, a defensive end from Michigan.  ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced the news on Twitter, and the Eagles have posted it on their official website.

Philadelphia selected Graham 13th overall in the 2010 draft after dealing its 24th overall pick and two third round picks to Denver to move up.  Graham racked up 29.5 sacks during his Michigan career, including 10 each of the last two seasons.  The 6′1, 268 pound defensive end ran a 4.72 40 yard dash.

Graham is expected to compete with Juqua Parker for a starting spot at defensive end.  Wide receiver Blue Cooper was released to make room for Graham.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Just a brief update on a few moves the Eagles made today at training camp. Apparently the team waived S Brett Johnson due to a hamstring injury. They then proceeded to bring in free agent safety Antoine Harris, who went undrafted in 2005 but was picked up by Tennessee. He spent time there on the practice squad but moved on to Atlanta where he saw action in 13 games in 2007 and 12 in 2008. He’s got 21 career tackles and has had some trouble with a groin injury.

Eagles also brought in 2 receivers to work out for them today, Kelley Washington and Jared Perry. Washington started 2 games in Baltimore last year and dressed for another 13. He had 431 yards and 2 TD’s last season. Perry is a former teammate of Jeremy Maclin in college.

According to Maclin, the Eagles did end up signing Perry. No word on Washington. Chances are the Eagles will have to cut a receiver to make room for Perry.

UPDATE: It has been confirmed by team sources that WR Jared Perry has been signed. WR Kevin Jurovich was cut to make room for him.

Source: Yardbarker.com

The quarterback position could be the number one variable that determines the success of the Eagles this season.  It checks in at number three on our countdown of the most interesting positions to watch in training camp simply because there isn’t much up in the air.  Kevin Kolb will start, Mike Vick will be the backup and Mike Kafka will be the third string quarterback.

While there’s no doubt about the order of the depth chart, the time spent at Lehigh University will be extremely important to Kevin Kolb. The young signal caller needs to establish himself as the leader of the offense and get into a day-to-day rhythm as the number one quarterback.

Mike Vick likely hopes to establish that he is deserving of playing time this year, whether it be in the Wildcat or any other creative formation that Andy Reid has created.  In the final year of his contract and highly unlikely to be wearing the midnight green beyond this season, Vick desperately needs enough playing time to prove he deserves to be on the field somewhere next season.  After facing an early season suspension in 2009, Vick can get directly into the flow from training camp into the season in 2010.

Mike Kafka doesn’t face a lot of pressure, as he is highly unlikely to see anything but mop up duty in the regular season barring a slew of injuries.  The rookie should be fun to watch in camp though, as the Eagles groom him for the future.  Whether that future is as a backup or a starter will take a while to determine, but Kafka seems to be more in line with an A.J. Feeley than a Kevin Kolb.

Scouting reports say Kafka is not particularly mobile or athletic, but throws a nice spiral and is accurate on short and intermediate passes.  The big questions for the Northwestern product will be whether or not he has the arm strength and consistency to make it in the NFL.  Perhaps he’ll be able to show the kind of flashes in camp that get coaches and fans excited about his future.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

The Fansided Divisional Smackdown votes have been tallied, and the top division from the AFC and the NFC have been decided. Although the NFC East had an amazing roster, it wasn’t quite enough to topple the NFC North. We had a great team, but a young team with some names that may not have been that recognized by people who don’t follow the NFC East as religiously as we do. I’m sure after this season those names will start turning heads. But I digress…

Aaron Rogers and the NFC North will go head to head with Phillip Rivers and the AFC West for the Divisional Smackdown Championship. You have 48 hours to click the link below, read over the rosters and cast your vote!

Fansided Divisional Smackdown Championship – NFC North vs. AFC West

A big thank you to everyone who help us build the team, as well as everyone who voted. This was a great experience and we look forward to doing it again next season!

Day 2 of Eagles training camp started off with a bit of surprise to some, when Andy Reid and company released LB Alex Hall to make room on the roster for rookie 2nd round pick Nate Allen. Hall came to the Eagles via the Sheldon Brown/Chris Gocong trade, along with draft picks. Reid had great things to say about Hall, but he was more suited for a 3-4 defense playing outside linebacker. He went on to say that Hall will have no troubles finding work elsewhere.

As many of you know, Allen signed his rookie contract and reported to camp today. He was the only projected starter on defense at camp, and the general opinion is that he looks good and is really excited to be there to get the reps he needs.

At QB, Kevin Kolb followed up an excellent first day with another solid outing. Both QB’s struggled a bit in the morning session, but it seems that a few of the passes were due to receivers not running their proper routes. Obviously at a camp for rookies and selected vets this is going to happen, and It’s not something any of us should be too worried about. In a red zone drill, Kolb went 2 for 4 with a touchdown, and Vick was 4-4 with 2 touchdowns.

Source: Yardbarker.com

Chad Hall and Trevard Lindley are turning some heads in the first couple days of camp. Riley Cooper is also looking solid. Lindley was drafted with the pick the Eagles received from Cleveland, so if he can keep up the solid work and make a contribution to the secondary then it may silence any criticism of the Eagles getting rid of the disgruntled Sheldon Brown.

The other pick was used in the three team trade that brought in Ernie Sims, so with the loss of Alex Hall it essentially means we got rid of Brown and Gocong for Sims and Lindley. Doesn’t seem like too bad of a trade in my books, but there is a lot to be seen just yet.

It urks me a bit that the Brandon Graham talks aren’t looking that great. But only 2 first round picks have been signed so far and it’s rumored that Sam Bradford will sign soon which will probably lead to more 1st rounders getting their contracts (based on what Bradford is getting). Sean McDermott has made it clear that things will proceed as normal, with or without Graham. The Eagles have a very young defense and they can’t be waiting around for him to sign.

Graham is the only player expected to miss Thursdays camp session.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Source: Yardbarker.com

The signing of second round draft pick Nate Allen at least stabilizes the depth chart in the secondary, but question marks still abound at one of the weaker positions on the Eagles roster.  The Philadelphia secondary struggled last year, but with veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown being dealt in the offseason, it’s hard to imagine there will be improvement.

Ellis Hobbs is projected to start across from Asante Samuel at cornerback, but has never been held in the same regard as the recent string of Eagles starters at corner.  Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel were all top notch cornerbacks.  If Hobbs wants to be in that category, he still has something to prove.

While Asante Samuel has gone to three Pro Bowls, he’s the type of corner who is certainly willing to gamble.  That means he’ll get more than his share of interceptions, but also give up some big plays by going for the pick.  That, combined with a downgrade from Brown to Hobbs, puts a lot of pressure on the safeties.

Quintin Mikell returns at strong safety and may be the most reliable player in the secondary.  He’ll need to be just that, as rookie defensive backs usually have a steep learning curve and Nate Allen is expected to start from day one.  While the South Florida product had an impressive collegiate career, even successful safeties usually take a year or two to develop.

If that’s the case with Allen, the Eagles will have some holes to cover in the secondary whether it be through changing up coverages or applying enough pressure with the front seven to make life easier in the secondary.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Philadelphia’s offensive line may have already taken a hit and most veterans haven’t even reported to camp yet.  Left guard Todd Herremans made a somewhat surprising appearance on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and as you may recall, ITI already discussed the importance of the health of the offensive line.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid emphasized in his press conference that he isn’t too concerned about Herremans, he just wants to bring him along slowly. “I want to see how he’s doing before we take him off the PUP. We’ll gradually bring him back. I don’t want him to jump in and hurt himself again, so I want to take it nice and slow here. We’ve got a little bit of time.”

Should Herremans miss any significant time, Max Jean-Gilles would slide into the starting left guard position.  The fifth year lineman out of Georgia is expected to be the backup at both guard positions and has started 16 games and appeared in 29 during his Eagles career.

Perhaps the caution Reid is showing is indicative of the importance of having Herremans fully healthy this season.  “Right now, it’s really not bothering him. I want to see it. He’s had time off here and he’s been working with (head athletic trainer) Rick (Burkholder), but I want to see myself, and I want to take it nice and easy here and make sure we go by doing this the right way.”

The Birds also have center Jamaal Jackson on the PUP list, which is no surprise. The center tore his ACL last season, ending a 71 game starting streak.  Reid said the veteran has been running regularly, but is still unlikely to be ready for the season opener.  “Right now, coming in I would say that. However I think he’s doing very well. I think time is important. I think Rick having him up here and really putting him through a little more strenuous exercise will be important.”

It has been seven months since Jackson tore the ACL against Denver, and the recovery often takes a full year.  The timeline is eerily similar to that of Stacy Andrews, who tore his ACL in December of 2008 before signing with the Eagles in the offseason.  Andrews struggled throughout the 2009 season, never performing to the level the Eagles had hoped.

Notes: Reid on the holdouts of Brandon Graham and Nate Allen

“Well, I think we’re closer right now with Nate than we are with Brandon. I think it’s important that they’re here. These three days are great training for the young players and both these two are going to have a role on our defense, so as many reps as they can get will be very important. I think if you lose a day, you lose an opportunity to get better.”

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Source: Yardbarker.com

There has been a lot of offseason talk about concern at the running back position, but perhaps it isn’t warranted.  Most fans have expressed worry over backup Mike Bell and what he can bring to the fold, but the Eagles depth in the backfield is a strongpoint.  If anything, the concern should be over starter LeSean McCoy.

Overall, “Shady” had an impressive first season.  However , the rookie’s numbers faded towards the end of the year and he rarely saw a large number of carries.  McCoy averaged 42 rushing yards per game the first 12 games of the year, but just 22.2 in the final six.  He also only topped the 15 carry mark in three games.  Philadelphia needs McCoy to be a go-to back.

That said, the depth behind McCoy may provide head coach Andy Reid the option to keep McCoy’s touches down by spreading out the carries.  Mike Bell has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his NFL career, but he’s never topped 200 carries in a season.  That makes him a good fit as a change of pace back to McCoy, and with his style of play it should work well.  Bell doesn’t waste much time hitting the hole and runs with power.

But more than anything, I’m excited to see Charles Scott in camp.  I loved the pick when the Eagles grabbed the LSU product in the sixth round.  At 5’11, 238 pounds, Scott is a powerful runner.  During his senior year, his numbers were brought down due to injury.  In 2008 though, Scott racked up 1,174 yards on 217 carries.  He also found the end zone 18 times during his junior campaign.  Scott may have less polish than some of the draft picks who went higher, but his size and raw power make him an interesting prospect.

While Eldra Buckley is a known commodity to the Eagles, Scott brings a lot to the table.  If Buckley can’t cement his roster spot with special teams play, he may have his hands full holding off Scott.  Buckley averaged less than three yards per carry last season, which simply isn’t good enough to warrant a spot on an NFL roster in and of itself.

So while the top two running backs may not be as interesting to watch in camp, the intrigue of seeing what Scott can do should draw some attention.  And the reps in camp will be important for McCoy, as he prepares to carry the load himself in 2010.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.

Source: Yardbarker.com

Wide receiver is widely considered to be Philadelphia’s strongest position, with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant returning as the top three.  There’s no doubt that trio will provide plenty of options to quarterback Kevin Kolb, but the Eagles get even deeper at wideout.

Hank Baskett returns to Philadelphia, signing as a free agent, and will be the favorite for the fourth receiver spot.  But even with his size, experience and knowledge of the offense, Baskett should get a good challenge from rookie Riley Cooper.  That battle for the fourth spot should be one of the most interesting in camp, but don’t be shocked if a relative unknown throws his name into the mix as well.

There’s a pretty good chance that whoever the Eagles don’t keep at wide receiver, should they choose to only hang onto five, will end up catching on elsewhere around the league.  Chad Hall has some potential as a kick returner and has had tryouts with Atlanta and Buffalo in the past.

Penn State product Jordan Norwood is highly regarded by the Birds, at least as far as undrafted talent is concerned.   Norwood was originally signed by Cleveland, but didn’t survive the final round of roster cuts in 2009 and landed in Philadelphia.  After spending most of last season on the practice squad, Norwood is hoping to steal a spot from Baskett or Cooper.

Rounding out the receiving corp for camp are Blue Cooper, Kevin Jurovich and Dobson Collins.  While none seem to have a very good chance of moving up the depth chart, you never know who may have an impressive camp and make a name for himself, thus getting a chance to crack another roster.

All in all, the Eagles have little concern about their group of receivers and the only thing to be determined is who ends up fourth on the depth chart.  Given Reid’s history of preferring to give his draft picks time to develop, it would be somewhat of an upset if Cooper unseated Baskett for the number four spot.

Training Camp Coverage

Visit InsideTheIggles.com for exclusive training camp coverage, including practice recaps and scouting reports from the Lehigh Valley.  ITI’s Ryan Messick will be reporting from Training Camp throughout the day on July 31^st, August 1^st and August 5^th through 8^th.  Check back often for updates, and follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InsidetheIggles or  www.twitter.com/Ryan_Messick.