Andy Reid, the Eagles’ longtime head coach, has been known to tell a fib or two about his roster. Remember classics like “Donovan McNabb is my starting quarterback,” and “Kevin Kolb is my starting quarterback.” But that doesn’t mean he’s a real-life Pinocchio when it comes to all questions about certain positions. Big Red didn’t seem to mince words at the owners meetings recently when he told reporters that right tackle in 2011 is “good competition” between incumbent Winston Justice and well-groomed reserve King Dunlap. Could this be another Reid smoke screen designed to keep both players motivated during a prolonged lockout? Justice isn’t leaving anything to chance. He recently underwent
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Andy Reid the motivator takes aim at Winston Justice
Kevin Kolb gets another chance this week. He will be the first team quarterback all week and the clear starter heading into Sunday’s game against the 0-4 49ers. But he said he is focused on the game, not reclaiming the starting job. “If I get into all that, then I’m focusing on the wrong thing,” Kolb said. “My focus right now is to go beat San Francisco and make sure I do my part to do that.” Head coach Andy Reid was initially non-committal when asked if Kolb could win the starting job back from the injured Michael Vick, but later told the Inquirer’s Ashley Fox that Vick remains the team’s starter. Asked if the job was up for grabs, Reid said, “No, (Vick’s) the starting quarterback.” Reid
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Reid: Vick remains the starter, when healthy
While the Mighty Wizard dazzles and distracts us with fiery news flashes and puffs of green smoke, let’s take a little peek behind the curtain. There sits Andy Reid, a man forced to make jaw-dropping quarterback decisions because, frankly, he doesn’t have the magical powers necessary to fix the football team he’s constructed. Why address the cracks in the foundation and the gaping hole in the wall when you can create a diversion with Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb? We have seen this before. See if you notice a pattern. In 1985, a panicked Marion Campbell benched Ron Jaworski after an ugly season opener and inserted rookie Randall Cunningham into the starting job. Three losses later, Jaworski
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Eagles’ QB switch masks real problems
As Kevin Kolb tries to clear the cobwebs from his head, everyone in Philadelphia is playing the “what if” game. What if he misses this week’s game against the Lions and also next week’s game against Jacksonville? What if Mike Vick goes out in his place and lights it up in both of those games, running and throwing for a bunch of yards and leading the Eagles to back-to-back victories? What then? Who will be their quarterback in Week 4 against the Redskins – Vick or Kolb? Andy Reid, of course, suggests we all stick our what-ifs where the sun don’t shine. Says Kolb was his starting quarterback in Week 1 and will be his starting quarterback when he’s healthy again, regardless of how bright Vick
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Mora: Vick-over-Kolb scenario possible
Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley were each sent home from the NovaCare Complex on Monday morning instead of reviewing the carnage of the Eagles’ 27-20 loss to the Packers with the rest of their teammates. In his Monday press conference, Reid said his starting quarterback and middle linebacker still weren’t feeling well after each sustained concussions in the first half against Green Bay and that each would have to pass a number of specific physical tests before they can resume practice. The injury list was long and ugly for the head coach who also lost center Jamaal Jackson for the season with a torn triceps — the team initially said Jackson tore his biceps tendon — and fullback Leonard
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The agony of defeat
Jason Peters didn’t draw many positives from his effort Friday against the Chiefs. Harsh self-evaluations will likely help him cope with criticisms he’ll face from fans this season if the Pro Bowl left tackle doesn’t cut down on penalties. “I’m not alright with myself,” Peters said when asked if he felt ready to start the season. He probably won’t play before the Sept. 12 season opener against the Packers. “I had a couple of offsides penalties. I’ve got to clean that up,” he said. “I had a couple of mental errors in there. I’ve just got to clean that up for Green Bay.” Peters’ false start pushed the offense out of the red zone and created a difficult conversion for Kevin Kolb and the
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Peters unhappy with errors
Sunday’s announcement that left guard Todd Herremans and center Jamaal Jackson each practiced on the first string should have been interpreted as another encouraging step for the offensive line’s chance of fielding all five projected starters for the season opener. But the vibe coming out of the NovaCare Complex wasn’t necessarily brimming optimism that the most important unit of Andy Reid’s offense would be peaking and intact when Green Bay comes to town Sept. 12. Neither Herremans nor Jackson seemed to make a big deal of the front five finally lining up in unison and there are plenty of reasons to believe Reid will have to play mix-and-match up front for another season. Start with
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Signs aren’t all good along offensive line
Mike McGlynn wants a chance to win the Eagles’ starting center job, to build on the work he put in Friday night, when McGlynn started the preseason opener against Jacksonville. When the Birds gathered yesterday for their first day of practice after that game, McGlynn suddenly seemed much farther from that goal. In the morning, longtime starting center Jamaal Jackson startled nearly everyone by donning his uniform and taking part in individual drills, Jackson and left guard Todd Herremans removed from the physically unable to perform list. Jackson later said practicing was “a minor step, but it was a step” on the road back from ACL surgery. It made Jackson’s possible return sometime around
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Jamaal Jackson targets Eagles’ opener; center competition open?
Nick Cole knows what it’s like to be counted out. Undrafted coming out of New Mexico State in 2006, Cole was at the back of the pecking order when it came to practice repetitions and had to work his way onto the Eagles by showing what he could do in preseason games. “It’s a lot tougher than it is just getting drafted,” said Cole, a bowling-ball-shaped lineman who also plays guard. “You’ve got a lot more to prove.” Four years later, Cole will enter training camp next week as the favorite to be the Eagles’ Week 1 starter at center, a critical position for the offense and new quarterback Kevin Kolb. Much of the offense’s success depends on the team finding a capable replacement for Jamaal
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Eagles counting on Cole as their starting center
NORMALLY, TRACY Leinen arranges travel for the Eagles. Yesterday, she was trying to prevent it. Leinen, the Birds’ director of travel operations, was dispatched to chase down Marlin Jackson as the free-agent defensive back was walking out the NovaCare front door yesterday afternoon, headed for a planned visit with the Jets. Leinen told Jackson to come back – his representatives had reached agreement with the Birds on a 2-year deal that makes Jackson your starting free safety, heading into the spring. “They held the limo up and we hammered it out, got it done,” said agent Doug Hendrickson, who felt it was more a matter of hashing out details than of resolving huge differences, at the end of …
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Eagles sign defensive back Marlin Jackson to 2-year deal
Fourteen years ago, a rookie free safety broke into the Eagles’ starting lineup a week after the season opener in Washington.Brian Dawkins replaced Eric Zomalt and for the next dozen years he was the Eagles’ only opening-day starter at the position.Now, shockingly, another rookie has emerged as Dawkins’ replacement.When the Eagles returned to practice yesterday to start preparations for Sunday’s season opener against the Carolina Panthers, Victor “Macho” Harris lined up with the first-team defense.That news was revealed by a disappointed Quintin Demps, who had the starting free safety job through the team’s spring camps and most of the preseason.”I’m disappointed in myself,” Demps said. “I …
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Eagles rookie Harris to start at safety
THERE ARE TIMES when Quintin Demps surprises you, and yesterday was one of those times.Demps can be brash and boastful. He can say the exact wrong thing, as he did last week, when the second-year free safety seemed annoyed that he was still competing with Sean Jones and Macho Harris for the starting job. He said he would have worked harder if he’d known there was going to be a competition.Ouch.But the thing about Demps – other than his size and speed, which probably would keep him in the NFL regardless of how many unfortunate quotes he authored – is that he reflects and repents. (And he does seem to work hard, whatever he says.) Demps seemed genuinely sorry for that late hit on Kurt Warner …
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It will be Harris, not Demps, at safety for Eagles
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