Eagles Notes

If Asante Samuel, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown are going to be a three's-company cornerback story, then it's up to Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson to make it work.

The plan?

"There are going to be times where all three of them are on the field," Johnson said. "There is no question about that. It might be 60 percent of the time, it might be 70 percent of the time. We are going to get our best football players on the field. It might not be just against three wideouts, you never know."

Johnson insisted that the situation is not a distraction.

"I look forward to it every day," he said. "It's like having two Big Browns in the Kentucky Derby. You've got both those guys out there. I walk out there, I see Lito, I see Asante, I see Sheldon [Brown]. Those are good players.

"It's a good thing," he said.

Perhaps, but Sheppard is not going to comment on this good thing. After saying Saturday that he would answer questions again today after the Eagles complete this post-draft minicamp, the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback said yesterday that he would not address the media again.

Bradley in the middle

The decision about the Eagles' linebackers has been made. Stewart Bradley is in the middle and will be calling the signals. Omar Gaither has returned to weakside linebacker, the position he played as a rookie. Chris Gocong remains the strong-side linebacker.

None of those decisions is shocking. It's pretty much what Johnson said the situation would be in February at the scouting combine, and it later became solidified when Takeo Spikes was released.

Johnson is excited about Bradley playing middle linebacker after he finished with strong games against New Orleans and Buffalo as a rookie last season.

"He's smart," Johnson said. "He's picked things up and done a heck of a job in the off-season. He was here almost every day. The thing I never knew when we drafted him as a [strong-side] linebacker is how good he was going to be inside. All of a sudden we put him inside in that [Saints] game, and he makes a couple of plays. He'll keep getting better."

Extra points

Offensive tackle Jon Runyan was excused from practice yesterday for a personal matter. Winston Justice worked with the first team at right tackle. . . . DeSean Jackson looked surehanded handling punts from Sav Rocca yesterday, and special-teams coordinator Rory Segrest said the rookie has a knack for the skill. "With his quickness, his speed, his vision, he's got the components to be an effective returner for us." . . . Segrest said running back Lorenzo Booker will get a chance to return kickoffs.

- Bob Brookover