Eagles Notes: Hobbs practices but is unlikely to play

Ellis Hobbs returned to practice, but it's going to be "a stretch" for the injured Eagles cornerback to play Monday night against Washington, Andy Reid said.

The Eagles coach on Thursday had yet to rule out safety Nate Allen (neck) and guard Max Jean-Gilles (concussion) - two other starters - but neither practiced. Both left Sunday's game against Indianapolis with injuries.

Reid said that Jean-Gilles has not yet passed any post-concussion tests. On Monday, he said it would be a "struggle" for Allen to recover in time for the Redskins game.

Hobbs, along with reserve tackle King Dunlap (knee), was a limited participant in practice. The cornerback, who aggravated a hip flexor more than two weeks ago against Tennessee, sat out last week with a strain.

Hobbs was examined by a back specialist earlier this week, according to Reid, to see whether there was "nerve damage." There was not. Hobbs had season-ending neck surgery last December.

"We were just hoping that there weren't any residuals from my surgery," Hobbs said.

In Hobbs' absence, Dimitri Patterson performed well against quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts.

"He did what he had to do to win the game," Hobbs said when asked to assess Patterson's performance. "I'm not the type of guy to sit here and nitpick. . . . We're trying to win. I want some playoff checks."

Hobbs struggled against Tennessee, but it was difficult to determine whether that had more to do with his effort or his injury. He said he had not spoken with the Eagles yet about whether his right cornerback spot would remain his when he returns from injury.

"I wouldn't see where it would be any different," he said.

With Allen likely out, Kurt Coleman will get the first start of his young career. He substituted for his fellow rookie against the Colts and stood up well. But is he ready to start?

"Absolutely," said Coleman, who was the Eagles' last draft pick in April. "It's been a long time coming. I've been biding my time and learning a lot."

Nick Cole opened the season as the starting right guard but lost his spot after three games. If Jean-Gilles' can't go - which is more than probable - Cole will start. He was shaky when he filled in Sunday.

The only other option would be Reggie Wells, whom the Eagles acquired from Arizona just before the season. He jumped in briefly at right guard against Jacksonville in Week 3, but he has practiced almost exclusively on the left side since.

Cornelius Ingram had a feeling he would find his way back to the Eagles.

It's a good thing he never left Philadelphia.

The tight end was signed to the Eagles' practice squad on Thursday, a little more than two months after he was released by the team. Ingram worked out for only one team since he was cut - the Detroit Lions last week - but his heart remained with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft.

"Honestly, I didn't know what was going to happen," Ingram said, "but it worked out perfectly."

Ingram still is trying to recover after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in successive Augusts. He first injured his knee in 2008 as a senior at Florida and then last year during Eagles training camp, and hasn't played in a game in more than three years.

He showed flashes of his phenomenal athleticism a year ago but was a shade of himself this preseason as he struggled with an inflamed knee.

"It was very frustrating," said Ingram, who continued to work out at the Bellevue Sports Club downtown. "I kept trying to fight through it, but I understand that it is a business. There was never one time when I was released that I held a grudge against the Eagles."

Ingram said that he stayed in touch with a number of his former teammates, including linebacker Moise Fokou, who lives next door to him, and receiver Jason Avant, who sent him encouraging words from the Bible. Their message: "You'll be back."

He said his knee is getting there.

"Today was the best I've felt in a long time," Ingram said.

Reid said that the newly acquired Colt Anderson, a safety the Eagles plucked off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad and placed on their 53-man roster, could be a special-teams contributor. "It's going to be where I make my name," said Anderson, who also was added for depth with Allen injured. . . . The Eagles said that Michael Vick "misspoke" when he told CBS that he had three broken ribs. The quarterback's injury previously had been described by the team as damaged rib cartilage. CBS's Jim Nantz said several times during the Eagles-Colts broadcast that Vick told him the ribs were broken.