IS BUYING CROSS-COUNTRY SKIS
As the Eagles' time at Lehigh this year mercifully drew to a close, head coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday that starting left guard Todd Herremans could miss the entire preseason with a "stress reaction" in his left foot, above the arch. Head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said through a spokesman that a "stress reaction" is "a precursor to a 
stress fracture."
Herremans' injury could officially preclude the Eagles' rebuilt offensive line from playing or even practicing as a unit before the Sept. 13 season opener, an amazing turn of events for the injury-riddled group. Getting it in sync was a major training camp goal.
Reid said his starters will play about a quarter and a half Thursday night in the preseason opener against New England. Jason Peters will start at left tackle, Max Jean-Gilles at left guard, Jamaal Jackson at center, Nick Cole at right guard and Winston Justice at right tackle.
Reid said starting right guard Stacy Andrews, who underwent ACL surgery before signing with the Birds, is OK, but Reid prefers to take "a cautious approach."
Reid said just-re-signed quarterback Adam DiMichele, who participated in Wednesaday's walk-through, might see fourth quarter action against the Pats. Reid said he wants to assess DiMchele's grasp of the plays after a lightning-fast "refresher course."
Reid made it clear he has no plans for DiMichele beyond this week; QB Kevin Kolb (MCL sprain) is expected to start practicing again early next week.
“I am so excited,” DiMichele said. “I can’t put it into words. I was at home eating a sandwich with my family, and my phone rang ... It’s just another opportunity for me. I’m excited, and my family is excited.”
Also possible for next week are defensive end Victor Abiamiri (pectoral muscle) and running back Brian Westbrook (ankle). Reid said they are awaiting medical OKs to return to practice.
Shawn Andrews, the nominal starting right tackle, hasn't practiced in training camp after his surgically repaired back tightened up following the fitness run. "He says he's feeling better," Reid said of Andrews. "We'll see what that means."
Reid acknowledged the importance of building continuity in the offensive line, but said he always takes the approach that you "go with what's out here."
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To read our earlier post with Stewart Bradley and Cornelius Ingram updates, Ellis Hobbs and the Patriots, click here.
Les Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
Paul Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982. He has spent most of his 27 years at the paper covering the Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo came to the Daily News from the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually wa s boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose two sports coats to blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley, a University of Oklahoma grad and very dangerous to be around following a Sooner loss, have been married 29 years and have raised 2 terrific daughters – Allison, 26, a lawyer and graduate of Boston University School of Law; and Amy, 23, who graduated from Clemson and works in marketing and sales for a professional baseball team.
