IS GLAD SPRING TRAINING IS FINALLY HERE
The Eagles reduced the roster to 75 this afternoon by releasing kicker Richmond McGee and placing cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu on the reserve/non-football injury list. Ikegwuonu's designation makes him eligible to return to practice with the team any time between Weeks 6 and 9 of the regular season.
After Week 9, the Eagles must decide if they want to add Ikegwuonu to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve. Ikegwuonu, a fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, is rehabilating from surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while preparing for the NFL scouting combine. It is unlikely that he returns to the active roster this season.
He was the only player on the roster eligible for the reserve/non-football injury designation because he had been placed on the physically unable to perform list before the start of training camp. Rookie defensive end Bryan Smith and rookie defensive tackle Trevor Laws were also on the PUP list, but once they returned to practice they were ineligible.
Receiver Kevin Curtis and defensive end Victor Abiamiri, both of whom are expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season, are not eligible for the same designation as Ikegwuonu because their injuries occurred after the start of training camp.
STARTERS WILL SIT
It was another case of where you had to watch what Andy Reid does rather than listening to what the Eagles' coach said.
Even though Reid said this morning that he hasn't decided whether his starters will play in Thursday night's exhibition game against the New York Jets, you could tell by the way that practice was run they will not.
Donovan McNabb and the first-team offense spent the morning working as the scout team for the reserve defense and the first-team defense did the same for quarterback Kevin Kolb and the reserves on offense.
Reid said he doesn't worry about injuries like the one that cost New York Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora his season last week in an exhibition against the Jets, but his actions from the past say otherwise.
"Those things are going to happen," Reid said. "We've had our couple of injuries here, too. That's all part of the game."
The last time Reid allowed any of his starters to play in the final preseason game was 2001 when the team lost starting center Bubba Miller to a season-ending ankle injury.
