John Smallwood: Precious few days to impress at Eagles training camp

By John Smallwood
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports Columnist

BETHLEHEM - It's been curiously uneventful up here for the first 4 days of Eagles training camp.

The logjam of traffic that typically heads up the Northeast Extension, through Quakertown and into Lehigh University has been nonexistent.

The crowds around the practice field were only a fraction of the standing-room-only normally seen - plenty of good seats were available.

Because the Eagles are so strapped with veteran players, and they weren't required to report to the dormitories until 7 last night, the 24 rookies and selected veterans who have been in camp since Monday have barely been enough to run seven-on-seven drills.

With rookie defensive ends Trevor Laws and Bryan Smith both unable to go because of injury, defensive line coach Pete Jenkins actually got the first day of training camp off.

It's just been the quiet before the midnight green tempest engulfs this sleepy college campus tomorrow morning, when the Eagles have their first full, open-to-the-public practice and start hitting right away.

"I can't wait," said rookie fullback Jed Collins, who will try to make the team as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State. "It's the opportunity to start establishing a name for myself and try to earn a job for myself.

"From what I've been told, that begins [tomorrow]. I think the intensity is going to pick up tremendously. It's going to be a battle every day. I think the two guys I'm competing against [Jason Davis and Luke Lawton], I know they will be coming with their lunch pails to go to work every day."

For the veterans who have been here, like quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and A.J. Feeley, or guys coming off injuries, like running back Ryan Moats, safety Sean Considine and tight end Brent Celek, these were just 4 extra days before things get down to business.

But for the rookies, especially ones like Collins who are in camp as undrafted free agents, every snap of the ball since the first one on Tuesday has been an opportunity to show something that might keep them from getting lost in the shuffle once the regular routine of camp gets into gear.

When a rookie is a late-round draft pick or a free agent in whom a team doesn't have that much invested, it is up to that player to take advantage of every chance to turn a coach's head.

The repetitions for players in these spots will go down drastically starting tomorrow, when the focus will shift fully to getting this team prepared to start the 2008 season.

If a longshot already hasn't displayed a reason for someone to take notice, he might not get the opportunity.

"I expect that my reps will lessen a lot," said rookie receiver Shaheer McBride, an undrafted free agent out of Delaware State. "We've got four receivers now, but you know the veterans are going to have to get their reps.

"These first practices have been tough because there were only four of us running a lot of plays, but it's been a great opportunity for us rookies to hopefully have somebody notice us. That's the key – give them a reason to keep you around."

You can go down the roster of the players in camp today and pick with 90 percent accuracy which ones will be on the final roster for the opener on Sept. 7 against the St. Louis Rams.

But that final 10 percent, particularly with the Eagles, always includes some surprises.

Current Eagles like center Jamaal Jackson, receivers Hank Baskett and Greg Lewis, linebacker Akeem Jordan and cornerback Nick Graham started their careers just trying to grab attention in early practices before the veterans reported.

"You're always going to find a guy here and there, especially a guy undrafted," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said. "The guys we draft we're a little more patient with because we have something invested in them. But there are opportunities for these guys.

"These early days are good for them because they won't get these type of reps when the vets come in. They do get a lot of attention and a lot of meeting time. They'll find out how that is going to be beneficial once the vets get here."

The perfect storm of football competition starts tomorrow for the players hoping to make the Eagles' roster in 2008, but for the rookies already here, weathering the rain showers of the past few days has been a valuable experience.

"I missed a couple of days of minicamp because of injury," Collins said. "Because of that, I wanted to come in here and show that I mean business, that I'm vying for this job with this opportunity.

"Coming in, not dropping any passes, running my routes crisp, showing that I'm in shape and ready, I hope the coaches took note of that and consider me.

"I study the playbook. We come out here for practice for 2 or 3 hours, and then have meetings. After that I go back to the dorm and critique what I did and study some more. You can't just know the offense. You have to understand it. Obviously, when the vets come in, I become a rookie again, but I think I've gotten a step ahead because of the last few days. *"

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