TRUSTS CHOOCH IN A PINCH
It wasn't until after he worked out for the Eagles this morning that Jon Runyan learned his successor, Shawn Andrews, wasn't practicing, Runyan told your Eagletarian in a text reply. Runyan said the workout with coaches he played for from 2000 to 2008 "went well."
Runyan's agent, Ben Dogra, acknowledged the workout but said there have been no contract talks. It's unlikely the Eagles would want to sign and then play Runyan this week, with no practice, and if they signed him, they'd have to cut someone, from an offensive line corps that will play without Todd Herremans (foot) this week. Also, as a vested veteran, Runyan's entire base salary would be guaranteed once he played in Week 1. The team can cut a potentially less expensive deal next week.
Andrews watched the early part of practice, wearing his jersey without pads, then went back into the NovaCare Complex.
While the Eagles have not commented on Andrews today, the team's injury report lists Andrews as missing practice with a back injury. Andrews has struggled with his back since it tightened up in the fitness run on the first day of training camp. That followed surgery last season, after he played in only the first two games.
Asked about Andrews on Wednesday, Eagles coach Andy Reid said, “He seems to feel all right. That was the important thing and making sure his back was stable and that he was confident. That’s how he feels right now.”
Reporters' requests to speak with Reid following Thursday's practice were denied.
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With Michael Vick on the exempt list, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said a position player would be the third quarterback but declined to say who.Players joked it would be center Jamaal Jackson, which would be an acrobatic feat.
Mornhinweg also acknowledged that he has not gone into a season with as many untested parts as he has this season. The goal for the offense is to “get a little better each game,” he said.
Mornhinweg hinted that we shouldn’t expect rookies Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy to have large roles right away. “He’s ready to help us a little bit, at least situationally,” Mornhinweg said of Maclin. With Brian Westbrook healthy, McCoy likely will have a role similar to what Correll Buckhalter did last season, he said.
As for the defense, coordinator Sean McDermott said rookie starting free safety Macho Harris is “a guy that’s battled all through the spring and training camp,” and is “a natural football player.”
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BTW, Shady McCoy will not be switching his number from 29 to 25, after all. The league disallowed the switch, because there were already No. 29 McCoy jerseys being sold.
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.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with 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 started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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