Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

No sympathy for Andrews

Another training camp day, another two practices under the hot late-July sun without MIA right guard Shawn Andrews. Why Andrews isn't here at Lehigh remains a mystery. But at least one of his linemates has a message for him: get your butt in camp.

``It's not helping us and it's not helping him sitting out,'' right tackle Jon Runyan said. ``The longer he holds out, the longer it'll be before he gets in there. So it's going to be a tough situation. If you keep giving reps to the guy who's backing you up, at some point, he's going to pass you.''

The guy who's getting the reps is third-year guard Max Jean-Gilles, who was supposed to battle Todd Herremans for the starting left guard job, but was moved over to Andrews' spot when he didn't show up for the start of camp.

Asked whether Andrews can miss most of training camp and step back in to his right guard spot and start, Runyan said, ``Coach Reid isn't going to let that happen. So I'm not worried about it.''

Rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson took Reid's advice and got back on the practice field Wednesday morning. Jackson sat out Tuesday's practices with a hamstring injury. He also missed the last week of the team's June passing camp with a hamstring injury. Not a good thing for a rookie in this offense, who needs to get as many reps as he can. Asked about Jackson's hamstring injury on Tuesday, Reid said: ``He needs to get healthy and get back out there is what he needs to do.''

Miraculously, Jackson got healthy enough to participate in live drills Wednesday morning.

In other injury news, running back Ryan Moats injured his ankle in the Wednesday morning practice and didn't return. Already injured players who didn't participate in Wednesday morning's practice: cornerback Asante Samuels (hamstring), tight end L.J. Smith (calf), defensive end Bryan Smith (hamstring), defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen (knee), linebacker Rocky Boiman (bruised leg), safety Brian Dawkins (knee) and defensive end Victor Abiamiri, who had surgery Tuesday on his wrist.

Highlights of Wednesday morning's practice:

--Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley returned to practice Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday with a shoulder injury.

--Wide receiver Reggie Brown beat cornerback Joselio Hanson deep in a one-on-one drill, then dropped the pass from Donovan McNabb, which was right in his arms. He heard about it from the camp crowd. Five minutes later in 11-on-11 work, Brown beat Hanson deep again, and this time, hung on to the ball.

--Donovan McNabb never has been a big fan of the fade pass, which is why the Eagles don't throw it much. But he completed two nice fades to wide receiver Hank Baskett and tight end Matt Schobel in 11-on-11 goal line work.

--Against an all-out blitz, Kevin Kolb sprinted out of the pocket and hit  tight end Brent Celek for a nice 12-yard completion.

--Linebacker Chris Gocong had a nice knock down of a pass for Celek in 11-on-11 work.

--Darren Howard took most of his snaps at right end, but lined up at left end in one of the Eagles' nickel schemes. Howard had a good morning practice. On one play, he and defensive tackle Dan Klecko sniffed out a draw to Brian Westbrook that went for a three-yard loss. Howard also recovered a McNabb fumble.

--DeSean Jackson made a nice sideline catch against Lito Sheppard that drew huge applause from the fans. The applause was quickly followed by a chorus of boos when the official correctly ruled that Jackson was out of bounds when he caught the ball.