"There's definitely some irony there," Rocky Boiman, a six-year veteran, said yesterday after signing a one-year deal with the Eagles. Terms were not disclosed.

The 28-year-old Boiman, who played with the Indianapolis Colts for the last two seasons, said he had not even thought of the Rocky connection until a buddy mentioned it. "It should be a fun thing," he said.

At 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds, Boiman was a fourth-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2002. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in 2006.

Boiman became the sixth linebacker on the Eagles' roster, with Chris Gocong, Stew Bradley and Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan and Pago Togafau. The team is likely to take nine to training camp.

A native of Cincinnati who played at Notre Dame, Boiman is expected to be a special-teams player and a backup, capable of stepping into all three linebacker slots.

Because of injuries on the Colts last season, Boiman wound up starting several games, logging 55 tackles and two interceptions.

"I started eight games, but it was always special teams and things like that," Boiman said yesterday during a news conference at the NovaCare Complex. "It was kind of whatever they needed me to do, and that's kind of what I look to do here: just play football and whatever they want me to do is what I'm going to do."

He could have stayed with the Colts, but in Philadelphia - his first and only visit - Boiman said he liked the town, the team and the opportunity.

"First of all, it's a team that is always competitive and in the hunt every year," he said. "As far as the position at linebacker, there is a lot of youth. I think I can come in and bring some veteran capabilities to that. I think it's really going to be a good fit."

Unfamiliar with defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's schemes, Boiman clutched a two-inch-thick playbook yesterday. "I've got some homework to do," he said with a grin.

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