That's one of the many Andy Reidisms we've come to know during Reid's time as the Eagles' head coach, ranking right up there with:

"Time's yours."

"I'm not going to get into all that."

And, "He did a nice job with that."

Of all the Reidisms, "Every year is different" might just be the best because it always rings so true.

Remember how different 2004 was when Terrell Owens came to training camp for the first time here at Lehigh University and hordes of Eagles fans followed the wide receiver just for the chance to sing Hymn No. 81?

Teeeeee. Ohhhhh. T.O., T.O., T.O.

Remember the following year when Owens, dressed in battle fatigues symbolizing his willingness to fight for his right to renegotiate, helped the Eagles set a world record for "different"?

And so, as Reid entered the big white tent on the Lehigh practice fields to officially begin his 10th season as the team's head coach yesterday, things were again different for the Eagles.

The tent was set up in a different direction, perhaps signifying the Eagles' desire to change things around after an 8-8 season that was bad enough for last place in the highly competitive NFC East.

"We've changed the media tent around, so I feel like it's my first year," Reid said.

The Eagles finished last that year, too, but that was amid low expectations. Things are, well, different this year.

"High expectations for this football team," Reid said. "This will be an intense camp. I think there is good, and in some spots, great competition for certain positions."

The best competition will be at right cornerback, with close friends Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown fighting for the same job.

"Lito will have an opportunity to start just like the other guys do," Reid said. "Whoever the best guys are, they're going to play. That's how I look at it."

Controversy, no stranger to these parts, has also accompanied the Eagles up the Northeast Extension again. This time, it's running back Brian Westbrook's public quest for more money that has shaken the Eagles' nest as training camp begins.

Reid, however, didn't seem bothered by it.

"We've always done a good job with those things, so I'm not worried about that," the coach said. "We've always been very fair and understanding to the players that we've approached about contracts. Other than that, I'm not going to get into that. It's not our policy to get into these things, so I'll leave it at that. If you study the history of sports, you can look at every year and every sport and things happen over contracts. We'll work through this."

The coach said he thought Westbrook would be in attendance when the remaining veterans report to camp Thursday afternoon.

"Brian is obviously one of the leaders of the football team, so I would expect that he would be here," Reid said. "I'm just anticipating him being here. I'm not looking at it the other way."

The thing that will be most different about this training camp is how Reid plans to treat his most veteran players.

"What I've done this year that's a little different than years past . . . is I started a 30-plus club," Reid said. "With this 30-plus club, they're going to work two days and then they'll have the morning practice off on the third day. We'll do that throughout the camp."

That was great news for veterans such as safety Brian Dawkins, 34; offensive tackles Jon Runyan, 34, and Tra Thomas, 33; and defensive tackles Kimo von Oelhoffen, 37, and Montae Reagor, 30. Quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, 31, and A.J. Feeley, 31; kicker David Akers, 33; and punter Sav Rocca, 33, might not benefit as much.

"Now you take into consideration that I have two quarterbacks that are 30 and a punter and a kicker that are 30, so the rule will be bent a little bit with those guys," Reid said.

Asked why he chose to rest some of his veterans, Reid has a simple answer: "Well, they're old. This was my idea, but they didn't argue."

Another Eagles season begins with a workout this morning at Lehigh, and it's guaranteed to be different in some way, shape or form from any before it.

See video of the Eagles' first practice at http://go.philly.com/sports.

Inside

The Giants trade disgruntled Jeremy Shockey to the Saints for draft picks. D3.

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