"I haven't got that far," Reid said. "We started Nick over there [the final five games last season, plus all three playoff games], so I know he can do it and play at a high level. I don't think it's a problem switching back over there. Whether I'll rotate him or not, I don't know. I just have to see how Todd does here and see when that decision has to be made."

It wouldn't be a shock if Cole ended up starting on the right side. Coaches and teammates say they value his strength and work ethic. Right tackle Winston Justice said he believes Cole is the Eagles' strongest offensive lineman.

Cole is the oddest-shaped Eagle, at 6-foot, 350, and surely has the lowest profile of anyone who has played in every Eagles game since 2006, when he arrived as an undrafted free agent from New Mexico State. In the early going, most of those games were on special teams. Cole, a guard and tackle in college, made the squad as center Jamaal Jackson's backup - height isn't a big deal in the middle - and worked his way up from there. For a while, Reid used him as a goal-line fullback.

"He's smart, and he has good quickness and strength, and good leverage, because of his height," Reid said. Cole has to rank among the league's shortest offensive linemen, which probably is why he didn't get drafted, despite his strength and bulk.

"Nick's just a rare combination of size and speed. It's hard to find someone that's as big as Nick, with the natural leverage he has, that can move the way he does," Herremans said. "I'd compare his athleticism to someone like Jason [Peters, the Birds' left tackle]. He's just got quick feet, he works hard, and he doesn't say much."

Cole said he doesn't care which side he plays on, or how short he looks standing beside, say, King Dunlap, who is 6-9.

"All the long arms and height and stuff like that [valued by scouts], it doesn't matter," Cole said. "They want the long boys. The bottom line is, you've got to go out there and get it done . . . All I needed was a chance, to get in the door. A lot of people don't get in the door.

"They say the harder you work, the more it'll pay off. That's what happened."

Justice said Cole "has a huge heart" and is "built for strength."

"If he wasn't a football player, he'd probably be an Olympic powerlifter or something like that," Justice said.

Cole, who said he bench-presses about 500 pounds, said he would assume whatever role the coaches have in mind when Herremans returns. Herremans got some scout-team work yesterday, after working out on his own Wednesday and Thursday. He said his left ankle is tired, but he will rest it over the weekend and plan on being ready to go when practice resumes late next week.

Cole, who grew up in Lawton, Okla., doesn't cherish the spotlight. He's rarely in the locker room when reporters are around. He said he doesn't mind that fans rarely recognize him on the street.

"Sometimes people ask if I play football," Cole said. "I just tell 'em, 'No.' "

Trot's progress

 

Andy Reid said middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is progressing in his reacclimation to football, after nearly a 2-year layoff.

"He's able to key and read and then attack - I think he's doing that faster than he did last week," Reid said of Trotter, who will play the second game of his third Eagles' tenure tomorrow at Oakland. "I would anticipate that continues on. As long as his legs stay healthy like they are, and the swelling stays out of them, it's just getting that reaction time back and trusting his indicators, and those kinds of things."

Birdseed

 

Andy Reid called corner Sheldon Brown, who has never missed a game at any level of football, "a legitimate tough guy." Brown practiced fully Thursday and yesterday after suffering an abdominal strain against the Bucs. He is listed as probable for Oakland . . . Wide receiver Kevin Curtis, questionable for tomorrow with a knee problem, was scheduled to make the trip with the team. Reid said he thinks he sees progress from Curtis . . . Defensive end/tackle Darren Howard appeared on the injury report with a toe contusion. Reid said he decided not to have Howard practice yesterday because the Eagles were working indoors on artificial turf, which could aggravate the injury. Howard is probable for tomorrow . . . The Eagles haven't played at the Raiders since Sept. 24, 1995, a 48-17 loss. The Birds are 0-2 at Oakland Coliseum.

For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.