Les Bowen: Eagles offseason matters to mull

WRAPPING UP loose ends on an Eagles season that ended too soon:

* That draft pick from the Jets for Lito Sheppard is going to be a fourth-rounder. Right now, the Birds have their own picks in rounds one through four, along with an extra three and an extra four. They have no fifth-rounder, do have a sixth, don't have a seventh. That's seven picks, six in the top four rounds. The compensatory picks have yet to be awarded.

* Too soon to say yet what's available in free agency, but between that and the draft, you figure the Eagles are going to be looking hard for a defensive end and a safety. All the free-agent lists I've seen assume a new CBA by March and unrestricted free agency for anyone with 4 years' service. That isn't happening; you're going to have to have 6 years in to really be a free agent. So the lists are useless. If the Birds opt to try to draft a safety, NFL.com draft maven Mike Mayock said yesterday he feels the top two at that position - USC's Taylor Mays and Tennessee's Eric Berry - will be gone before the Birds' pick, which unofficially is 24th overall. They might have to trade up (with the pick they'd get for trading Michael Vick, hypothetically?). Or look to free agency.

* Sometime in the next month or so, word is going to filter out that the Birds have approached either Fletcher Smith, agent for Donovan McNabb, or Jeff Nalley, agent for Kevin Kolb, about a contract extension beyond 2010. And that ought to tell us who's likely to be the starting quarterback. Of course, they could approach both agents, see what comes back and make the decision from there.

* This is a longshot, but it's worth throwing out. What if, after doing due diligence, the Eagles discover Kolb is more attractive as a trade commodity than McNabb? Would they then look to pick up the option on Michael Vick and go with a McNabb-Vick tandem, along with a 2010 QB draftee, next season? Reasons why I think it won't happen: 1. I think they really, really like Kolb, and 2. I don't think they are that sure of McNabb as No. 1 for years to come, which you'd have to be, to trade Kolb. But stranger things have indeed happened.

* The Eagles' signing of ex-Penn State center A.Q. Shipley from Pittsburgh's practice squad was interesting. The history of ACL recoveries tells us Jamaal Jackson is unlikely to be full strength by the start of next season, maybe at all next season. Nick Cole is a handy guy to have around, not an ideal starting center.

* Whenever the Eagles complete their less-than-suspenseful general manager hiring process, Howie Roseman's first act ought to be to find Shawn Andrews and negotiate an injury settlement. Yes, he was the most talented offensive lineman of the Andy Reid era. But no more, please.

* Also, somebody needs to chain Jason Peters to Todd Herremans for offseason workout purposes.

* Everybody else has weighed in on McNabb's awkward air-guitar routine in the tunnel before the game in Dallas, so why not me? I just wish DMac would worry less about what he thinks he needs to project - looseness, confidence, whatever - and more about just being himself, being comfortable in his own skin. If he ever cleared that hurdle, he might really be the guy who could win the Super Bowl. Try answering a question as Donovan McNabb, instead of as the guy who is ever mindful of the burden he carries as a prominent black quarterback and franchise icon, etc., etc. Also, someone should tell him the "lovable goofball" bit was more appropriate at 23 than at 33.

* It's great that Macho Harris did not suffer a serious knee injury on that kickoff return Saturday. But I'm gonna say that a guy who seeks out collisions on returns ought to be covering kicks, not bringing them back.

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