McNabb casts a long shadow at Eagles' camp

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Kevin Kolb told Donovan McNabb that he was better than his former Eagles teammate - in basketball.

On the eve of his first training camp as the Eagles' starting quarterback, Kolb received a phone-exploding number of calls and text messages wishing him the best of luck. But one message stood out for many reasons.

McNabb - Kolb's predecessor, sometime mentor and soon-to-be rival - shot his replacement a note of encouragement and advice. Kolb, in turn, thanked the new Redskins quarterback and complimented him on his hoops savvy in the reality TV show Pros Vs. Joes.

"I thought he looked real good," Kolb said Tuesday. "But I told him, 'I'm still better than you.' "

If Kolb can someday say the same thing regarding football, then the Eagles' decision to cast off McNabb and keep Kolb will be praised universally. But until then, McNabb's considerable shadow will hang over Eagles Nation, as it did during the first camp day "After Donovan."

Even on the day when Kolb publicly assumed the controls for the first time, looking sharp in doing so, McNabb's presence could still be felt. The crowds seemed lighter than usual for a camp opener and there were still more No. 5 jerseys than No. 4s.

When Kolb walked onto the Lehigh University practice field, he said there were no jitters, but he could sense that the fans are still in wait-and-see mode.

"There is a sense of the unknown a little bit, so everybody's anxious to see what we got, including ourselves," he said.

It didn't take long for Kolb to win over the crowd. Drill after drill, the 25-year-old connected with rookie receivers he may never throw to again after the preseason. A deep ball to rookie Riley Cooper merited an "attaboy, Kevin," from a fan.

Still, it was hard not to compare Kolb to the man who held down the quarterback spot for 11 years. If McNabb is a tad too loose at times, Kolb can be robotic. Repetition can do that to a quarterback. And Kolb knows he sometimes has to slow himself down.

"Especially when there's not a lot of [veterans at camp], like we have right now," Kolb said. "Those guys need a break, and I'm kind of a fast worker. I like to get things done."

Rookie tight end Clay Harbor was often the recipient of Kolb's early work, with the two hooking up over the middle on several occasions.

"Kolb will look at a couple of the guys that are out of breath and he'll go, 'I'll give you guys five seconds. Pretend like we're talking about something,' " Harbor said. "And then he'll go, 'All right, are you ready to go?' He really looks out for us and that's what you want in a quarterback."

In contrast, Michael Vick had a rough start to his first training camp as an Eagle and his first camp in three years. The backup quarterback would draw "oohs and ahs" with an effortlessly thrown bomb, then misfire on a 10-yard slant.

"It was getting the rust out, getting acclimated," Vick said after the morning session. "Getting back into the swing of things. And it takes time. This afternoon I should be a lot better."

True to his word, he was.

Vick won't matter much, however, if Kolb does his job and stays healthy.

Kolb has done his homework, reaching out to two of the best quarterbacks in the league - Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers - and two of the better former quarterbacks, Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia.

And, of course, he played behind McNabb for three seasons. Despite what had to be a tense situation, the two had a relatively harmonious relationship - as evidence by McNabb's goodwill text message.

"He told me to take one practice at a time and be patient," Kolb said. "And I said, 'Yeah, I hear you. It's a long season.' "

McNabb, who reports to Redskins training camp on Thursday, was at a Washington-area bookstore Tuesday signing copies of the book he helped write, NFL Dads Dedicated to Daughters. He was asked about his text message to Kolb.

"It could've been easier for me to walk out the door and not said anything to anyone," McNabb said, according to the Washington Post. "But that's not the type of person I am. I'm a guy who cares. I've text-messaged Kevin and . . . several of my former offensive linemen and the list goes on. The thing about 11 years is [it's] something you can't just forget."

Indeed.