Eagles' Jean-Gilles will get call if Cole sits

Left guard Nick Cole, who has started all three games for the Eagles this season, missed his third consecutive day of practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Redskins.

In a mild surprise, head coach Andy Reid said Max Jean-Gilles would get the start if Cole is not ready.

Reid said Cole's status would be a game-time decision.

Cole left Sunday's game against the Jaguars with a knee injury and was replaced by Reggie Wells.

But Wells, picked up in a Sept. 3 trade, got tepid reviews and said Friday he has worked some this week at left guard, where he would back up Todd Herremans. It was thought that Wells might compete for a starting right guard spot, but he seems to have fallen behind Jean-Gilles there.

"Reggie's been a left guard for the last six years. So to learn the offense and then put him on the right side, I'm not sure that's fair to him," Reid said. "Max has played both sides. Max came off a heck of a training camp - most of that was on the left side - so I put him over there, where he's played for us before and has a little better feel for the offense right now."

Jean-Gilles was available against the Jaguars, but Reid opted for Wells when Cole got hurt. Apparently, he didn't like what he saw.

Wells was a regular starter for the Arizona Cardinals, but was moved out of his customary left guard spot when the team signed Alan Faneca. He then lost a training-camp competition on the right side and was dealt to the Eagles for a sixth-round draft choice in 2011.

Wells is now adjusting to a new team and bouncing between positions.

"It's something I have to be patient with," he said. As a backup, he said, he needs to be ready to play on either side of the line. "I want to get out there and get going. I'm going to get acclimated to both sides and see where that goes from there."

He said he wants to be on the field, like any player, but that there is an adjustment to a new offense and moving guard spots.

"Offensive line is more than just knowing the plays. It's . . . being comfortable with the guy next to you and knowing where that guy is going to be as well," Wells said.

Cole left Sunday's game with a knee injury that has been described as either soreness or swelling. It also kept him out of much of training camp.

It's not clear if Donovan McNabb will be introduced individually Sunday, and thus have a defined moment in the spotlight in front of the Lincoln Financial Field crowd. A Redskins spokeswoman said this week that the team won't know until Sunday if its offensive starters will be introduced individually before the game.

Linebacker Omar Gaither said he thought he would dress for Sunday's game. He was inactive last week. Gaither said this week he has worked on the first team for several special-teams units and so expects to play. If he is activated, he would likely back up Stewart Bradley at middle linebacker. . . . Reid said he did not expect that quarterback Michael Vick would get caught up in the atmosphere for Sunday's much-hyped game. "He's pretty cool about things," Reid said. . . . Vick said he had not been paying attention to the added attention around the game. "I know our opponent is the Washington Redskins this weekend. It's just going to be another tough game for me, regardless of who's out there playing."