5 Eagles things to ponder when the NFL lockout is settled

THE EAGLES and the rest of the NFL are making plans for the lockout to be over, probably Thursday, when owners are expected to ratify a new, 10-year collective bargaining agreement after some final-hours tweaking over the next few days. Here are five questions about what happens next, along with the best answers we can muster, with a lot still unclear heading into the week:

1 What happens first, when the agreement is complete?

Assuming trades are allowed right away, I would figure the Eagles will let Kevin Kolb get on with his life. (They'll also sign a bunch of undrafted free agents, but that's kind of a footnote). Freeing Kolb has seemed to be their clear intention, and it's definitely his focus. The only way Kolb wasn't going to be traded was if the lockout lasted well into the season and diminished his value. The lockout apparently is going to end this week, so see ya, Kev.

Sure, the Eagles will be second-guessed if Michael Vick gets hurt and their season goes down the tubes. There has been absolutely no sign they are going to let that concern carry the day.

2 When's Lehigh?

The Eagles never have released dates for their 2011 training camp, and a team official I spoke with yesterday evening professed (nicer word than "pretended,'' right?) not to know when camp would start. But grandstands went up Friday. Usually, rookies and select vets report with a few days left in July. A lot might depend on what the new CBA says - obviously, teams haven't seen their rookies at all since the draft, and would love to get them in as quickly as possible, to start trying to make up for all that missed minicamp and OTA time. Could the Eagles do something with the rookies at NovaCare before Lehigh? Depends on the rules. I'm sure they'd love that.

From what has been reported about this CBA, and because there was no spring work, Lehigh will look different this year. Apparently, there will be no true two-a-days allowed henceforth; the afternoon sessions, when held, will be padless, which reflects trends in recent years anyway. Given the lack of full-team work going into camp, I wouldn't be surprised if there is very little to no hitting at Lehigh. It's unavoidable that this camp will involve a lot more one-on-one coaching, a lot less scrimmage-type action. Who's ready to watch some walkthroughs??!!

3 What about free agency?

We don't know much yet, except that total free agency has been granted to anyone who has 4 years served and an expired contract, and owners did not get the "right of first refusal'' they'd sought. This means free agents the Eagles tendered, hoping they would remain restricted free agents, as under the 2010 rules - Jerome Harrison, Sav Rocca and Stewart Bradley were the most prominent - are going to be unrestricted, and the team won't be able to simply match an offer and retain any of them, though it apparently will get a 72-hour period to sign them before the marketplace opens.

This could be an important point, because over the years the Eagles have seemed disinclined to go out and compete in the marketplace for their own players. They try to make a deal while the player is still under contract. If he hits the market, he tends to be gone, unless the market isn't all that robust. The Eagles tendered Bradley and Harrison at a second-round level, indicating strong interest in retaining those players (at the right price, presumably). People around the league seem to think Harrison will look hard for a fit where he isn't the clear backup. The Eagles sure could use him, if they could get him to stay. I have little idea of the market for Bradley, or for Rocca, who turns 38 this season. Gotta think Rocca will be back if the Eagles want him. Ditto Bradley, really.

As for targets, I would say the Eagles just about have to sign a cornerback and a defensive lineman. (I might go DT instead of DE, if the right guy is there.) Maybe a linebacker, too. I'll be a little surprised if they break the bank for Nnamdi Asomugha. It's hard to get a good feel for cap room, until we know all the ins and outs of the new CBA. One report suggested a $120 million cap would "spend like'' $130 million. That might give the Birds as much as $25 million in room, but the rookie pool has to be deducted from that so figure less than $20 million, probably. Still a lot of cash.

Wonder when making DeSean Jackson happy becomes a priority? Not within the next few weeks, certainly. But the need to do that at some point this year has to affect what the Birds do in the market, right?

One more free-agency point. If the Eagles can't retain Harrison, I would say they definitely need a running back. Can't imagine Reggie Bush would like the role that much, even if you told him the coast is clear, Sheldon Brown isn't here anymore.

4 If you tuned out the lockout when it began in March, refusing to get all hand-wringy 6 months before the season, and have paid little attention since, did you make the right move?

Absolutely. Wish I'd had that option. Sure looks like the effect on fans from the NFL's longest work stoppage will be negligible. You'll see some players get hurt because of the lack of organized, teamwide offseason programs. You might see rookies and free agents have less of an impact than they would've had they been through minicamps and OTAs. Oh, and you got to split up your Eagles season-ticket payments. Other than that, sound and fury.

5 What about those rookies? How big a deal is it that they haven't lined up with their teammates yet?

Pretty big deal for them. Punter Alex Henery should be just fine. Maybe Danny Watkins, too - not a lot of nuance or formation-reading to the guard position. But if you're looking for a contribution this season from, say, Curtis Marsh, the corner the Eagles drafted who hasn't been playing the position very long, let alone hasn't lined up in Juan Castillo's defense, well, I wouldn't hold my breath. I think you'll see more rookie "redshirts'' than usual this year. The plucky, undrafted free-agent rookie success story is going to be really rare. Those guys are headed for the practice squad, en masse.

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

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