10 lessons learned at Eagles camp

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Eagles training camp 2011 was all about learning.

Defensive players learned a new, simplified scheme from first-time coordinator Juan Castillo, who in turn had to learn a new coaching position.

Offensive linemen had to adapt to new offensive line coach Howard Mudd's more instinctive, primal blocking methods.

With new defensive line coach Jim Washburn bringing his "wide-nines" approach to the pass rush, the defensive ends had to grasp a new way to get after quarterbacks.

Rookies, without the benefit of spring minicamps because of the NFL lockout, had lots of learning to do - on the field, in team meetings, and with the playbook.

And with live hitting limited at camp and afternoon practices about as strenuous as lying on the couch, coach Andy Reid and his assistants essentially took the chalkboard out of the classroom and onto the field.

But what did we - after camp broke Tuesday - learn about an Eagles team that departed Lehigh University with sky-high aspirations?

Here are 10 answers:

Vick was the right choice at quarterback. There still are legitimate concerns about Vick's ability to pick up the blitz and become less reliant on his legs. But he came into camp in great shape, devoted to improving his blitz pickup, and willingly has shouldered the role of leader. The Eagles are committed to signing Vick to a long-term contract. Getting a deal done before the start of the season would be a wise good-faith gesture.

This roster is as deep as any under Reid. Plenty can happen before the season opener Sept. 11 in St. Louis, but the team that heads to Pittsburgh on Thursday for its second preseason game and then relocates its operations to the NovaCare Complex on Saturday is loaded at several key positions. There are seven legitimate cornerbacks competing for five roster spots, six defensive ends vying for five places, seven receivers challenging each other for five spots, and on and on.

Relying on a pair of rookie kickers could create growing pains. It would be near paranoia to suggest that kicker Alex Henery's inconsistency in camp and punter Chas Henry's shanked punt in the first preseason game mean they will fail this season. The Lehigh fields were a soggy mess on many days, and Henry's 28-yard boot against the Ravens was nowhere near as bad as Sav Rocca's worst. But when has a team with valid Super Bowl hopes ever gone into the season with rookie kickers?

DeSean Jackson won't let his contract situation distract him from having a monster season - we think. It's almost as if he didn't hold out for 11 days. Since reporting to camp more than a week ago, Jackson has done everything the Eagles could have asked. He's been phenomenal on the field and forward-looking in his interviews. But what happens if the mercurial receiver doesn't get a new contract by, say, midseason? It's a fair question.

The Eagles trio of superstar cornerbacks needs a nickname. They're that good. Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie each had spectacular moments in camp. While getting all three on the field at the same time remains something to watch - as does a potential Samuel trade - fans should enjoy a threesome as special as the Three Amigos.

We still don't know about Casey Matthews. It was a long shot that three weeks of camp and one preseason game would give an accurate reading on the rookie middle linebacker. Matthews hasn't embarrassed himself. But his size (6-foot-1, 232 pounds) and inexperience make handing him the starting job a risky proposition.

The addition of Washburn is paying off. The Eagles have rotated ends for years, but never with as much frequency as Washburn has. He has brought intensity to the position that was lacking in previous seasons and he even has an undersize former CFL end in Phillip Hunt and a would-be rookie bust in Daniel Te'o-Nesheim raising eyebrows.

Right tackle is still a major concern. For a brief moment - all of one week - the Eagles appeared to have found their starting right tackle in Ryan Harris. But the free-agent signee injured his back against Baltimore and, well, we know how it goes with offensive linemen who have chronic back problems (see: Shawn Andrews). Winston Justice appears to be getting closer to a return after off-season knee surgery, but he hasn't even had time to work with Mudd in practice. And right now, King Dunlap is the protector of Vick's blind side. Enough said.

Two of the three starting interior offensive linemen may be rookies. Top pick Danny Watkins appears locked in at right guard, which wouldn't be a major concern if he had veterans at his side. But fellow rookie Jason Kelce is making a major push to supplant Jamaal Jackson as the starting center. He may be better than Jackson and may be a better fit for Mudd's idea of an athletic center, but is it prudent to hand him the job so soon?

Reid has two seasons to win a Super Bowl. That's it. He may have said Tuesday that "expectations are always high," but not as high as they are after an "all in" approach to free agency. Reid has three years remaining on his contract. He won't see the third without a Lombardi Trophy.