Eagles Notes: Cole and Peters return to practice

The Eagles could be getting some post-bye reinforcements - emphasis on could.

Defensive end Trent Cole and left tackle Jason Peters, who have each missed the last two games, took part in a light practice Monday as the Eagles returned from their week off.

Neither spoke extensively to reporters, but Peters said he practiced at left tackle, allowing Todd Herremans to return to the right side after one game filling in for Peters, who suffered a torn hamstring Oct. 2.

Cole was back at defensive end, according to teammates. He suffered a calf strain the same day Peters got hurt.

But it's unclear whether either will play Sunday. The practice was light and closed to the media, and coaches did not speak to reporters Monday.

Full practices Wednesday and Thursday will be better measures of readiness for both Cole and Peters.

Without Cole, the Eagles' sacks have dropped from 3.75 per game the first four weeks to 1.5 the last two.

Part of that is due to the playing styles of the Eagles' last two opponents, but Cole also draws blockers' attention.

Running back Ronnie Brown was back, though under very different circumstances.

Brown's bye week was interrupted when he briefly was traded to Detroit. After traveling to his Atlanta home Monday, he got the trade news Tuesday and bolted to Detroit. He took a physical on Wednesday and was in a meeting getting the game plan early that evening when he was told to see the coach.

"I was like, 'What have I done already?' " Brown recalled Monday, back at the NovaCare Complex.

Though the reunion Monday might have made for an awkward scene - the Eagles welcoming back a player they had just tried to ship out of town - Brown said he planned to "keep it professional."

"There's a business side of this," he said. "I'm going to be a professional. I'm going to be where I'm supposed to be, do the things I need to do, and try to see how I can get better each day."

Brown, who has only 13 carries this season and none the last two weeks, said he had looked forward to more opportunities with the Lions, whose starter, Jahvid Best, was out Sunday with a concussion.

"I felt like I was going to get a chance to get some carries and be involved in the game plan to a deeper extent," Brown said.

Instead, he is back with the Eagles, where he has slipped behind Dion Lewis as a backup to LeSean McCoy.

Kurt Coleman, as expected, remained the starting safety Monday, and tackle King Dunlap returned to practice after missing the last game because of back spasms. . . . The NFL reduced the fine on Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson for his week 2 hit on Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin. After an appeal, Robinson will have to pay $25,000 for the helmet-to-helmet shot, instead of the original $40,000 penalty, according to his agent. Robinson had a $50,000 fine reduced to $25,000 last year after hitting DeSean Jackson in the head.