Eagles Notebook: Don't expect Eagles to ship Sanchez to Rams

THIS PROBABLY won't be the last time you hear speculation about another team trading for Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, but it seems unlikely Sanchez will be shipped to St. Louis as the replacement for Sam Bradford, after the announcement of Bradford's torn ACL yesterday.

Start with the fact that Rams coach Jeff Fisher spoke emphatically yesterday of moving on behind backup Shaun Hill. Then, too, the Rams aren't likely to go to the Super Bowl with a QB they acquire from somewhere else in late August, who must sync up with their receivers, and so on. The Eagles aren't looking to part with Sanchez; as Chip Kelly indicated recently, they'd have to be overwhelmed by an offer. From the Rams' perspective, making an overwhelming offer for a stopgap QB doesn't make a lot of sense.

While it's true that Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was the Jets' OC Sanchez's first three NFL seasons, 2009-11, it's also true that Sanchez has talked repeatedly of how eager he is to expand his knowledge through Kelly and Pat Shurmur. The Jets' defense was good enough for the team to have a lot of success when Schottenheimer was there, but Sanchez threw 51 interceptions, along with 55 touchdown passes, during that time, and the 2011 season was a disappointment that led to Schottenheimer's departure.

Yesterday evening, amid much speculation over the Rams' interest in Sanchez, USA Today's Tom Pelissero reported that Sanchez does not want to leave the Eagles for the Rams. Pelissero cited a "person with knowledge of Sanchez's thinking."

The most likely scenario is that the Rams acquire a backup to Hill - at a reasonable price - who possibly could contend for the job later in the season. It's interesting in that regard that 2013 Eagles fourth-round pick Matt Barkley is scheduled to start and play extensively in the team's preseason finale against the Jets on Thursday.

When Kelly on Saturday emphasized how much Barkley was going to play against the Jets, it seemed he was either trying to placate Barkley, who hasn't gotten great opportunities this preseason, or that he was sending a message to other teams about Barkley's availability.

The Eagles might be more inclined to go into a season with G.J. Kinne behind Nick Foles and Sanchez, than they would be inclined to go with Barkley as Foles' principal backup.

But this will come up again, undoubtedly. Sanchez is a 27-year-old quarterback with 62 NFL starts, who completed 25 of 31 passes this preseason, for 281 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. And while the Eagles really like the idea of having Sanchez around should anything happen to Foles, it isn't like they drafted Sanchez, or anything. They aren't wed to the guy.

LeSean McCoy was catching passes one-handed yesterday, his sprained right thumb heavily bandaged. If the calendar fast-forwarded 10 days or so, this would be a huge deal, but McCoy said he does not anticipate having to wear the bandage Sept. 7, when the Eagles face the Jaguars in the season opener. McCoy said he will be catching passes with both hands by then. He also said his toe problem is better.

Yes, Brandon Bair, the Eagles' defensive end who hasn't played an NFL game yet with any of his three teams, but turns 30 in November, actually runs a used-car business back home in Idaho.

"I was in college [at Oregon, where else?], got a car, fixed it up, sold it. Did it with a motorcycle later. Then I realized I needed a license to do that," Bair said yesterday. "My wife was expecting a baby [they now have three daughters]. Wouldn't hurt to have a little supplemental income on the side here, to help us out through college, so I got rolling with it. Went and got my license, got bonded and insured, did the whole process; sold my motorcycle to afford all of it."

Bair says it isn't a large operation. "Whatever we're driving, and then three-to-five on the lot," he said.

* Running back Chris Polk's hamstring hasn't completely healed, but he returned to practice this weekend. "I'm not out of shape, but I'm not in football shape; to get in football shape, you have to play football. There's nothing you can do outside the field that's going to get you prepared for that," Polk said.

Polk said he didn't know how serious the Grade 2 strain was when it happened, the second day of training camp workouts.

* Lane Johnson said that under the terms of his suspension, he has to leave NovaCare a week from today and not return until after the fourth game, at San Francisco Sept. 28. He said he plans to stay in the area and work out at a South Jersey facility recommended by Todd Herremans.