Eagles' Huff ready and waiting

NOBODY WAS happier to be drafted by the Eagles last May than third-round wideout Josh Huff, who played for Chip Kelly at Oregon. Huff has said that Kelly "made me into a man, off the field as well as on the field."

But Huff didn't seem all that happy yesterday, as the Eagles began preparations for Sunday's game against the Rams. Huff began his second week of full practice since returning from an Aug. 5 shoulder injury with no assurance that he will be active any time soon.

"I was ready last week. They didn't use me. We'll see," Huff said.

Huff said he "most definitely" thinks he can help out on special teams, the key role of the reserve wideout. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the preseason opener, but Chris Polk since has done that in a regular-season game, against the Redskins. Huff said he can perform other special-teams roles, if there is no return job open. It doesn't help him that the special teams might be the Eagles' best unit right now.

"It's most definitely frustrating, but they know what's best," Huff said. "I've been ready for about a week-and-a-half now. Just waiting for my number to be called, waiting to be activated. Once that happens, we'll see where it goes."

Huff would seem to be competing with Brad Smith and with Jeff Maehl, who also is an Oregon alum, to be activated on game day. Smith is unlikely to sit because his status as the emergency quarterback makes it easier for Kelly to deactivate third QB Matt Barkley, as the Eagles have done in all four games this season.

Nobody told Matt Tobin he was still a starter before practice yesterday. Tobin said he just lined up at left guard with the first team and was relieved nobody tapped him on the shoulder to come out.

Tobin made his starting debut Sunday at San Francisco. It didn't go well for the offensive line or the offense in general, which failed to score a point. But coaches and teammates have absolved Tobin of a lot of the blame. In fact, left tackle Jason Peters said yesterday that the Justin Smith hit on Nick Foles that caused an interception was really Peters' fault - the line was sliding to the right, he didn't get the call, so the other four guys slid to the right, opening a gap for Smith between Peters and Tobin.

When right tackle Lane Johnson returned to practice from a four-game suspension yesterday, Todd Herremans moved back to his original right-guard position. The coaching staff could have moved Dennis Kelly from right to left guard, but opted to stay with Tobin, who would have been the top o-line sub coming out of training camp had he not suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason finale.

"I was ready for whatever they wanted me to do," Tobin said. "I'm glad, I'm excited that I'm still in there."

Kelly said Tobin "had a great preseason. When he's healthy, you would assume that he'd take over. I don't think it's that much of a surprise. I think I played well in my time there; I think I showed that they can trust me. If I'm needed, I'll be ready."

Brandon Boykin made it pretty clear after Sunday's game that he returned after suffering a hamstring injury because he didn't want to put the team in a bind, not because his hamstring miraculously healed itself. So it wasn't a shock that Boykin didn't practice yesterday.

"I feel pretty good right now. We'll see as the week goes on," Boykin said. "After the game, I felt sore. When the adrenaline stops, all that stuff kicks in, swelling and all that . . . I'm hopeful that at some point this week I'll practice and then get a good feel for how I can do in a game-type situation."

Also not practicing yesterday was wideout Jeremy Maclin, who assured reporters, "I'm good," but didn't stop to provide details.

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks seemed to be taking part in loosening-up drills at the start of practice, but he did not have his helmet. Eagles coach Chip Kelly indicated Monday that the team wants to be careful with Kendricks' calf strain. It seems unlikely he plays this week.

Brandon Bair, who blocked a field goal attempt in the season opener, very nearly blocked another one Sunday, Phil Dawson's 51-yarder in the second quarter. "I think the guy said his prayers, because I think it went right through my hands," Bair said yesterday. "I don't know how I didn't block it, to be honest with you. We went back and watched the film and I think it went just to the side of my hand. Somebody said it looked like it turned right over my fingertips. It's hard to tell" . . .

Lane Johnson isn't the only Eagle returning after a banned substance suspension. Linebacker Jake Knott, who played in a dozen games last season after making the team as an undrafted free agent from Iowa State, was signed to the practice squad last night, replacing Brandon Hepburn. Knott was cut in August, but since he was on a roster when the suspension was levied, he didn't have to wait to be signed to start serving his four games . . . The Eagles also brought back to the practice squad offensive tackle Kevin Graf, released Tuesday when Johnson rejoined the roster. Practice-squad tackle Tyler Hoover was axed.

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian