Birds rely on a few good men

Or something like that.

The Eagles, not wanting to get anybody else important hurt at the end of a painful preseason, used only 38 players last night in a 28-27 exhibition loss to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands. Those 38 included exactly one guy - rookie guard Shawn Andrews - who is scheduled to start when the season begins a week from tomorrow. In fact, by the Daily News' reckoning, they included about 15 guys who probably won't be Eagles by tomorrow evening, when NFL rosters shrink to the regular-season limit of 53 players.

The entire defensive line - Ron Johnson, DeMarco McNeil, Jon Bradley and Jamaal Green - played every down, and all of them except McNeil played on special teams, as well.

"It got a little 'crucial' at times," acknowledged Green, the 2003 fourth-round pick who is the only member of that group likely to make the roster. "I'm proud of our defensive line. We sucked it up, played every snap. We pretty much wore down there at the end, but we were still out there fighting. "

McNeil, a late addition to camp as an injury fill-in, didn't get the two-a-day conditioning other players got, but he said he felt fine last night. He knows even if he can't make the Eagles, he just recorded a whole bunch of film that personnel people across the league will see.

"I thought it was going to be a little worse than what it was," McNeil said. "Once we got going, I felt pretty fresh. "

As coach Andy Reid noted afterward, they did fade late, against a Jets team that used 60 players - including most of its regular-season starters for at least a few series early. A tipped Jeff Blake interception helped the Birds blow a 27-7 lead in the final 7 minutes, 5 seconds of the game. They finished their preseason 1-3, not that anyone seemed all that crushed afterward.

"It looked like we ran out of gas out there; our 38 warriors out there didn't quite have enough at the end," said Reid, who added that he appreciated the effort.

Reid maintained he'd gotten clarification on some roster battles, though unless he makes some unexpected moves over the weekend, there really didn't seem to be many of those. A year ago, a half-dozen rookie free agents made the opening roster. This year, it's very possible none will, at least in part because the Birds drafted 10 players this time in the seven-round draft.

Other than settling a few roster spots and getting some work in for backup quarterback Koy Detmer (10-for-20, 126 yards, one touchdown, 86.7 rating, all in the first half), the main order of business was assessing 34-year-old running back Dorsey Levens, in his first action since joining the team a little less than 2 weeks ago.

Levens gained 37 yards on 12 carries - six carries for 10 yards in the first quarter, then six for 27 in the second quarter, either after he shook the rust off or after the Jets removed their first-team defense, depending on what you'd like to emphasize. Of course, it's also true that early, Levens was running behind a subdominated offensive line against Jets defensive starters.

"My main purpose tonight was to just take some licks and feel like a football player again," Levens said. "I think I accomplished that. I'm pretty sore right now. So, like I said, mission accomplished. "

Reid said it was "good to get him warmed up, get some of that rust knocked off. Toward the end of his stay in there, he did pretty good. "

On behalf of those holding out hope for a running back trade, disgruntled Jet Lamont Jordan looked good, gaining 61 yards on 12 carries.

Doing the Eagles roster math, we can get to 53 this way: Figure three quarterbacks, of course, Donovan McNabb, Blake and Detmer. Two fullbacks, Jon Ritchie and Thomas Tapeh. Three running backs, Brian Westbrook, Levens and Reno Mahe.

The wide receivers will be Terrell Owens, Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, Greg Lewis, special-teams ace Sean Morey and Billy McMullen. The offensive line, you figure the five starters - Tra Thomas, Jermane Mayberry, Hank Fraley, Andrews and Jon Runyan - along with Artis Hicks, Jeremy Bridges, Trey Darilek and Adrien Clarke, assuming Clarke doesn't go on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Tight ends are Chad Lewis, L.J. Smith and Mike Bartrum. David Akers and Dirk Johnson are the kicker and the punter.

Defensive line, there are Jevon Kearse, Hugh Douglas, Derrick Burgess, Jerome McDougle, and Green at end. Tackles are Corey Simon, Darwin Walker, Hollis Thomas, Sam Rayburn and Paul Grasmanis.

Linebackers are Nate Wayne, Mark Simoneau, Dhani Jones, Ike Reese, Keith Adams and Jeremiah Trotter.

Corners are Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, Rod Hood, Dexter Wynn and Matt Ware.

Safeties are Brian Dawkins, Mike Lewis, J.R. Reed, and Clinton Hart.

Of course, this list doesn't account for possible trades this weekend. Would the Birds deal Hart for a draft pick so they could keep fellow safety Quintin Mikell? Would they deal Hart, or Hart and a draft pick, for a running back? Would they keep both Hart and Mikell, and do something unexpected with, say, injury-plagued DT Grasmanis?

Not exactly riveting drama, unless you're Hart, Mikell or Grasmanis.