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Eagles re-sign King Dunlap

The Eagles re-signed tackle King Dunlap to a one-year contract, the team announced.

Dunlap has played in 38 games over the past three seasons, with seven starts, and has developed into a versatile backup they can depend on when one of their top linemen is injured. He has started at both tackle spots and even filled in one game at guard in 2011.

The 6-foot-9 Dunlap also blocked a field goal against the 49ers last season.

Dunlap, an unrestricted free agent, said he received a few offers from other teams, but that he ultimately wanted to stay in Philadelphia.

"It wasn't too hard of a decision," Dunlap said by phone.

After parting ways with Winston Justice and Jamaal Jackson, bringing back Dunlap gives the Eagles some depth behind their starters.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2008 draft, the 6-foot-9 Dunlap spent his first season on injured reserve and played primarily on special teams during his second season. But he earned his first career start at left tackle in 2010 in place of Jason Peters and would log starts at right tackle and left guard over the next two seasons.

"When I first came into the league Juan Castillo told me that the more positions I knew how to play the more chance I had of staying on a roster," Dunlap said.

When Howard Mudd replaced Castillo as offensive line coach last year Dunlap's chances of making the team appeared to be in jeopardy. Mudd's blocking techniques sometimes favor smaller players and Dunlap, like several other linemen, struggled to adapt early on.

"There were a couple of us that really had trouble adjusting because we had been doing it Juan's way for so long," Dunlap said. "But I think I really started to get it down sometime during the season."

Even though the Eagles starting line -- tackles Jason Peters and Todd Herremans, guards Evan Mathis and Danny Watkins and center Jason Kelce -- is signed at least through 2014, Dunlap said that all it takes is one injury to play.

"Everybody wants a crack at starting," Dunlap said. "But injuries happen, and as the sixth man, I have to be ready."