The long and shorts of T.O.'s first day as Bird

As Owens told reporters during the break between the morning and afternoon sessions, he had taken the field in the morning wearing only the tights, without the shorts, as was his custom in San Francisco. Immediately, he'd heard from all directions that this was not good. It seems that Eagles coach Andy Reid, who is something of a control freak, specifies that players must wear shorts over form-fitting tights.

Owens didn't run back to the locker room and change, but he did put on the shorts for the second session.

"Things are different around here," the receiver concluded.

This was a small-potatoes version of the dyanamic that promises to fascinate everyone around the Eagles this season. Reid has a lot of rules and values conformity. Owens is known for not conforming, and for clashing with authority. But yesterday, at least, Owens seemed to want to show his eagerness to get along, as the Eagles embarked upon what quarterback Donovan McNabb called "the start of something special . . . a special year for us. "

You could get that sense yesterday from the throng of nearly 60 reporters attending what was, bottom line, a middle-of-the-offseason exercise. Defensive end Jevon Kearse, the other new lethal weapon, allowed that he hadn't seen this much media since the Tennessee Titans went to the Super Bowl four seasons ago.

It has been more than 3 months since the Eagles lost their third successive NFC Championship Game. The legacy of those losses is having to answer, over and over again, questions that won't be put behind them unless they reach the Super Bowl, 9 months from now. But the presence of Owens and Kearse might make those questions easier to stomach.

"You just have to turn the page," McNabb said. "This is the time, obviously, to write a new chapter for the future. "

In San Francisco, Owens clashed with coaches and teammates, but McNabb lauded Owens as a player who "wants everyone around him to get better. "

Owens looked forward to developing chemistry with McNabb; he predicted that unlike Jeff Garcia, McNabb would develop the kind of trust in T.O. that would allow McNabb to throw before the receiver breaks free. McNabb has been notably reluctant to do that sort of thing, but nobody wanted to ruin the mood yesterday by pointing that out to Owens.

And besides, if Reid can accommodate Owens, and vice versa, then maybe McNabb can adjust a little, too.

"Whenever you have a guy that can catch the ball for maybe 6 yards, turn upfield, make three guys miss and take it 65 yards for a touchdown, that's exciting for an offense," McNabb rhapsodized. "You'll be able to do a lot more things as things continue on. We all know that it's going to take a little time. "

Owens is well aware that Reid's philosophy is to spread the ball around, that no Reid-era Eagle has has a 1,000-yard receiving year.

"Not yet," Owens said. He predicted that his ability to add yards after catching the ball, as McNabb mentioned, would change the equation.

"That's part of the reason that I'm here," Owens said. "They know I'm a playmaker, and that I pride myself in the things I've learned and accomplished in San Francisco. That's catch the ball and, like they call it, 'RAC' or 'YAC' - runs after the catch or yards after the catch, however you want to put it. That's the type of ability, and the confidence I have in my game, that you guys will see during the course of the season. "

Changing of the guard

The biggest buzz from the media came when the first-team offense lined up against the first-team defense, and everyone realized last weekend's first-round pick, Shawn Andrews, was the starting right guard, with Jermane Mayberry moving to the left side.

Obviously, with John Welbourn traded to Kansas City, there was an opening at left guard. Previously, the understanding was that Andrews and returning sub Artis Hicks would compete for Welbourn's spot. Now it seems Reid wants to keep Andrews on the right side, where he played tackle at Arkansas, and Andrews has the inside track as the new starter.

"I want to give him as many reps as I possibly can," Reid said.

Mayberry, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, said he would have to adjust his stance and footwork, but "it's still guard," meaning he would have less of an adjustment than if he were being moved to tackle.

"I think it's something I can adapt to," he said.

Scouting shakeup

The Eagles confirmed but offered no details of the firing of college scouting director Marc Ross and scouts Dave Boller, Richard Shelton and Jim Monos. Replacements are expected to be announced next week.

All four predated the arrival of player personnel vice president Tom Heckert in 2001. Heckert and his assistant, former Patriots player personnel assistant Jason Licht, who was hired last year, apparently want to put their imprint on the scouting department.

Numbers are a-changin'

The offseason departures of free agents Duce Staley, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent and Carlos Emmons became vividly real yesterday, as new players took the practice field wearing their numbers.

After the morning session, a reporter joked with fourth-round rookie safety J.R. Reed that lots of fans will wear his No. 22 this season.

"Yeah, I'd like to get that changed," said Reed, who would just as soon not be a constant reminder of Staley's departure.

Third-round rookie corner Matt Ware, who has been compared to Taylor, is helpfully wearing Taylor's No. 21. Vincent's No. 23 now adorns Brandon Haw, a free-agent rookie corner from Rutgers. Third-year linebacker Tyreo Harrison now has Emmons' 51, the third number Harrison has worn. He was 54 before Nate Wayne arrived last year, then became 55 - which now is Dhani Jones'. Second-year wide receiver Billy McMullen, who relinquished 81 to Terrell Owens, inherited James Thrash's 80.