Eagles Wrap Up Minicamp

The Eagles will wrap up their first minicamp of the season today.  On Sunday, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said he was “excited” about the depth and talent at the cornerback position with three Pro Bowl-caliber players in Sheldon Brown, Lito Sheppard and Asante Samuel, the former Patriots corner who signed with the Eagles as a free-agent.  Sheppard’s name has come up in trade rumors since Samuel was brought in, but Johnson said yesterday that last season, the team had three cornerbacks on the field around 70 percent of the time, so he doesn’t think there will be an issue if Sheppard remains an Eagle.

CB Sheppard Shows Up at Minicamp

Despite it being widely speculated that he would not show, cornerback Lito Sheppard was at Eagles mandatory minicamp on Friday night.  The two-time Pro Bowler has been on the trading block, as the Eagles went out and got All-Pro corner Asante Samuel on the first day of free agency, and Sheppard has been balking about wanting a new deal.

“We all know the situation at hand,” Sheppard said Friday. “It still stands unresolved, but I’m here. I’m here to practice and that’s what I’m focused on right now. That’s pretty much it.”  Right now Sheppard is signed through 2011, and Andy Reid did say that he can see the team restructuring Sheppard’s deal to keep him with the team.  “I think it can get resolved,” Sheppard said. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m here working toward that.”

Birds Setting Up for Weekend Mini-Camp

The Eagles will host their first minicamp of the year this weekend.  The camp includes two practices on Saturday and Sunday and one on Monday.  It might also be the first time cornerback Lito Sheppard addresses the media.  The Pro Bowler has been the subject of trade rumors since the Eagles signed free-agent corner Asante Samuel.

Eagles Add 7 Undrafted Free Agents to the Roster

The Eagles have signed seven undrafted free agents:

Kyle Harrington, CB, Hofstra; Jed Collins, FB, Washington State; Franklin Dunbar, OT, Middle Tennessee State; Terrell Golden, WR, Penn State; Frantz Hardy, WR, Nebraska; Shaheer McBride, WR, Delaware State; and Justin Roland, LB, Kansas State.

Eagles Draft Picks Come To Town

The Eagles top two draft picks were at the NovaCare Complex yesterday.  Notre Dame defensive tackle Trevor Laws and Cal receiver DeSean Jackson also took a tour of Philadelphia, a day after the Eagles selected them in the second round of the NFL Draft.  Laws was the 47th overall pick and Jackson was the 49th.  For the second straight year, the Eagles traded out of the first round.  Philadelphia finished the second day of the NFL Draft Sunday with eight more picks.  They also traded a draft pick to Miami for running back Lorenzo Booker.

Another Andy Reid Draft

Eagles To Play Thanksgiving Night

The upcoming NFL season schedule was released and the Eagles will host the Arizona Cardinals on Thanksgiving night.  The November 27th game will be played at 8 p.m. and will be nationally televised on the NFL Network.  It will mark the Eagles first appearance on Thanksgiving since 1989.  They last hosted a Thanksgiving Day game in 1940.  The Eagles open the regular season September 7th when they host the Saint Louis Rams.

Birds Bring in WR Jackson for a Visit

For years Eagles faithful have said that the team needs a play making wide out. The one season they had one in Terrell Owens, the team made it to the Super Bowl. With the draft approaching, the team may be taking a look at finally trying to get another play making wide out - Cal’s DeSean Jackson. The receiver who is being hailed as the fastest in the draft was at the teams headquarters for an interview on Tuesday, and there appears to be some talk that he’s the player the Eagles may go with in round one.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Eagles are taking Jackson not only out of need, but also to keep the Bucs out of the loop. The Bucs also are in need of a wide out, and Jackson may very well be on their list as well. Last season in his junior year at Cal, Jackson caught 65 passes for 762 yards and six TD’s. He is 5-foot-10, 169 pounds.

Devin Thomas of Michigan is considered the best receiver in the draft, as his size at 6-2, 215, makes him a bigger target. There are a number of teams with interest in Thomas, and he is not expected to last even close to the Eagles pick at 20. Look for talks between the Eagles and Bucs to heat up, and Philly to keep a close eye on Jackson come draft day.

McNabb Going Nowhwere He’s Told by Reid

There has been plenty of speculation over the past year about the Eagles looking to move QB Donovan McNabb, but that talk now seems to be quiet, as earlier this week, McNabb was on the radio telling fans that he is not going anywhere for the 2008 season except for staying with the Eagles.

“(Coach) Andy (Reid) has addressed that to me and let me know that he would never let me go anywhere,” McNabb said. “You know, that kind of promise provided confidence in him, but it wasn’t like I was looking to head anywhere unless I was told otherwise.”

McNabb has spent a lot of the offseason in Arizona in training getting set for the season, and now is back in Philly woking with the team.  Philly won their last three games last year to end 8-8, and despite the call for Kevin Kolb to be the QB of the future, it looks like for now that McNabb is entrenched as the starter for at least the next 1-2 years.

Eagles Officially Re-Sign Smith

The Eagles officially re-signed tight end L.J. Smith Wednesday.  Back in February, the team placed the franchise tag on Smith and yesterday he signed the one-year tender.  Smith will make about four-and-a-half-million dollars, which is the average of the top-five tight ends in the NFL.  The 27-year-old, who was hampered by injuries, had 22 catches for 236 yards and one touchdown in 10 games last season.