Tonight is going to be a very important night for a lot of Eagles players, especially the young guys. The starters won’t be taking any reps tonight so that the backups and third-string guys can battle it out to prove who deserve a spot on the roster.

One guy I’ll be watching already has a spot on the roster and that is Michael Vick. His play this preseason has been very inconsistent, and we will see him take all the quarterback reps during the first half tonight.

I’m not concerned about Vick’s ability to run the ball and see that as an asset the Eagles will use to their advantage this season. However, I am worried about his decision making with his passes. His arm strength is great and I think he can place the ball where he wants, but he has made some bad decisions this preseason.

If Vick can prove that he can make good decisions throwing the ball, he should be a real dangerous dual-threat this season.

Another thing to watch for will be the battle between Hank Baskett and Kelley Washington. These guys will see a lot more time on offense then they have in the previous weeks, but I don’t think that is the important thing.

I think that if one of them can make a big play on special teams tonight, it could be the deciding factor. No matter who makes it, they’re not going to see a lot of time on offense during the season. They will spend a lot of time on special teams. With these two, the Eagles need the best special teams player, not the best receiver.

On defense, there are a lot of guys to watch. I’d like to see Dimitri Patterson and Trevard Lindley play well. I think these are two guys that can potentially prove they can come in and play on nickel type situations.

I’m also interested to see how much time Macho Harris gets. He has missed a lot of time this year and he could end up being cut.

There’s also a bunch of other rookies on defense who I’ll be watching. Guys like Jeff Owens, Jamar Chaney, Keenan Clayton, and Kurt Coleman are fighting for positions and need to have a solid game.

What will you be looking for in tonight’s game?

J.J. Arrington
I was surprised when the Eagles made a move for Arrington. They already had a solid competition for the third running back position and decided to throw him into the mix. The other guys in the competition are young, so it’s nice to add a veteran in there.

Arrington is dealing with some injuries right now and that isn’t helping his case very much. We’ve also seen some good running by Eldra Buckley and Martell Mallett. A roster spot for Arrington definitely isn’t a lock, but I wouldn’t say he’s completely out of it yet.

Hank Baskett
Baskett came back for a second stint in Philadelphia after a spending a short amount of time in Indianapolis. He’s in a fierce battle for the fourth wide receiver spot with Riley Cooper right now. The young rookie is turning heads and Baskett needs to step his game up if he wants to make the team.

With Baskett, you know what you’re getting. He’s a third/fourth type wide receiver that is solid on special teams. His special teams play may be what sets him apart from Cooper if the coaches are having a tough time deciding between the two.

Nate Lawrie
Lawrie is a new addition to the team and was brought on in replacement of Martin Rucker. He wasn’t exactly a need for the Eagles, just kind of a guy they brought in for numbers. Brent Celek is obviously your starter, and there is a heated battle for the backup spot between Cornelius Ingram and Clay Harbor.

It’s a tossup right now between Ingram and Harbor so the loser there is going to be a close third. I don’t think it’s very likely that Lawrie can overcome these other guys.

Ernie Sims
I’m still not sure how we were able to get our hands on Sims for so little. I know he was injured last season, but he looks great so far this year. He flies around all over the field and has some serious pop when he hits.

Sims should be a big help to a unit that struggled last season. If he stays healthy, I see him getting back to the 100+ tackle mark that he was able to achieve his first three seasons in the league.

Darryl Tapp
This is another guy the Eagles picked up without giving up a whole lot. However, we aren’t exactly sure what Tapp is capable of doing. He’s never been a big numbers guy and is flying under the radar so far.

I was hoping that Tapp would be able to come in and be a contributor to the defensive end rotation. Right now, he is battling for a spot with all the younger guys and still has a lot to prove. If he wants to contribute on this defense, he is going to need to step his game up.

Kelley Washington
Adding Washington to the team just intensified the depth the Eagles already had at the wide receiver position. He is a veteran guy that’s a good receiver and also plays well on special teams.

Despite all his experience, Washington is fighting an uphill battle to make this team. It’s still unknown how many receivers the Eagles will carry this season so it’s hard to determine exactly what Washington’s odds are. However, there are a lot of guys listed in front of him right now so he’s going to need to do some things to make himself stand out.

In this week’s podcast we discussed the following:

- General Training Camp information
- Rookie contracts
- Offensive position battles
- Defensive position battles
- Players on the bubble
- Questions we received on Twitter
- Dark horse players to keep an eye on
- Contest details

In terms of the last item, we have opened up a new contest but you will have to listen to the podcast for all the details.

If you listen to the podcast (which you should), please leave us some feedback.

Thanks and enjoy!

On the offensive side of the ball, the first battles takes place up front. Jamaal Jackson’s injury in the 2009 season is extending into 2010, creating a battle for the starting spot. Nick Cole filled in last year and is slated as the starter right now. He will have A.Q. Shipley and Mike McGlynn trying to take his spot.

In the backfield, there is a battle for the third running back position which should be fun to watch. I talked about it a little while back. There are some players with different running styles competing for the third spot so it will be interesting to see which direction the Eagles go in.

With the wide receivers, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant are the easy pick for the first three receivers. At the fourth receiver position, Riley Cooper and Hank Baskett will battle it out. Baskett has already had a tour with the Birds so that it may be an advantage for him, but Cooper is a young talent that will definitely give him a run for his money.

On the defensive side of the ball, there appears to be some good battles at just about every position, including a number of starting positions.

In the secondary there are big questions at both safety and corner. Both positions have one definite starter but a question on the other side. At safety, Nate Allen is projected to be the starter with not as much competition with the loss of Marlin Jackson. The players trying to battle behind Allen haven’t been able to fill the void left by Brian Dawkins so it seems unlikely that anyone will make a charge to start.

At corner, the Eagles have moved Macho Harris back to corner and he could possibly be the opening day starter. Behind him Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs will be the favorites to take the spot, but there is a group of other players who will try to make a charge as well.

Ernie Sims and Stewart Bradley look to be sure fire starters, and it looks like Moise Fokou will fill in on the other side. However, I’m a fan of Akeem Jordan and wouldn’t mind seeing him fit into the mix as well.

The biggest battle I’m interested in on the defensive line is who’s going to line up opposite Trent Cole this year. Everyone is pulling for Brandon Graham but nothing is set in stone for him. The Eagles have accumulated a ton of defensive ends so there will be some serious battles in camp, even beyond the starting spot.

It’s going to be a very interesting Training Camp to say the least. What battles are you looking forward to most?

One thing to think about is the impact Michael Vick had in the red zone last year. We saw a few different formations that turned out to be pretty effective with Vick at quarterback. Lining up in a spread formation, Vick can tuck the ball and run as well as drop back and pass. I expect to see Vick in the red zone a lot again this year because he presents a lot of versatility and is hard to game plan for.

In normal formations with Kevin Kolb under center, I see the team having a lot of options as well. To start, you can look at some of the returning players who will have an impact.

Brent Celek is a great red zone target and had a breakout season last year. He’s got great hands and seems to be able to find the open seams pretty well. You can only expect him to get better at reading defensive formations and putting himself in the right place to get open.

At receiver, you have DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin who present a lot of speed and can be hit on quick passing routes. These two guys have typically used their speed to their advantage for deep balls down the field, but their speed can definitely be a big advantage in the red zone. Jason Avant is another great target in the red zone. He’s not a speed guy like the other two but has good size and can go across the middle. Avant has proven how much of an asset he is to this team and I expect him to continue to find success.

In the backfield, you have Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy. Weaver proved to us that he’s more than just a fullback and can carry the rock when needed. He can pound the inside and will probably see looks when the Eagles have the ball on the goal line. McCoy isn’t the greatest red zone threat running the ball, but he can definitely present problems by catching balls out of the backfield.

Beyond those players, the Eagles have some additional guys who could help the red zone attack as well.

First, the Eagles could have a real gem in tight end Cornelius Ingram. He missed last season with a knee injury but is a total athlete. Ingram won’t impress you with his blocking, but his pass catching ability is great. If he can stay healthy, I think Ingram will see a lot of looks in the red zone.

The return of Hank Baskett and addition of Riley Cooper gives the Eagles some “go get it” receivers in the red zone. Both have good size and could be used in jump ball type situations. We’ve seen Baskett do it with some success in prior seasons, and it’s nice to have that option available again.

Adding Mike Bell and having large options behind him like Charles Scott should definitely help in the goal line situations. As good as Weaver is in short yardage situations, it would be nice to let him block while a big bruising back follows on his tail with a full head of steam.

The Eagles definitely have plenty of options in the red zone this year, and I hope they can use them all to their advantage.

The Eagles opened the free agency period by signing Leonard Weaver to a new deal. He proved he was worth a deal last year and is now getting paid like he should be. Weaver will be with the Eagles for three more seasons, and hopefully will be producing much like he did last season.

Jason Avant was also given a new deal and will spend five more years with the team. He doesn’t have the flash or pizazz like DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin, but he is a very key performer and definitely needed to be resigned.

Next, the Eagles made a signing of a player outside the organization by adding former Colts defensive back Marlin Jackson. Jackson has not been able to finish the past two seasons due to knee injuries so there is some concern there. Another concern is that he will be asked to move to the free safety position after playing mostly corner back. This shouldn’t be too big of a concern; however, since he has experience playing the position before. Jackson also isn’t guaranteed a whole lot of money and will have to earn it by staying healthy. Overall, I think it was a good signing for the money.

The Eagles added another outside player by signing former Air Force Academy graduate Chad Hall. He is a small, shifty receiver who racked up a ton of all-purpose yards during his time at Air Force. More than likely, he will try to make the team by playing special teams and perhaps even taking on some of the return duties.

Last, the Eagles brought back wide receiver Hank Baskett (and Kendra) with a one-year deal. He’s carrying a bad reputation right now due to his screw up in the Super Bowl but has always been a solid special teams contributor for the Eagles.

So the Eagles haven’t wowed anyone with their free agency moves thus far, but they did some things that were necessary. Plenty of speculation is still flying about the quarterback situation and we will have to just keep an eye on that. Maybe that is where the Eagles will finally make the big splash we’ve all been waiting for.

As I expected, it didnt’ take Baskett very long to find a new team. Should be interesting to see how much playing time he gets with Peyton Manning and the Colts. I wish him the best of luck.

- Injuries: Todd Heremanns will be out, Quintin Demps (Hamstring), Joe Mays (shoulder), and Donovan McNabb (ribs) will not practice today but are day to day.
- If McNabb is unable to start Sunday’s game, Kevin Kolb will be the starter; Jeff Garcia will be the backup.
- If Mcnabb is able to start Sunday’s game, Kolb will be the backup; Garcia will be third string.
- McNabb is making progress; however, it is still too early to make any fair assessments.
- Garcia will not take reps with the starters, he will split snaps with Michael Vick on the scout team. Reid said that Kolb can gain a lot from these two guys because they’re willing to share.
- Reid said that McNabb could play Sunday with “very little practice this week” because he knows the offense so well.
- Although he has very little game experience, Reid said he and the coaching staff are very confident in Kolb’s abilities.
- The reason Vick was activated is because Reid wanted him to get back practicing with players instead of coaches. He wants him to get his timing down.
- When asked why he put Shawn Andrews on the IR he said that he was unable to function and play football. Reid said Andrews will rehab in Philly for a week then go else where. Most likely to LA, near the team doctor. When asked if the injury was career threatening, Reid said he did not believe so.
- On the possibility of signing John Runyan, Reid said he was “good with the roster” as it stands.
- Reid was asked if Brian Westbrook might see increased touches with the absence of McNabb. He said that Westbrook is a major part of the offense no matter who is on the field and they are lucky to have him.
- When asked about the Hank Baskett move, Reid noted that Baskett was one of his favorite guys. He said that Reggie Brown can fill in as a starter if it were ever necessary and that Brandon Gibson showed a lot in camp. Reid said this situation was a good problem to have.

Vick will still be unable to play in the Week 2 contest with the Saints but now will be able to participate in practice with the team. It looks as if the Eagles want him to get some reps in with the team to prepare himself for his Week 3 debut against the Chiefs.

Baskett will have to clear waivers before he can be signed anywhere. Although he was released from this team, I think he will be able to find a job pretty quickly. He is a tall receiver and also plays well on special teams.

Reggie Brown looked good in the last game but how many chances does this guy really deserve? I don’t think the Eagles are ready to take another chance with him. There’s gotta be someone who would at least give up a late round pick for him. Take it.

Hank Baskett has what Eagles wide receivers tend usually not to have, size. He isn’t a monster but he does have good height and jumping ability. This is what makes him a threat around the goal line with the fade pass. The question is whether or not he can contribute in other areas.

If the Eagles keep five receivers, who do you think fills the final spot? Do you think there’s any chance they keep six receivers?