Eagles insiders

How much can one man overreact to a single OTA session? Well, we’re about to find out. I’ve spent the past several hours observing and talking to Eagles players and administrators. You can read about my conversation with quarterback Kevin Kolb in Thursday’s column. I also spent time with first-round pick Brandon Graham and general manager Howie Roseman. Tight end Brent Celek is next on the agenda. Now, here are some quick-hit observations after a day with the Eagles:

* It doesn’t take long to realize which team the Eagles are gunning for in the NFC East. On one wall in his new office, Roseman has the Dallas Cowboys’ depth chart posted. (Looks like Doug Free and Alex Barron are co-starters). Roseman says the Eagles aren’t obsessing with the Cowboys, but those last two losses aren’t far from his mind. For the record, he has the Saints’ and Colts’ depth charts posted next to the Cowboys’. “That’s who we have to go through based on last season,” said Roseman.

* Rookie safety Nate Allen looks a lot bigger than what I imagined. He’s listed at 6-1, 210 pounds. And I’m told that he’s beefing up as we speak. Roseman and coach Andy Reid love the fact that Allen played quarterback in high school and they believe he has the aptitude to make an immediate impact. Roseman expressed disappointment over Marlin Jackson’s season-ending injury, but he added, “We didn’t take a guy at No. 37 to be on the sideline. We drafted him there so that he could play immediately.” Still, Roseman was watching film of a veteran safety who’s currently on the street when I entered his office. The Eagles aren’t planning to sign anyone immediately, but they’ll be ready if someone else is injured.

* Former Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram, who is returning from an ACL tear, is an impressive looking player. He’s been a little shaky with his hands, but he could be an enormous target for Kevin Kolb. When he opened up on one play down the seam, he appeared to have pretty good speed. I think having a second tight end to go along with the talented Celek would help the Eagles. Right now, the Redskins appear to have the best tandem in the division with Chris Cooley and Fred Davis.

* Former Florida standout Riley Cooper doesn’t look like a fifth-round pick. He was plucking throws from Kolb no matter where he put them, and he and Hank Baskett had excellent days. I’m told, though, that Jeremy Maclin put on a show Monday. He’s added some muscle to his lanky frame and people within the organization believe he’s about to make a similar leap to what DeSean Jackson did in his second season.

* Roseman headed me off at the pass before I could ask about Jackson’s absence. He would only say that Jackson’s had an excellent offseason and that this week’s workouts were “voluntary.” Kevin Kolb was very complimentary of Jackson, but he did note that his absence allowed a couple other receivers to flash this week. I asked Kolb if he knew Jackson was planning to skip this week. He paused and said, “I had an inclination.” He added that he was sure Jackson had “a good explanation.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jackson’s absence wasn’t related to concerns about his contract. But we haven’t been given any other explanation.

* I had no clue it was this gorgeous in Philly in early June. If Reid could’ve guranteed Jackson this 78-degree weather, perhaps he wouldn’t have retreated to Southern California, where’s he reportedly spending the week.

* Baskett was the MVP of today’s session. He made several tough catches in traffic, including an acrobatic play along the sideline with three defensive backs in the area. Kolb simply threw it up high and Baskett made a play.

* Speaking of Kolb, he’s been remarkably sharp this week. He and Celek are close friends, and they’ve brought that chemistry to the field. He fired a pass down the middle of the field that Celek collected without ever having to break stride. There are going to be throws that Kolb doesn’t make as well as Donovan McNabb, but he’s showing excellent touch on passes in the middle of the field. And the fact that he’s hitting his targets in stride will give them an opportunity to make plays. Kolb said he’s never been a position before in which he had this many reliable targets. By the way, Jason Avant might be one of the most underrated players in the game. He catches everything, and he’s capable of making the spectacular play as well.

* Former LSU running back Charles Scott has good quickness, but he’ll have to work on his concentration. On a screen pass, he was looking upfield and dropped the ball.
* I still have my doubts about Moise Fokou as a starter at linebacker, but he was excellent in coverage Tuesday. He raced down the center of the field and broke up a pass to Celek 25 yards from the line of scrimmage. It was a big-time play and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was the first to rush over and congratulate him. Keep your eye on seventh-round pick Jamar Chaney out of Mississippi State. That’s the one guy Roseman kept bringing up. The Eagles couldn’t believe they were able to get him at that point in the draft. And so far, he looks like he belongs.

* The Eagles have made first-round pick Brandon Graham a highlight tape of some of the top defensive ends in the league who share his relatively small frame. He’s become a big fan of Denver’s Elvis Dumervil and he’s trying to take some of his moves to the practice field. Graham already knows how to get leverage, but he’s used to offensive tackles taking angles against him. He said it’s been adjustment to face tackles who are dropping straight back. It’s made it more difficult to turn the corner, so he’s trying to refine his inside moves. Graham’s calling his new move the “chop, dip and rip.”

* With Asante Samuel absent this week and Ellis Hobbs sitting out team drills because of a neck injury, Dimitri Patterson and Joselio Hanson were the starting cornerbacks. Macho Harris also received plenty of reps at cornerback. And if you’re looking for a darkhorse in training camp, check out the redemption of safety Quintin Demps. He was in the dog house with Reid last season, in part, because of his mouth. Now, he’s taking a much more mature approach and I think he could earn some playing time. Former secondary coach Brian Stewart told me last season that Demps had immense potential, but he didn’t take advantage of his opportunities. At this point, he’s saying all the right things. And Roseman and Reid have both taken notice.

* This is my first time to attend an Eagles practice when Donovan McNabb wasn’t present. Very strange to look out there and see Kolb running the show with the first team. But he doesn’t seem fazed by all the hoopla surrounding the trade. You can sense how much respect he has from his teammates as he walks around the facility. Some of the rookies actually seem a little nervous around him, which is a bit odd given his lack of experience. But he sort of has a swagger to him that suggests he’s ready for this challenge. I’ll have a lot more on Kolb in Thursday’s column. His college coach, Art Briles, dropped by to see him last week and gave him a few pointers on throwing to his right. Much, much more to come.