I had a chance to check out some clips of the OL/DL 1-on-1 drills on Thursday. That was a lot of fun and interesting to watch. Here are some thoughts:

* Jason Peters is too heavy, but the man was born to block. He went up against a backup DE and threw the guy out of the way. Peters was able to get off the ball and attack the rusher. He couldn’t do that in Juan Castillo’s system. I think Jason is going to love playing for Howard Mudd, except when he’s getting yelled at.

* Todd Herremans looks good as well. Smooth.

* Jamaal Jackson hasn’t really stood out, but looks fine. He’s all the way back health-wise and that’s the real key for him.

* Danny Watkins is a work in progress. He struggled with a backup DT. Watkins is adjusting to the Eagles, the NFL, and a new position. The good news is that he knows he’s behind schedule. Watkins is all but stalking Mudd. Those two are constantly together. I think Watkins will catch up a little bit each day. The preseason opener vs Baltimore will be a huge test for him.

* Austin Howard is the #1 RT as of tonight. That might change on Friday when Ryan Harris is eligible to practice. I was actually encouraged by watching Howard. He has the ability to play in Mudd’s system. Howard is too heavy right now and that’s something he’s working on. The lockout didn’t do him any favors. Howard did a good job of sliding out to pick up pass rushers. That tells you he grasps the system and has the ability to do it. Now he’s got to improve. He was better in the drills than in the live periods. Howard was up and down when it was 11-on-11. I do think he’s got a shot to be the starting RT if he gets in better shape and keeps improving on the field.

* King Dunlap is a major disappointment. He still seems to be moving backward in his pass sets. That’s not what Mudd wants. I don’t know if Dunlap is a slow learner or is just “panicking” and reverting to what he’s been taught for all his NFL career. It is one thing to do real basic drills, but when you get into a competitive situation it is easy to revert to that which you’re comfortable with. Apparently Matt Hasselbeck started calling Seahawks plays in his first practice with the Titans when the tempo picked up. Breaking old habits is hard. Dunlap struggled in 11-on-11 sessions and gave up a couple of sacks in the few clips I saw.

* A.Q. Shipley impressed me today. I guarantee you that Mudd loves Shipley’s style, if not the overall results. Shipley fires off the ball and really attacks the rusher. There is nothing passive about him. Mudd has used Shipley at LG and RG. I think he’s seen snaps at Center as well. I don’t know if this is a compliment and Mudd is cross-training him to be the top interior backup or if Mudd can’t find a home for him. Shipley has a real chance to make the roster, but he must play well in games.

* Jason Kelce is getting mixed in with the starters on a regular basis. That would make you think Mudd is high on him and sees him as the C of the future. Kelce is solid in the drills. He gives ground, but is able to re-set and maintain control of his rusher.

* I haven’t seen enough of Julian Vandervelde to have much of an opinion of him. Same is true for Mike McGlynn.

Some people asked about an O-line depth chart. Let’s see what Ryan Harris does in practice for a couple of days and then make our first depth chart. Evan Mathis could push for a starting role as well. The Eagles want Watkins to be the RG, but he’s not getting the job unless he shows he can handle it.

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I mentioned in the previous post that the Eagles signed a pair of camp body DTs. #78 is Brandon Collier from UMass. While watching the OL today I kept noticing this kid go relentlessly on every snap. That was Collier. He’s only 6’1, 290, but Jim Washburn had some luck in Tennessee with a UDFA named Tony Brown who was a very similar size. I’m not trying to over-hype Collier as some great sleeper, but I do want to give him credit. He hit the practice field today with an attitude. He wasn’t scared of anyone. Collier busted his tail on every snap and got the best of Watkins a few times. Good for Collier. Probably nothing will come of his time here, but I love the fact he’s taking advantage of the opportunity.

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Good news on the “Keep Asante” front. Owner Jeff Lurie had a positive conversation with him and then Asante had a terrific day of practice. He was taunting the offense and acting like his usual self. Maybe the 3 CBs can work.