



We got a bunch of new toys for Christmas and tonight we finally get to play with them. Sort of.

The starters are scheduled to play a quarter. That could actually be less. No matter how much or how little we see of the guys, it will be great to finally get the 2011 season started. I know, this is just preseason. Still, it is the beginning of the journey.

Before I get into talking about the players, let’s keep some things in mind.

* We won’t get any answers tonight. Only hints. If Alex Henery is 4 of 4 on FGs, are you going to completely trust him? If he’s just 1 of 4 does that mean he’s awful? No and no. We’re looking to see the guys come out and shake off the rust. The new players need to show they belong. Like I said, we’re going to get some hints about players, but we won’t be able to draw any conclusions.

* This is the first time the team has gone completely live in terms of hitting and tackling. There will be some rust. Guys will miss tackles. Guys will make mistakes. That’s okay. It isn’t good, but the shortened offseason means our players are behind schedule. Holding them to a high standard isn’t fair.

* We’re always vanilla with preseason schemes. We’ll be without our starting WRs. Don’t count on the offense moving up and down the field with ease.

* Juan Castillo calls his first game as a Defensive Coordinator in a long, long time. Back then I was in college and eagerly reading Eagles Digest to keep up with “breaking” news (2 to 4 weeks later). Things have changed a bit since then.

I don’t expect Juan to present a polished product tonight. I’m looking to see how he handles himself on the sideline. I’m curious if there’s any hesitation or confusion as he makes calls at critical situations. He is the leader of the defense. He needs to run it as smoothly as possible to help make the players feel at ease.

Juan has a 2-game grace period to work out the kinks. He needs to be pretty polished in the third preseason game to show us that he can handle the task at hand. Once the regular season starts, there is no leeway. We want results. Doesn’t matter if you’re loyal, nice, or father of the year.

Now’s the time to get the situation under control. I actually think a couple of tough moments might be good for Juan. God forbid those things happen in a real game. I’d rather he had dealt with mistakes already and it wouldn’t affect his confidence.

I do feel a lot better about him as DC than I did a few months back. Juan has done a good job up at Lehigh. Games are the hard part, but so far, so good with him running the defense.

5 Players I’m Watching the Closest

1. MLB Casey Matthews — Offseason hype is over. Time to see what the kid can do. He’s had a good camp so far, but games are a step up. That’s especially true against a physical running team. I’m looking to see if Casey can run the defense and be stout in the middle.

2. RT Ryan Harris — He’s the only non-rookie on the list. Harris was a good RT in 2008. Problem is…it is 2011. Ryan has impressed in his handful of practices, but keeping Mike Vick’s blindside clean from hits in a live game is vastly different. I’m optimistic, but I want to see what Harris does in our scheme.

3. RG Danny Watkins — He’s already a step up from Nick Cole and Reggie Wells. How do I know that? He’s got a pulse. Danny is getting a lot of hype from writers/media types that go to Lehigh, but he’s never started a real game at RG. This is a big test for him. I’m excited to see what he does. Danny isn’t the type to shine in practice. I expect him to come alive in a game. Nasty, physical blocker.

4. C Jason Kelce — We’re not sure if Jason will get snaps with the starters tonight. I’d love to see him go up against Ngata or Mount Cody for a few plays just to see what Jason can do. Is he big enough/strong enough for the NFL? I hope we do run a screen pass with him in the game. I want to see Jason fly out wide and level some unsuspecting LB or DB.

5. Alex Henery / Chas Henry — We’ve heard about how strong their legs are. Now we get to see them in action. Is Alex an accurate PK? Is Chas able to control his punts and angle them? Hang time? How does Chas do as the holder for Alex? These guys need a solid performance to keep themselves on pace to start. Any disasters and the Eagles will start calling veterans to line up workouts. I don’t expect the guys to be consistent and polished, but I do need to see that they are workably good.

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Ascending Players To Watch

* TE Clay Harbor — Can’t wait to see how much he’s improved since last year. Harbor has a real high ceiling because he can block, catch, and run. He showed glimpses of all 3 areas last year. How much better is he now? Will he push Brent Celek or is Harbor still a year away from that level?

* WR Riley Cooper — His role on the team is likely going to be diminished by the presence of Steve Smith, but Cooper remains our lone big WR. I think he also can be a very good player. He’s been sharp up at Lehigh.

* DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim — I know fans are down on Teo, but I want to see him play in Jim Washburn’s scheme. Wash liked Teo a lot in last year’s draft class and thinks he can develop the young man. That’s enough to get my attention.

* DE Phillip Hunt — He’s small. He’s quick. He has been King Dunlap’s nightmare matchup. That’s all great, but I need to see what he does in a game.

* DT Antonio Dixon — He looked like a star at times last year. Now he’s allowed to be aggressive and attack. Will that bring out the best in him?

* LB Keean Clayton — I was high on him coming into the summer, but he’s failed to impress me in the limited clips I’ve seen. I’m hoping that I’m just not seeing enough of him. Clayton should challenge for the WLB spot. At the least I want him to show that’s he’s still capable of being a good backup and STer.

* S Kurt Coleman — Don’t think that Jaiquawn Jarrett has been a disappointment. This is a case where Coleman refused to give up the job. He’s played well. Must have heard about Quintin Demps and Macho Harris. Coleman is focused and has no intention of being a backup.

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MISC

* Obviously watching the defense as a whole is going to be interesting. I want to see the alignments and coverages and blitzes. I want to see how the new parts come together.

* I don’t think we’ll see much of the starting defense, but all 3 LBs will be a focal point for me.

* I am looking forward to seeing Jarrett lay the wood to someone. He’s a hitter and that’s been dialed down a lot at Lehigh.

* Is Johnnie Lee Higgins our RS? Who challenges him?

* I trust that Cullen Jenkins is the real deal. Anthony Hargrove is one I want to see with my own eyes. Also look forward to seeing Cedric Thornton.

* I’ve been singing the praises of Brian Rolle since January. Or earlier. I am excited to watch him in action. Rolle is small, but wait til you see how physical he is. I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t blow someone up on D or STs.

* The Eagles are reportedly high on MLB Brandon Peguese. I didn’t watch much of him leading up to the draft. I’m interested to see what he does.

* We’ve talked about the depth at CB. Is Trevard Lindley going to challenge Joselio Hanson for a job? Or is Brandon Hughes going to steal Lindley’s roster spot? And just how good is Curtis Marsh right now?

* We need Austin Howard to get going. The experiment at RT seems to be over. Now it’s time for him to show that he’s okay as our backup LT.

* Who is going to be the #3 RB? We need someone to step up. Graig Cooper might be the guy to watch.

* WR Gerald Jones is a player that has impressed in the drills at Lehigh. Interested to see him in a game situation.

As we all know there is one way tonight will be a true success…NO INJURIES.

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Okay, I didn’t say anything about the big 3 CBs. I’m excited for them, but I’ll be focused on other guys. I know what the CBs can do. I’ve seen Nnamdi shut down WRs. I’ve never seen Casey Matthews tackle Ray Rice.