Amidst the ongoing Evan Mathis situation, the Eagles continue to do the best they can to pump up Allen Barbre and the other guards they have on the roster.

Eagles Believe Barbre Is Underrated – Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles’ offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland discussed offensive guard Allen Barbre, and had more kind things to say about the veteran guard.

Stoutland believes that Barbre is severely underrated, and could surprise a lot of people in the coming year. The Eagles’ line could certainly use some good surprises, especially with Evan Mathis’ status in doubt.

Barbre is a lock to start at one of the guard positions this year, and while the Eagles seem pretty happy with him, I’m concerned that they may putting way too much faith in him. Barbre has been a guy that everyone from Stoutland, to Howie Roseman, to Chip Kelly has spoken positively about ever since he got here, but I feel like a lot of that praise comes from the limited action he saw in certain spots of the 2013 season.

Last year when Barbre was set to begin the year as a starter, he did not look good at all in the preseason before going down for the year with an injury.

Eagles Searching For A Cover-Safety – Philly.com

As the Eagles’ seemingly eternal search for a competent starting safety continues, defensive coordinator Billy Davis stated that the Birds are searching for a safety that can support them more in coverage rather than the run game.

Cover skills are more important to Davis at the moment than a guy who can deliver a big hit. It makes sense at the moment, since the Eagles have such a strong front seven, they should be able to handle most opposing running games without much support from the safeties.

Combine that with the fact that the Eagles struggled so heavily a year ago when it came to giving up big plays, and it makes sense that the team would want a safety that can help solidify the back end of the unit and help cut down on those big plays.

Tim Tebow, Marcus Smith Among Players Fighting For Roster Spots – NJ.com

Eliot Shorr-Parks took a look at 10 Eagles that are currently locked in battles for roster spots between now and the end of the summer.

Among them are quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Marcus Smith.

I think Tebow is going to be given every opportunity to make the team. The coaching staff clearly isn’t high on Matt Barkley at this point, and the opportunity to add new wrinkles into the offense is something that is too juicy for Chip Kelly to pass up.

I’m not so sure about Marcus Smith at this point. Smith already isn’t in good graces with the coaching staff, which wouldn’t put him on the field in his rookie year, and has missed all of OTA’s with a muscle injury. That’s not going to go a long way towards giving him an edge. If Smith doesn’t show anything, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Eagles cut him.

The Eagles Should Feature Fletcher Cox In Their Defense – GCobb.com

Former Eagle Garry Cobb believes that the Eagles should give Fletcher Cox a chance to be an even bigger part of the defense than he was a year ago.

Cox was a very disruptive force last season, and Cobb believes the Birds should design more schemes that afford Cox even more opportunities to wreak havoc on the opposition.

The problem here is that defensive coordinator Billy Davis needs to be innovative and creative enough to put together said schemes, and I’m not sure that Davis is capable of doing anything more than average.

Davis is the guy who refused to sit Bradley Fletcher and give either Brandon Boykin or Nolan Carroll an opportunity to start when it mattered last year. I’m just not sure that innovative schemes are his strong point.