Philadelphia Eagles: Vets and Rookies Fight for Spots on Birds' Roster

(Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA—Just about every NFL analyst and pundit said the Eagles had the best offseason in terms of free agent signings and draft picks.

At least, on paper.

For all of that to be true for the Birds on the field means that the new players, especially the rookies, are going have to convince the Eagles' coaching staff that they are better than the players that already here.

During the first week of minicamp following the NFL Draft, Eagles head coach Andy Reid said he expects rookies to be in thick of all the battles for starting spots on the Birds roster.

“We're going to take it all the way through training camp and see how they do,” Reid said. “If I feel like they're ready to play, we'll put them in there. My time line is that you get ready right (to start) now. We're going to throw a lot of things at them and we're going to see if they can digest it.”

With Birds cornerback Sheldon Brown upset with Eagles management over his contract and demanding a trade, the fight for the right cornerback spot got interesting when the team traded for former New England Patriots corner Ellis Hobbs.

The team apparently made the move for the younger Hobbs in case Brown decides to hold out from training camp or if he became so much of a distraction that they have to send him on his merry way.

Meanwhile, Brown said he welcomes the competition from Hobbs and does not see him as an enemy combatant or a threat to his position.

“They bring in people every year now, so don't get it twisted. I've been fighting for my job every year,” Brown told a group of reporters when he first arrived to minicamp on May 1. “If Ellis Hobbs makes the football team better, he needs to be on the football period and I have no problem with that.”

Hobbs said he doesn't view himself as a guy brought in as an insurance policy to Brown's trade demands. For him it's an opportunity to compete for a starting position.

“One man's trash is another man's treasure, that's how I look at it,” Hobbs said.

“Somebody felt like it was time for me to move on in that area and somebody else said the time is here and the time is now for me, so I don't look at it in that sense of they're using me as a statement call or anything like that.I just see this as a window of opportunity.”

The statistical comparison between the two is interesting. Brown had 55 tackles, one interception, and 20 pass knockdowns in 2008. Hobbs had 47 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions.

Another possible training camp battle in the Birds secondary will probably be at the free safety position. According to the Eagles unofficial depth chart—second-year safety Quintin Demps is the starter at that spot, but will no doubt get a challenge from newly signed Eagles safeties Rashad Baker and Sean Jones.

At this point, Demps, who signed a five-year contract, might have the advantage because of his familiarity with Jim Johnson's defense and the fact that he got significant playing time as a rookie. But Baker and Jones also have something to prove as well.

Jones (6'11", 224 pounds) spent the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Brown and is coming off a solid season in 2008 despite missing four games because of arthroscopic knee surgery. He had 56 tackles, four interceptions and one forced fumble.

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