McDougle among Eagles in fight for roster spot

BETHLEHEM, Pa. At this point of training camp, any prediction about how the Eagles' season will go down would be a bit premature.

If there is one certainty, it would be the agonizing decisions coach Andy Reid and his staff will have to make to trim the roster to the league-mandated 53 by the start of the regular season.

Most starting spots and many of the backup assignments already are known. However, the competition for the non-starting linebacking and defensive end positions figures to be particularly healthy, based on what the players jostling for those spots have shown through the first two full contact days of camp.

We start with the man the public forgot 2003 first-round draft pick Jerome McDougle, who's as fit and agile as ever and who certainly hasn't been forgotten by the coaching staff or his teammates.

McDougle was very active in Sunday's live sessions, looking especially sharp when sacking A.J. Feeley on one play and getting off a block to make a good tackle in the run game on the next snap during the second live scrimmage.

"All the ends that I go up against right now can be starters," left tackle Tra Thomas said. "McDougle can definitely be a starter, easy. Darren Howard is a starter. So I'm not going out there and seeing backup ends. I mean, we are stacked (at defensive end). We are really stacked."

Howard, who so far has failed to live up to the reputation he developed in New Orleans after being signed as a free agent in 2006, drew praise from defensive coordinator Jim Johnson.

"I think this is going to be a good year for him," Johnson said. "I anticipate a good year. I see a player who is in much better shape. His weight is down and he looks quick to me. I think he had a great offseason, as far as working on it and being around the complex, also.

"He was a good role player for us last year. We expect more out of him this year. He made some big plays toward the end right there. We hope he continues. He just looks like a different player to me right now."

Considering there only will be room for five ends, at the most, with Trent Cole, Juqua Parker and Victor Abiamiri being considered locks, it means McDougle, Howard, Bryan Smith and Chris Clemons are essentially battling for two spots.

This will come down to the wire.

(nj.com)