Eagles: Camp tour | 
Judge
1. So much for questions about Donovan McNabb's effectiveness. The quarterback, recovering from a season-ending knee injury, opened an afternoon practice last week with a perfectly thrown 40-yarder to wide receiver Reggie Brown. Then he hit Jason Avant. And running back Correll Buckhalter. And Kevin Curtis. McNabb says he's 75 percent, but don't believe it. "If he's 75 percent," said running back Brian Westbrook, "it's going to be scary when he's 100." McNabb looks comfortable and confident and isn't afraid to flush the pocket and run. Coach Andy Reid isn't surprised, saying McNabb has no swelling or discomfort in the knee. "But we're going to take it day-to-day and see how he does," Reid said. "He's trained so hard I'm not sure this (training camp) is any harder than what he put himself through." Still, the club will take no chances. Reid said he "most likely" won't play McNabb in the team's Aug. 13 exhibition opener at Baltimore and might not play him a half in any game this summer.
2. This team is not short at wide receiver. Reggie Brown is the top dog and looks like someone on the verge of a breakout season. But there is a glut of candidates competing for the No. 2 position, with free-agent pickup Curtis the early leader. That's not expected to change, which means the race is on for the third job. Look for Avant to push Hank Baskett, with most close to the club touting Avant as the winner. That's good for fans who kept their No. 81 jerseys. Avant picked up the number after Terrell Owens left town.
3. One of the free agents flying under the radar is defensive back Chris Smith, and if you don't remember him, roll the videotape to the University of Miami-Florida International brawl last October. Smith was involved. In fact, he punched the Miami punter and was dismissed from the team. The Eagles signed Smith after he convinced them he's not a risk, and so far, so good. He has a chance to stick as a backup and special teams player. "I have a lot to prove," said Smith. "Especially with my teammates. I don't want them to think I'm the type of guy who's always trying to fight. I'm just trying to be a good team player." Smith conceded it wasn't easy trying to clean up his image, but he persuaded the Eagles to take the leap -- and they're happy with the results. "It was hard talking to a lot of scouts because that was the first question they asked me," said Smith. "I didn't want to come off as a bad guy. So I wanted to clear my name up. That was the hard part about it. I was being honest about the whole thing and didn't try to make it seem like it wasn't my fault. I took full responsibility for it, and I think that helped a lot. That incident taught me a lot. It was a hard time in my life, to be honest with you, and it taught me how to handle my emotions on the field."
4. There was no shortage of criticism last year of the Eagles linebackers: Two of them didn't play well, and the third, middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, seemed to wear down. Now the Eagles plug Chris Gocong and Takeo Spikes at the outside spots, with Trotter manning the middle again. Just a hunch, but linebacker won't be a concern again. Trotter reported 12-13 pounds lighter and is playing faster. "I was really concerned with him in the spring minicamps with the way he was moving," said defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. "But I don't see that now. I see a much better player because his weight is down." Spikes looks like the player he was before suffering an Achilles injury and is a key to the Eagles' plans to attack the pocket. If there is a wild card here, it's Gocong, a third-round pick in 2006 who sat out last year with a neck injury. For that reason look for Gocong -- a converted defensive end -- to play a lot this summer. "There are so many things I like about the kid," said Johnson. "He's smart, and he's physical. Now we've got to see him live."
5. There could be a battle at punter. The Eagles signed free agent Sav Rocca, a 6-foot-5, 243-pound Australian rules football star, and he's beginning to push incumbent Dirk Johnson. "The guy's impressive," general manager Tom Heckert said of Rocca. The Aussie last week launched a battery of monster punts, including a 68-yarder that landed at the 2, but distance won't be his problem; consistency could be. And, for now, Johnson has the edge there.
