What to Watch for as Eagles Fly to the Nest

The Eagles 2010 season might not officially start until September but the unofficial start to their season came Monday when rookies and selected veterans reported to training camp.

By 5 p.m. mostly everyone expected to be at Lehigh University in Bethleham, Pa. were there except for unsigned top draft picks Brandon Graham and Nate Allen.

With the Birds back in the nest here are a few things to watch for during the next few weeks of training camp.

1. Michael Vick
The Birds’ backup QB is going to have to deal with reporters and the public for the first time since a man was shot outside Vick’s birthday party last month. Police don’t believe Vick was the shooter but the entire incident put Vick -- who served time for charges related to dogfighting -- back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Dealing with reporters Monday will be one thing, dealing with fans later in camp will be something different for Vick.

2. Can Kevin Kolb Put His Stamp on His Team?
In case you missed it, Donovan McNabb is gone and Kevin Kolb is now the No. 1 guy under center. It will be interesting to see if he can handle the pressure of being a starter. And, fans want to know how long it will take for him to make the Eagles his team.

3. Defensive State of Mind
The Eagles defense has more question marks than certainties. It will be interesting to see if the young unit can gel together and if they can keep other offenses off the field long enough to let Kolb’s offense do their thing. If Sean McDermott’s unit struggles again his job could be on the line. Expect plenty of competition at linebacker, the corner spot aside Asante Samuel and at safety.

4. The Safety Valve
OK talking of safeties, veteran Quintin Mikell is going to be at strong safety but who is going be lining up next to him at free safety? Right now rookie Nate Allen is penciled in to Brian Dawkins’ old spot but with Quintin Demps looking for redemption and Macho Harris having another year under his belt, Allen is going to have to earn his spot.

5. The Punter
Eagles punter Sav Rocca has some competition this season at Lehigh. The Aussie has pooched for the Birds since he won the job in 2007 but this season he could be pushed out. East Stroudsburg grad Ken Parrish is going to put Rocca’s leg to the test and could beat Rocca for the punting job.

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