Manster

Spikes was brought in and he should be the starter at one of the OLB spots and with Trotter and Gaither fighting over the middle the only question is who will start at the other OLB.

Mat McCoy was drafted in the second round in 2005 but has shown little to prove that he is not a bust let alone a starter. Gocong was a DE in college trying to make the switch to LB. While he does have the ability to do this physically, mentally it can take a little while to get use to. The Eagles also added Bradley in the draft this year. Since he is a rookie it could take him some time to get use to the Eagles defense but he could be the starter before the end of the season.

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Professor

Dirk Johnson vs. Sav Rocca. The punting job is an open competition, with the preseason performances likely to determine who sticks around.

"I think it's going to be about consistency," Heckert said. "One guy [Rocca] has never punted in an NFL game before, so the preseason is going to be huge for him. I don't think the pressure will be a big deal because [Rocca] has played under pressure conditions in the Australian League. But he has to show he can do it in a real game with guys flying in and trying to block his punts. Right now, I think they're both punting well. It should be a good battle."

Johnson, 32, won the job in an open competition with veteran Lee Johnson back in 2003. His lack of consistency last season prompted the Eagles to sign Rocca, a strong-legged star in the Australian Rules Football League who is trying to make the transition to the NFL.

Eagles' roster spots up for grabs | Inquirer | 07/27/2007

Rocca, at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, would be the most imposing punter in franchise history. He already has made a smooth transition as a holder for placekicker David Akers should he win the job.

Brodrick Bunkley vs. the veterans. The second-year defensive tackle has been given the responsibility of replacing the traded Darwin Walker as a starter, but the Eagles also added some insurance by signing veteran free agents Montae Reagor and Ian Scott.

"We're giving [Bunkley] the job, but he's got to perform," Heckert said. "I'll be shocked if he's not the guy. He had a great off-season, and he really knows what's going on."

Chris Gocong vs. the other young players. Like Bunkley, Gocong enters camp with a starting job. Unlike Bunkley, Gocong's competition comes from a couple of other guys with no experience at the strong-side linebacker position.

Gocong, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, is followed by rookie third-round draft pick Stewart Bradley and Tank Daniels on the depth chart. Daniels, an undrafted free agent in his second season, is the only one of the three with any NFL experience, but that came mostly on special teams and briefly at weakside linebacker in the Eagles' regular-season finale.

"All three of those guys are super athletes, and they're all big," Heckert said. "This is the first time I think we've had three legitimate Sam linebackers since I've been here. It'll be fun to watch those guys."

Slot time. Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis are expected to be the top two wide receivers, but the Eagles must decide who will occupy the slot position when they go to a three-receiver set. Hank Baskett, coming off a strong rookie season, and fellow second-year player Jason Avant are expected to compete for the No. 3 spot.

If Baskett wins the job, Curtis could line up in the slot when the Eagles go to a three-receiver set. Avant, on the other hand, would line up in the slot if he won the No. 3 job, leaving Curtis on the outside.

"We like what we saw from Hank last year, and we have high expectations for Jason Avant," Heckert said.

Bloom vs. Sampy. The plan was for Jeremy Bloom to compete against Bethel Johnson for return duties. Johnson, however, showed up at the first minicamp injured and was later released. He has since signed with the Houston Texans, leaving the door open for Bloom to handle both punt and kick returns.

Who's his competition?

The answer is wide receiver Bill Sampy, who had an impressive training camp as an undrafted free agent last year and spent the season on the practice squad.

McDougle, Lewis and Moats vs. the numbers. Defensive end Jerome McDougle, wide receiver Greg Lewis, and running back Ryan Moats have a combined 10 seasons with the Eagles, but all three will be hard-pressed to extend their careers.

"We're going to have some tough decisions because of number situations," Heckert said. "We kept 10 offensive linemen and 10 defensive linemen last year, but I don't know whether we'll do that again this year. We think we have five really good running backs. Do we keep two tight ends or three, five receivers or six?"

Let the competition begin.

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