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Eagles Select Lane Johnson With No. 4 Pick

By the early look of things, all three of the elite tackle prospects were going to be off the board before the Eagles even got on the clock. Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel went 1 and 2, and the O-line needy Dolphins traded into the third slot, presumably to land Lane Johnson. Instead, they grabbed Chip Kelly‘s old student, Dion Jordan. 

They would have a chance to land a tackle after all.

“We thought he was the most athletic tackle we’ve seen,” said Kelly. “He has a huge upside. He hasn’t played a ton of offensive tackle but he has played the right side and the left side so he has experience at both sides.

“The game is won up front. He’s a tough, physical guy and that’s what I think we were looking for as we went into this draft. It’s an exciting thing when you can target people and get what you’re looking for.”

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Draft Buzz: EJ Manuel On the Rise?

If the Eagles don’t use their first-round pick on EJ Manuel, they are not going to land him. That’s the feeling of one league source close to the situation, who says a couple teams are showing significant interest in the Florida State signal-caller.

“I think the media is pretty far off as far as where they have EJ right now,” the source said.

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Eagles Draft: Sorting Through The Intel

Much has been written about the Eagles and their plans for the draft, which all of a sudden is right on our doorstep. We have heard hundreds of opinions. But at the end of the day, it is the opinions of the key decision-makers inside the NovaCare walls that matter.

Howie Roseman, Chip Kelly and Jeffrey Lurie are in no hurry to divulge their plans, of course. It does them no good. Misdirection gets them farther than truth-telling this time of year. But if we sift through what has been said over the weeks leading up to the draft, maybe we can see the overall picture a little more clearly.

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Mel’s Mock: Then And Now

Mel Kiper and many of his colleagues had a good feel for what players would be plucked early last year. This season? All over the place.

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Breaking Down the Eagles’ 2013 Schedule

The 2013 schedule has been released, and it features just a pair of prime-time games for the Eagles.

The Birds will open the season with a Monday night matchup in D.C. against the Redskins on Sept.9. And Andy Reid comes to town in Week 3 for a Thursday night tilt against the Chiefs on Sept. 19.

The Eagles’ remaining 14 games are on Sunday, and 12 of those 14 are scheduled for 1 p.m. starts.

The Birds start the season with three games in 11 days, and they don’t get the bye until Week 12.

Below is the breakdown (​at ​signifies road games).

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The State Of the Eagles’ Offensive Line

Todd Herremans says he has not watched the draft since 2005. That was the year the Eagles selected him in the fourth round out of Saginaw Valley State.

But next Thursday could affect the ninth-year pro. After moving to right tackle before the 2011 season, Herremans could be asked to slide back inside to guard, particularly if the Eagles use a first-round pick on someone like Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel, Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher or Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson.

So surely Herremans will be tuning in this year, right?

“I’m sure I’ll see it on Twitter,” he said.

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McCoy: ‘It’s Like A Freaking Track Meet’

LeSean McCoy will have no issue sharing the load with Bryce Brown. He won’t be upset if Chris Polk works into the mix.

In this offense, he says, it’s a necessity to rotate backs in and out.

“You’re going to need another back in this offense,” said McCoy. “This is an offense where it’s not a debate, ‘I can do it myself.’ For one, you are going to do more plays than any other offense. Two, the amount of hits. You’re running so much. If you’re faking it, or running it, pass or not, you’re constantly going. I think any back, no matter how great of shape he’s in, is going to need some extra help.

“You’re running so much, it’s like a freaking track meet. It’s like a relay. You need extra guys.”

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Changes Under Kelly: Smoothies, Music And Heart Monitors

As Vinny Curry headed towards the locker room after the Eagles’ second mini-camp practice, there was a snack waiting for him in the hallway.

“Mango, peanut butter and banana,” explained the second-year defensive end.

Post-practice smoothies are just one of many changes these days at the NovaCare Complex. In previous years, players would be tossed Gatorades as they walked off the field. Now, lined up along several tables sat custom-made smoothies with each player’s name written on the plastic cups.

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Cole: I Played Through Snapped Bone, Tendon In Hand

Word got out this offseason that Trent Cole had been dealing with a right hand injury for over a year, and had surgery to address the issue. He filled in some blanks while talking to the media on Wednesday.

“It was an injury I actually had — two years ago it happened to me,” said Cole. “But I kept playing with it and finally it snapped in half and I had to get some surgery. I played through the season with it.”

Snapped what, a tendon?

“I tore tendons and everything. I snapped a bone and a tendon, right at the joint. The surgery went fine to help me get some movement in my hand and go from there.”

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Celek: Eagles’ New Methods Will ‘Change the League’

The Eagles have only had two days of practice under Chip Kelly, but count tight end Brent Celek among the players who are already impressed.

Celek was a fifth-round pick in 2007, only knew one way of doing things through his first six seasons, but is now seeing some sweeping changes at the NovaCare Complex.

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Sheil Kapadia

Sheil

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Sheil Kapadia has been writing about the Eagles since 2008. His previous Philly.com blog, Moving the Chains, was named one of the best in the state by the Associated Press. Sheil's main joys in life are family, football and finding good parking spots.

Tim McManus

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Tim McManus is a bulldog reporter with a nose for news and story angles that will get people talking. He'll talk about it himself on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he serves as a host and Eagles beat reporter. Tim, an award-winning journalist, will be with the team around the clock.

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