Everybody gets heir turn, but Fletcher Cox has spent his fair share of time in Jim Washburn’s crosshairs this summer. When the 62-year-old southern flamethrower decides it’s your day, he starts in on you and doesn’t relent. From across the field you’ll hear, “Fletcherrrr!” followed by a series of phrases generally unsuitable for print.

“For one thing, under Wash, you have to have tough skin. If you’re a guy where it’s easy to get under your skin…you’d have a pretty hard time here,” Cox acknowledged.

It makes sense that Washburn would zero in on Cox. After all, the rookie will be thrust into a big role immediately, so it’s important that he is up to snuff. But it’s not all tough love that the defensive line coach is showing the 12^th overall pick.

The positive momentum Brandon Graham built up in the spring carried over to training camp and now into the preseason.

“Brandon’s on a mission,” Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said today. “You can ask him, and he’ll tell you the same thing. He’s on a mission. We expect some good things from Brandon. But he’s in a dogfight, just like all of them. It’s tough to keep 12 of them.”

The idea of using Chris Polk as a lead blocker for the Eagles has been batted around by the powers that be.

“Certainly that’s been discussed and thought of,” said offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. “He is a physical player, isn’t he? I think Chris Polk is an excellent football player. I think he is an excellent ball carrier, I think he could be an excellent blocker as well.”

Throughout America, August is a month for optimism in NFL cities.

It’s not difficult to find stories about rookies looking great in camp, players who have had great offseasons and coaches vowing to make adjustments in the year ahead.

But every now and then, it’s important to look at the past.

So without further ado, here are five things to remember about the Eagles’ defense – some good, some bad – with an eye on the upcoming season.

Last summer, when Asante Samuel thought he might get traded, he responded by telling reporters that perhaps the Eagles no longer needed his “play-making ability.”

The veteran cornerback, now with the Falcons, prides himself on reading quarterbacks and coming up with interceptions. His 45 picks rank fourth on the active list.

But in last night’s preseason game, the Bengals took advantage of Samuel, as wide receiver A.J. Green beat him with a double-move and hauled in a 50-yard touchdown from Andy Dalton.

The Eagles have an interesting decision to make when it comes to Bryce Brown. Despite a concerning collegiate path, they selected him in the seventh round because of his undeniable talent. His ability to tote the ball has shone through, and his mind appears to be in the right place.

Still, the pass-protection issue lingers. Brown was not used as a blocker at Tennessee or Kansas State, and remains raw in that area.

“I’m still a work in progress because I haven’t done it before,” said Brown. “I’m starting to realize that the more you are able to recognize the blitzes before they come, it’s going to help you a whole lot in picking things up.”

Nnamdi Asomugha, Antonio Dixon and Joselio Hanson all started practice Thursday afternoon at the Novacare Complex, but none of them finished.

Back in 2009, Leonard Weaver did it all.

He was a lead blocker, he picked up the blitz, he ran the ball (70 times for 323 yards, 4.6 yards per carry), and he caught the ball (15 catches for 140 yards).

And in the process, he made the Pro Bowl.

So when we talk about the fullback position in the Eagles’ offense, it’s important to remember that personnel almost always determines who’s on the field.

Vick says Foles has what it takes to be a great quarterback in the NFL. Plus, Trent Cole weighs in on the overflow of talent along the defensive front, and talks about just how many sacks this unit is capable of.

Tra Thomas kept it together for about 57 seconds.

Officially retiring as an Eagle at the Novacare Complex today, he watched a short highlight video of his time with the Birds before stepping to the podium.

He thanked owner Jeffrey Lurie, talked about transitioning from a defensive end to an offensive tackle in college and remembered when the Eagles drafted him in 1998.

But then Thomas got to his coach, Andy Reid.

Andy Reid said that Nnamdi Asomugha, coming off a worse-than-it-looked midair collision with Nate Allen, will return to practice Thursday afternoon. Asomugha was suffering from whiplash-like sypmptoms and a busted lip, but did not sustain a concussion.

Casey Matthews (high ankle sprain), Riley Cooper (collarbone) and Jason Babin (calf strain) will not suit up.

The battle continues.

Yesterday, T-Mac provided us with a good laugh with his latest 53-man roster projection.

Now it’s my turn. I’ve got some changes from last week. Here goes nothing.

So how are the Eagles looking coming out of training camp? What will they hang there hat on, and where will they be exposed? After three weeks of watching the 2012 Eagles, here is a quick ranking of the positions, from strongest to weakest:

Last season there was an aura of tension around DeSean Jackson. He wasn’t happy. His coaches felt it, his teammates felt it, the media felt it. You approached him knowing his reaction would be to furrow his brow and quickly identify the nearest exit.

This uneasiness floated around the team for the entire year, and was one element in a recipe for what turned out to be a disaster of a season.

Michael Vick went out of his way on the final day of training camp to praise Jackson for his dedication, commitment and efforts to become a leader this offseason. There has been a shift in attitude, which his teammates have seem to have taken notice of.

“He’s different towards me,” said Jason Kelce. “I don’t know if that has anything to do with the contract or whatever. I think all around he’s just in a better mood.”

The Battle Royale between Tim and Sheil continues. Does Jaiquawn Jarrett make the cut after a bad game against the Steelers? And, with all the depth along the defensive front, who will be left off?