Posted: Friday August 6, 2004 12:54PM; Updated: Saturday August 14, 2004 11:31AM 
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Postcards from Camp
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Bethlehem, Pa. | Aug. 6
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Where's Peter King?
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On one of my favorite campuses in Training Campland, Lehigh University.
Bring your walking shoes. Or climbing shoes. It's steep here, with hills
everywhere. The Eagles practice three miles from their on-campus home.
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Five Things I Think I Think
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1. I think Donovan McNabb is looking terrific spraying the ball around. "Best camp he's had here," said offensive coordinator Brad Childress.
2. I think there's been a lot of talk about Terrell Owens making the other offensive skill players more productive. On defense, I can see the same thing happening. With all eyes on Jevon Kearse, pass-rushing end N.D. Kalu should get a lot of chances.
3. I think the best rookie I've encountered on this trip might well be right
guard Shawn Andrews, the guy the Eagles traded up in the first round to get last April. Quick, strong and totally unafraid.
4. I think it bugs McNabb that I always bring up the fact that he's not a 60-percent passer. I can just tell.
5. I think the Eagles can say whatever they want about their confidence in
Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, the new starting corners. But this is still the one area they're most worried about. Can they step in from Day One and be 80 percent of what Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor were?
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Fantasy Geek Note
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Don't go wild for Owens. The moral of the story in this camp is
that, yes, he will get his catches, but Owens' acquisition will be beneficial
for everyone. I think I'd move Brian Westbrook pretty far up on the running back list, not only because Owens will help out by moving a safety
consistently to T.O's side of the field, but also because of rookie right guard Andrews,
who has been more than impressive.
Don't pick a tight end from this team very high. There are packages for
Chad Lewis and some for L.J. Smith, so they're going to split the riches.
I think I'd move up McNabb on the QB list to, say, five or six. Owens'
acquisition will cut down on his mistakes and probably increase his accuracy to
the 60-percent range.
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Fun Roster Facts
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1. Good to see Jeremiah Trotter back, having buried the contractual
hatchet with Andy Reid. He's playing first-team short-yardage and goal-line situations, and he seems sure to make the team if his knee holds up.
2. I don't know if Yardon Brantley and Brandon Pinderhughes have much of a chance to make the team, but they sure sound like they'd be good heirs to a fortune if they don't.
3. Free-agent fullback Thomas Tapeh was born in Liberia and learned to speak English by watching cartoons.
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On the Menu
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It's always a good day when you can have lunch at Déjà Brew, the Bethlehem eatery with good music, good movie posters on the wall and the best little dessert in the United States. I loved the "Kaiser Soze," sliced turkey breast and cheese on a kaiser roll, and the latte was terrific and bold in the giant round coffee cup. But the 29-cent peanut butter balls -- sweet little two-bite things covered with diced nuts -- are worth the trip. They're made by the 80-year-old mom of the owner of the place at her home out near
Jim Thorpe, Pa. I am not proud of the fact that I had four of them, but I
defy any human being to eat just one. Can't be done. Grade: A.
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Factoid
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Good Deed of the Day: Sheldon Brown is from a small town: Fort Lawn, S.C. It is close to Richburg, S.C. The Eagles have a PR man named Rich Burg. Sheldon Brown procured a Richburg Fire Department T-shirt and brought it to camp for Rich Burg. Today, Rich Burg was driving with the Richburg T-shirt in the front seat of his car.
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Dear NFL Junkie
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It is all T.O., all the time. Thursday morning, when the players walked off the field after practice, Kearse -- who is, after all, the key to their defensive team -- had just two people approach him for interviews or stop him on the way to the locker room. Owens was out on the field for probably 45 minutes after getting dressed. Interviews, meeting and greeting Eagles VIPs and fans, chatting and signing autographs for relatives of Eagles employees ... Amazing how he's getting tugged at by so many people and, apparently, liking
it.
During practice, when Owens catches a ball, even if it's just a passing
drill with no defenders on the field, the crowd oohs and aahs and cheers. He
dropped one yesterday morning, a ball right in his breadbasket, and there was a
collective "Nooooooooo!" A smattering of boos followed.
It was interesting to hear him talk about how disbelieving he was at the
number of "live" practice periods the Eagles have. Those are the sessions
with full tackling and contact. Reid believes in lots of them, and schedules one
almost every practice period. "We never had those in San Francisco," he said.
"I thought the idea was to keep your players healthy for the start of the
season."
Uh-oh. T.O. is getting ready to blow! Watch out!
I sat with Owens for a while yesterday, and he assured me he wouldn't be
blowing. "That's what this coach believes in, and I'm going to do what he
says. It works for this team. It's fine," he said.
You know, here's the interesting thing. It really isn't fine with Owens,
but the fact that he's able to take it and not be a turd about it -- it was counterproductive to even raise it an issue, but that's what you're
always going to get with Owens -- probably is a positive sign about his ability
to coexist with his coach.
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Up Next
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Buffalo Bills, Pittsford, N.Y.
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Click here for more Postcards from Camp
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