July 13, 2008

 One of the reasons the Eagles want Stewart Bradley to win and keep the MLB job is that he has a nice mix of size, speed and instincts, and his range and first step might allow defensive coordinator Jim Johnson to make minor adjustments to his schemes. When Jeremiah Trotter was in the middle, the defense was designed to funnel everything in to him because of his lack of lateral range. And with Omar Gaither inside, Johnson knew Gaither wouldn’t hold up against bigger guards for many snaps a game, so he asked his tackles to hold the point more, rather than attack. Bradley could allow Johnson to pressure more.

 Sources close to WR DeSean Jackson say he is expected to be signed and ready to go well in advance of the Eagles’ training-camp rookie reporting date of July 21. The same is expected of the team’s top pick, second-round DT Trevor Laws.