Jarrett, DRC likely to start

The Eagles might get a glimpse of their secondary of the future Sunday with Jaiquawn Jarrett slated to start for Kurt Coleman and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie looking likely to start in place of Asante Samuel.

Coach Andy Reid said it would be a "stretch" for Samuel to play Sunday, saying the corner has bleeding in his injured hamstring. Coleman was placed on the injured reserve today with a partial bicep tear.

In a mild surprise, LeSean McCoy is not practicing today after spraining his ankle Saturday. Reid did not give much indication on whether McCoy will play, so his status Thursday bears watching.

Jarrett, a second round pick in April, has just one start this year and has not made much of an impact on special teams. Reid, asked why Jarrett hasn't seen the field much, said Coleman and Nate Allen's improvement were the reasons, not the rookie's struggles.

Still, this will be Jarrett's second chance to show something in his rookie year and head into the offseason with something to build on.

"Every day you get better," he said. "I'm much more comfortable this month than I was last month."

"Any time you're on the field is an opportunity to show what you can do," he added.

Asked if he was disappointed by his rookie year, Jarrett said, "never disappointed. It's a long process. Learning, you've got to learn the game of football."

Rodgers-Cromartie started against the Cowboys and looked more comfortable playing in his familiar spot on the corner rather than in the slot, where he has spent much of the season. But today he said he didn't have a preference and expects to be in the slot next year if all of the team's cornerbacks return.

But it seems likely that the Eagles will part ways with at least one of their top corners, with many observers expecting Samuel to go. Samuel is due a significant raise, his interception numbers have dropped and he has made his frustration known over being dangled as trade bait in the offseason.