Reid on Samuel's absence

In all of his 11 years as the Eagles coach, Andy Reid couldn't recall an instance when a veteran player that wasn't excused or had a contract squabble attended the first week of organized team activities only to skip the second week.

But that's exactly what cornerback Asante Samuel did when he opted out of this week's OTAs.

"They're not mandatory camps," Reid said to The Inquirer today. "That's the thing. There's nothing I can say on that."

A team spokesman said yesterday that Reid was disappointed. The coach declined to elaborate today.

With Samuel home working out in Florida, according to various reports, the Eagles are without their two starting cornerbacks. Sheldon Brown, who is seeking either a new contract or a trade, is taking advantage of the "voluntary" tag on this minicamp. Aside from Samuel and Brown, every other player is in camp.

Samuel, who signed a six-year, $57.14 million contract last season as a free agent, was by far the most vocal Eagle during last week's four practices. Dimitri Patterson and Joselio Hanson split reps at Samuel's left cornerback spot yesterday.

The Eagles continue OTAs today. Check back for updates.