Eagles Notes | Birds add Davis at cornerback

The Eagles made one final roster move for the 2007 season yesterday when they signed cornerback

Tanard Davis

and released wide receiver

Michael Gasperson

.

Davis, who had been on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad this season after spending time on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad last year, admitted to being surprised when his agent called on Christmas Eve and told him the Eagles wanted him.

"It's the last game of the year, so I wasn't expecting it," Davis said after being issued No. 41. "It was a good Christmas gift. I was driving to my father's house in Atlanta when my agent called me. I spent a few hours with my father and then had to turn back and catch a flight from Charlotte."

Davis, 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds, was initially signed by the Colts in 2006 as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Miami. He played three seasons with the Hurricanes and earned a scholarship before his junior year after initially making the team as a walk-on. He was considered a special-teams standout at Miami, where he was also a track star.

"I just want the opportunity to show I can help the team in any shape or form," Davis said. "I don't know too much about the defense, but special teams is just out there being a beast. If they ask me to do that, I'm ready to go."

Gasperson, who had spent three seasons on the Eagles' practice squad, got his first chance to play in a regular-season game Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and dropped a first-quarter pass from

Donovan McNabb

. He did not get a chance to catch a second one.

"This has nothing to do with the way Michael played at all," Eagles coach

Andy Reid

said.

As expected, McNabb is going to start the Eagles' season finale against Buffalo, which means that rookie

Kevin Kolb,

the team's top draft pick in April, is not likely to play.

Reid said he wasn't really tempted to see Kolb play this season.

"I know what he can do, and I'm not worried about him in the future," Reid said. "I don't think one game is going to determine his future."

Reid said he was convinced Kolb has made progress simply by watching this season. He played in just one offensive series, at the end of the Eagles' Week 3 rout against Detroit. Kolb completed 70 of his 106 passes for 623 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason.

"I think he has a tremendous grasp of the offense for a young guy," Reid said. "A lot of that is Donovan and

A.J. [Feeley]

coaching him up, along with experienced coaches in [quarterbacks coach]

Pat Shurmur

and [offensive coordinator]

Marty Mornhinweg

. He's absorbed it. He's got a good knack for things."

McNabb gave an interesting answer when asked if he was happy that Kolb would remain the emergency quarterback against the Bills.

"I want Kevin to play," McNabb said. "I've been in a situation where I was a draft pick, and you're on the sideline and you just want to get in there and play. I want him to play. We're going to do what we can to make sure that everybody gets an opportunity to play."

Safety

Brian Dawkins

(sprained foot), linebacker

Omar Gaither

(bruised quadriceps), cornerback

Lito Sheppard

(sore knee), and tight end

L.J. Smith

(sprained knee ligament) missed practice yesterday. Running back

Brian Westbrook

(knee) practiced on a limited basis. Guard

Shawn Andrews,

who sat out Sunday's game against the Saints with a sprained knee ligament, returned to practice and said he expected to play against the Bills.

Sheldon Brown

(shin) also practiced and is expected to play.

- Bob Brookover