Eagles Notebook: Harris the right guy for Vick's blindside?

BETHLEHEM - Eagles left guard Todd Herremans was asked what he knows about Ryan Harris.

"Big kid," Herremans offered after Harris watched the Eagles' afternoon walkthrough from the sideline. "Played for Denver, right? He's here now . . . What number was he wearing, 64? He was wearing No. 64. Jersey was green."

Like most of the players the Eagles have added during camp, Harris has no name on the back of his jersey yet, and no clear idea exactly how he fits into the work in progress being assembled on the practice fields of Lehigh.

We can probably say that Harris, who signed as a free agent Tuesday, fits in ahead of King Dunlap and Austin Howard on the depth chart at right offensive tackle. Ahead of Winston Justice, when Justice is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery? Unclear, especially with coach Andy Reid indicating yesterday that Justice's rehab might not have been handled pefectly during the lockout, when he was away from the Birds' medical staff.

Harris, with 34 starts in four seasons at Denver, certainly presents a credible alternative to Justice, who struggled trying to play with the injury, particularly late last season.

Justice's absence "definitely leaves opportunity in practice now, while he's out, to get on film and show coaches what I'm capable of," Harris said.

Asked how long it takes an offensive line to come together, he said, "It depends. It could be one game, could be one offseason, could be a whole year. It kind of depends on the leadership on the line. Even from [just] being here today, I can tell there's great leadership on this offensive line, they really look out for each other."

Reid said: "Harris is a good football player, and we welcome him into the mix. Winston is just going to continue to rehab until he can get back . . . You guys have been around me long enough where you know that I'll always take care of the offensive and defensive line. I think that's very important. If I see a good one out there that we can work into our cap situation, then we're going to bring him in."

Harris, 26, said he met another new guy, first-round rookie right guard Danny Watkins, during the offseason. Doesn't know anybody else. Doesn't know much about the Howard Mudd "quick set" system he supposedly is so well suited for, at 6-5, 315, up 15 solid pounds, Harris said, from his listed weight.

"I haven't been able to see too much, just being here 9 hours," he said. "I'm confident from working with both systems that I bring a lot to the table, and hopefully I'll be able to show that to my teammates."

Howard has been working with the first team the past few days. He made the squad as an undrafted free agent last year, and is an intriguing project, at 6-7, 333, a former tight end with some athleticism. But in this go-for-it year, the Eagles are not entrusting Michael Vick's blindside to a guy who has played in four NFL games.

"I think it's great," Howard said, when asked what he made of Harris' arrival. "All you can do right now is just play football. Whatever the coaches feel necessary, that they need to bring in, whatever they feel makes us better, then I'm 100 percent for, absolutely . . . They make the decisions. That's what they do; they're good at that . . . Where I stand, I don't know. I don't think anybody knows right now. I think all you can do is go out there, give 110 percent, and have fun while you're doing it."

Reid said being the Eagles' player rep during the lockout affected Justice's ability to rehab the injury. But another source with knowledge of the situation has questioned the regimen Justice followed in Florida much of the offseason - not whether Justice worked hard, but whether his work was properly focused.

"His schedule was a little bit crazy since he was a player rep and he was all over the place," Reid said. "I think it just set back his rehab a little bit. He did a good job with the player-rep part of it, but the lockout, in his case, I don't think helped him get the rehab done on his leg that he needed to. We're doing that. He's a hard worker and very diligent."