Three preseason games in, Eagles have good, bad news

SOME THINGS we know about the Eagles after three preseason games, some things we don't know, and some things we're wondering about.

* This whole Howard Mudd offensive-line remake really could be a disaster . . .

What we're seeing in the preseason is what happens when you bring in a coach with a radically different philosophy, including the type of athlete he prefers at his position, and then you take away all the offseason adjustment time. Michael Vick isn't going to live through an extended Jason Kelce break-in-to-playing-center period in the NFL - a complex, nuanced position, which a healthy Jamaal Jackson can play at a high level, whether he matches the Mudd prototype or not.

Kelce's fellow rookie, Danny Watkins, seems alarmingly lost right now at right guard. And suddenly, with Ryan Harris perhaps headed for back surgery, the coaching staff and management are talking about the hoped-for return of Winston Justice as if Winston had a half-dozen Pro Bowl berths under his belt.

Joe Banner talked on WIP this week about balancing what a veteran can bring against where a rookie might be by Week 4 or Week 10, given playing time. That's a nice thought, but if Vick goes down for the season in Week 3, the season is over. Time to play people who aren't going to be flummoxed by stunts and twists, even if their upside is limited. Mudd can tinker next offseason.

Yes, Watkins was drafted with the idea he would start right away. There are other guards on the roster. If he isn't ready, he isn't ready. Let him work his way in. World won't end.

Harris, by the way, was asked by the Daily News yesterday about a Comcast SportsNet report that he has a herniated disk and will require surgery.

"I don't think it's going to come to that," Harris said. "But your source might be better than mine."

* The Eagles are in good shape at running back . . .

LeSean McCoy looks very sharp. Ronnie Brown is a solid, powerful complement. Rookie Dion Lewis has speed, balance and moxie, even if he seems a couple of inches shorter than his 5-8 listing. All have good hands, which is going to be really crucial on dumpoffs, if the offensive line doesn't get lots better.

Brown, accustomed to being a starter in Miami, talked Thursday night about how nice it is to be part of a diversified offense.

"Just to be a part of it, not have to worry about trying to do too much, just being able to play your game and relax, that's always good," Brown said.

* Might be time to worry about Nate Allen . . .

The second-year safety played in the second half against Cleveland, and he didn't look any sharper or quicker than he had in Pittsburgh the week before. Allen is 8 months removed from patellar tendon surgery.

"Toward the end, it started getting a little sore, but that's to be expected," Allen said after Thursday' s game.

Allen said doctors have given him no indication of when his repaired knee might feel normal.

"That tendinitis is in there, and it might be in there the whole season, I don't know. We'll just play it by ear and see how it feels, keep working, day-in and day-out," he said.

As Paul Domowitch noted in yesterday's Daily News, the Jarrad Page signing could turn out to be really important to the Birds' safety corps.

* We've probably seen the last of Joselio Hanson in an Eagles uniform . . .

Andy Reid said Jose, a steady nickel corner here since 2006, didn't play much against the Browns because, "I know what Joselio can do," and it was more important to evaluate Brandon Hughes and Curtis Marsh.

But with the Asante Samuel trade speculation slowing down, there just doesn't seem to be any way the Birds will keep Hanson, at about $2 million this season, to be a fourth cornerback. Especially since they don't want to cut Marsh or even Hughes. Reuben Frank, of CSNPhilly.com, reported yesterday that the team has trade offers for Hanson, who probably won't net much more than a conditional pick.

* Which will come first, DeSean Jackson's new contract or the first play he makes . . .

Not seeing a lot of preseason juice from No. 10. Obviously, he's still working off the effects of that 11-day holdout. But doing something to make people notice he's on the field would be nice.

And reassuring.

* It's great that the red-zone efficiency has been high, but it would also be nice to see more field goal attempts for the rookie kicker . . .

Alex Henery, up and down in practice, is 3-for-3 in games. Not a huge sample size. The rookie punter, Chas Henry, showed something Thursday, driving bombs through the rain, averaging 43.5 yards on four punts. Still not sure we can really trust a guy named "Chas" though.

* Looks as if the pass-rush pressure will be there; overall, defensive line looks good . . .

This should be a really high-revving d-line, as long as the other team is trying to come from behind, throwing the ball. Not sure how things will go if the Eagles are behind. But with Mike Patterson taking 13 or 14 snaps, the Browns rushed for 37 yards on nine attempts in the first half Thursday, which wasn't nearly as alarming as the previous week.

* I have nothing new to say about the linebackers, except that Casey Matthews and Jamar Chaney might have allayed some fears with their play against the Browns. Need to see that about a half-dozen times in a row, in the regular season, before getting too excited.

The Eagles released four players yesterday, reducing their roster size from 90 to 86; they need to be at 80 by Tuesday. Released were defensive tackle Marlon Favorite, running back Derrick Locke, linebacker Brandon Peguese and wide receiver Terrance Turner . . . Remember that 42-yard completion from Mike Vick to Riley Cooper in the first preseason game? It's by far the longest for an Eagles wideout this preseason. Second-longest pass play gain is a 40-yarder by running back Dion Lewis at Pittsburgh. Against Cleveland, nothing went farther than 15 yards.