Eagles' Mathis confirms ankle 'cleanout'

EAGLES STARTING left guard Evan Mathis confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that he has undergone an ankle "cleanout," which Mathis said would sideline him through the remaining spring workouts. Mathis said he expects to be fine by training camp.

The procedure was first reported by CSNPhilly's Reuben Frank.

This would barely be worth noting, except when the Eagles drafted offensive tackle Lane Johnson fourth overall last month, the selection seemed likely to end Danny Watkins' chances of going to camp as a starter; the obvious move would be to start Johnson at right tackle and move Todd Herremans back to guard. Watkins, the 2011 first-round pick who was benched down the stretch last season, would seem unlikely to start ahead of Herremans. Or Johnson.

But now it would seem Watkins will line up with the first-team offense all through the spring, which might help his cause. And as Mathis' situation illustrates, it's hard to predict how injuries will affect who's in starting groups.

Mathis, asked via Twitter direct message if he had anything he wanted to say to Eagles fans, responded: "Yeah. Game 1 is in 4 months." Mathis also said the cleanout was "a good thing."

Rookie quarterback Matt Barkley said on 97.5 FM that the Eagles asked for and received David Akers' permission before giving him jersey No. 2. Barkley, No. 7 at USC, wore No. 5 in high school but said he felt that would be disrespectful to Donovan McNabb . . . Ex-Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris, quickly cut from training camp by the Eagles last summer, was a New York Jet until he was arrested for marijuana possession last week. Over the weekend, Harris was arrested again, for domestic harassment, after allegedly pushing his girlfriend in public. Harris has an arrest history and was dismissed from the Oregon team in 2011.

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