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Expect Eagles' McKelvin, Carroll to square up corners against Seahawks

HOLD OFF on those contingency plans for some combination of Jalen Mills, C.J. Smith and Aaron Grymes filling in as starting outside corners this week at Seattle.

Eagles cornerback Leodis McKelvin celebrates an interception against the Falcons.
Eagles cornerback Leodis McKelvin celebrates an interception against the Falcons.Read more(Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)

HOLD OFF on those contingency plans for some combination of Jalen Mills, C.J. Smith and Aaron Grymes filling in as starting outside corners this week at Seattle.

Leodis McKelvin and his hamstring seem to be faring well in practice, and like McKelvin, the other veteran starter, Nolan Carroll, was a full participant Thursday, Carroll having successfully navigated the NFL concussion protocol. He left Sunday's victory over Atlanta after an inadvertent helmet-to-helmet hit from middle linebacker Jordan Hicks.

Carroll, 29, said this was his third career concussion, his first since 2013.

"I feel fine," he said. "I had to sleep for about a day and a half. By the time I had that downtime, I felt fine," and was able to pass the testing from an independent neurologist.

"You've got to give yourself a few minutes to kind of calm yourself down, realize what happened, and just go from there," when you take such a hit, Carroll said. "I remembered everything that happened."

Carroll said he was able to answer all the questions he was asked Sunday after the hit, but he told team medical personnel he didn't feel right.

"In three days, I think I went through six or seven tests," Carroll said. "They want to make sure that you're completely fine and have no symptoms. Today was the first day I really just cut loose. They kept monitoring me, to see how I was feeling. I felt fine. It's one of those things - you've got to trust them, they've got to trust you at the same time. You gotta keep it honest with them . . . Sometimes, some guys, they don't want to say anything because they don't want to feel like they're a punk or whatever, but . . . You have to be honest. Your health is more important than anything else."

Carroll said that Hicks apologized, but "I told him, 'Don't feel bad about it.' It's a bang-bang play; it's one of those things that, you know, he didn't really see me. I told him I'm not mad at him, I have no grudges against him . . . Continue to do what you're doing. If it happens again, it happens again. That's just how it is. I don't want him to play any slower; I want him to continue to play fast."

Carroll has started all nine games this season.

Weapons shortage?

It's more than a bit concerning for the Eagles' fortunes against the Legion of Boom that tight end Zach Ertz, who has caught 14 passes for 152 yards the past two games, missed Thursday's practice with a hamstring problem that apparently cropped up during Wednesday's workout. Ertz declined to speak with reporters. He said he would have something to say on Friday.

Wideout Jordan Matthews, the team's leading receiver (48 catches, 580 yards), also declined to speak with reporters, after being listed as a limited participant Thursday, with back spasms that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday.

Birdseed

When the Eagles hosted the Seahawks in 2014, a 24-14 Eagles loss, Fletcher Cox recorded eight solo tackles, Mychal Kendricks seven, but the Eagles, quarterbacked by Mark Sanchez, managed just 139 total yards and nine first downs . . . Brandon Graham said that after that game, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas told him not to let critics bother him. Thomas was aware that Eagles fans spent years ragging on Graham because their team bypassed Thomas to draft Graham 13th overall in 2010. "I got much respect for him," Graham said . . . The Eagles announced a new three-year contract for safety/special-teams ace Chris Maragos, who is 29 and in his third Eagles season . . . Like the Falcons, the Seahawks have used play action effectively, especially in last Sunday night's victory at the Patriots, when according to ESPN, Russell Wilson was 7-for-10 for 125 yards and a touchdown, using the run-fake . . . Wideout Bryce Treggs said he doesn't expect a lot of over-the-top success against Seattle's Cover 3 setup. "Patience - not pressing about not getting the ball, not getting targets" is going to be important, Treggs said. "They're pretty good at not getting beat deep; it's a true Cover 3 (with a safety in the deep middle). We just have to take what they give us . . . It's going to be a physical game. The o-line's going to come ready to play, the running backs are going to come ready to play, as receivers, we just have to try not to press, and let the game come to us. When the opportunity comes, make the play."

@LesBowen

Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog