New Eagles tackle Will Beatty certainly feels rested

Will Beatty felt he had something in common with his new teammates, before he even met them.

Beatty, 32, had been working out on his own since the Giants released him, for the second time, at the end of last season.

"They're coming off a bye week," Beatty said after his first practice at tackle with the Eagles. "I'm coming off a very long bye week. I'm extremely frustrated right now. I'm using that to my advantage."

Beatty says he was working in Evan Mathis' facility in Arizona, waiting for someone to call. There were nibbles, but until Tuesday, no offers.

"It all happened yesterday [Tuesday]. It was very quick," he said.

Was he wondering whether his career was over, with the NFL season entering Week 11? Beatty said he began the season thinking he'd find a job quickly, but his certainty had started to wane.

"Week 1, I was definite. Week 2. Week 3," Beatty said, pausing to laugh. "Halfway through the season, I'm just like, 'As long as I'm working out, as long as I'm doing what I can do.' … I was just prayin' and hopin' that a team would call me. I knew when they called me, I had to be ready. Instead of thinking about the bigger picture, I just tried to narrow it down and make it more about" what he could control.

Beatty, No. 65 for seven Giants seasons and 63 starts, will wear 66 here.

"New team, new number," he said. "Out there on the field, I felt like I'm at home."

When he's ready to play, Beatty probably will be the top backup at both tackle positions.

He said he offers experience. "I've been around the league for a while. I still feel young. I still feel there's a lot I can contribute. I've had years going up against great defenses. Playing this team twice every year, you know the Eagles very well."

Still, Beatty wasn't even with a team in training camp. He might be in shape, but he wasn't able to do any work in pads, any hitting.

"You really can't mock what we did on the field today," he said.  "The biggest thing is the playbook. Making sure I get the plays down, that's my No. 1 goal."

His previous No. 1 goal was to "make it to a team. I made it to a great organization. New goal: learn that playbook."

On a conference call with Philadelphia-area media, Dak Prescott said his fellow Mississippi State alum, Fletcher Cox, "likes to talk, likes to mess with me" during Eagles-Cowboys games.

Prescott was sacked eight times by the Falcons last week. His all-pro left tackle, Tyron Smith, did not practice Wednesday, but Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he hopes Smith will be able to play.

The Eagles reported that everyone practiced fully Wednesday, including Ronald Darby (ankle) and Zach Ertz (hamstring).