The Philadelphia Eagles will hold minicamp on Saturday, May 12. Unlike years past, only rookies and other players that have never seen regular season action will participate. This is one of those big changes that come with the new collective bargaining agreement. Even though most players won’t be participating, this is still a big event for the first year guys. This is their first chance to show what they can do for the Eagles in 2012. As a fan, I don’t expect there to be a lot of drama but there are some things to watch. Here are some storylines that should start to play out during minicamp.

How ready is Fletcher Cox?

The Eagles traded up to draft Fletcher Cox with the 12^th overall pick. He is an extremely athletic defensive tackle that is expected to contribute immediately. As the first round pick, most of the attention is going to be focused on him. Coming from an SEC school, many football fans have already seen him play quite often. I am anxious to see how long it takes for his skills to translate to the wide nine scheme.

The running back battle

No NFL team is going to have a more intriguing battle for a backup running back than the Eagles. The Eagles took Bryce Brown in the seventh round and signed Chris Polk as an undrafted free agent. Polk had an accomplished college career but has serious injury concerns. Brown was an elite prospect that didn’t live up to expectations in college. Both players have tons of potential, but there might not be room for both on the final roster. It will be fun to see how these guys push each other.

The Nick Foles watch

The Eagles drafted quarterback Nick Foles in the third round, meaning that he is a virtual lock to make the final roster as the third string quarterback. Obviously, the team saw enough in this guy to at least give him a shot at being the quarterback of the future. Even though he has no chance of being a starter in 2012, Foles needs to prove his worth almost immediately. If he starts showing some ability in minicamp, he might have an inside track toward becoming the number two guy on the roster.

Vinny Curry’s push

We won’t see Brandon Graham at minicamp, but he will already be under pressure. The Eagles took Curry in the second round and he stands to push Graham for playing time. The two share similar attributes but Curry has more potential. If he performs well at minicamp, there will be that much more pressure on Graham once training camp begins.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles have already come to terms with one of their top draft picks. The team reached a four year deal with second rounder Mychal Kendricks. Given the rookie wage scale, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Kendricks was signed this quickly. In fact, most of his fellow rookies are likely to follow suit in the coming days. In any case, Kendricks is the first draft pick to officially join the team. As a fan, I am happy to hear that. I think he will be a strong contributor immediately for the Eagles.

By signing his deal, Kendricks will have nothing hanging over his head when minicamp begins on May 12. He should be able to focus on proving his talents as a linebacker. That will be a good thing because he is likely going to become a starter at the position when 2012 begins. The only question will involve where he plays. Based on his size, Kendricks seems like an ideal fit for the weak side. However, my guess is that the Eagles are going to hope he can start on the strong side. He is a great athlete that knows how to tackle. That is why they will want him over there.

It is going to be important for Kendricks to get off to a strong start in the offseason. In 2011, the linebackers really suffered by not having the offseason to prepare. That won’t be an excuse in 2012. There will be a full offseason of activities, starting with minicamp on May 12. Guys like Kendricks are going to be counted on to be ready when the regular season opens in September. A slow start could stall that progress.

In my opinion, Kendricks won’t have to worry about a slow start. I was excited when the Eagles chose him in the second round. I watched a couple of his college games and remember how athletic he looked. He is the type of player that the Eagles made a point to bring in this season. He should have no problems fitting into the system. With a contract in hand, Kendricks can start his push toward becoming a starting linebacker on this team.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles have earned a lot of buzz in 2012, and much of it is deserved. The team addressed major concerns at linebacker and had a pretty solid draft. They have re-signed several key players and things look to be relatively free of drama. Once again, there are plenty of reasons for fans to be optimistic heading into the 2012 season. As an Eagles fan, I am excited about the new players and the prospects of this team. However, I also know that the most important player on this team is going to be Michael Vick. The season is only going to go as far as Vick can carry it. Like it or not, the fate of the Eagles is on his shoulders.

As the quarterback, it should be obvious that Vick is the most important player on the team. In the NFL, you need a strong quarterback to win games. When healthy, Vick is certainly a guy that can do great things on the field. However, being healthy doesn’t come easy for him. Vick has played just one full season in his entire NFL career. Given his history and style of play, it is a lot to ask for him to start 16 games. However, that almost certainly needs to happen for the Eagles to be successful.

The Eagles don’t have a solid backup plan behind Vick. Trent Edwards was out of football a year ago. Mike Kafka is a guy that can go either way while Nick Foles is just a rookie. If any of those three has to start a game in 2012, fans will have a right to be a little nervous. For the Eagles to have their best chance at winning games, Vick needs to stay healthy.

Can he do it? In order to do so he would need to truly become a pocket passer. Vick cannot afford to run in order to make things happen. There was talk about his style changing last season. That talk has to become a reality now. With a full offseason of work, the Eagles have no excuse not to instill that mentality in Vick. Andy Reid knows that as much as anyone. The Eagles have to teach Vick how to protect himself. If that happens, 2012 could be the special season that we all want in Philadelphia.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles will start minicamp in the middle of May. This will give everyone a first look at some rookies and other new players. There are a lot of interesting things to keep an eye as the offseason unfolds.

As a fan, one of the interesting positions involves running back. We all know that LeSean McCoy is the man in Philadelphia. However, the Eagles need a capable backup. Seventh-round pick Bryce Brown and undrafted free agent Chris Polk both have the potential to be great players in this offense. It is critical for at least one of them to step up and take on a substantial role with the team.

Here are a few reasons why the Eagles need one of these two to come through in 2012:

Give McCoy Rest

As great as McCoy is, the Eagles don’t want him to be the sole runner in this offense. His touches increased significantly in 2011. I love when he gets the ball, but the Eagles have to control that a little better. No one wants to see fatigue set in with McCoy, and we all know what happens to running backs when they are driven into the ground. If Brown or Polk can emerge, they should be able to ensure that McCoy isn’t used more than he should be.

Less pressure on Michael Vick

If Vick is going to have any chance of starting every game in 2012, he can’t assume the role of a running back. It is clear to me that Vick still feels like he has to use his legs to make plays happen. Another skill player in the backfield might change his mentality. The Eagles aren’t going to win if Vick tries to run the ball too much. Hopefully, one of the rookies will make it easier for him to stay in the pocket.

Another playmaker on the offense

There is nothing wrong with having another playmaker on the offense. Philadelphia has the potential to put a ton of points on the board with all of the players it has. Brown is an explosive running back, and Polk knows how to pound the football. Either one of them would be a great asset to the offense. If the Eagles have a set with McCoy, Brown, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin on the field at the same time, opposing defenses won’t know what to do.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a starting quarterback in Michael Vick. However, few teams in the NFL need a capable backup more than Philadelphia does. The idea of Vick being healthy for a full 16 games is a wild one at best. His style of play lends itself to at least one or two missed games, so the Eagles have to be ready for that in 2012. Vince Young proved to be a disaster in 2011 and he won’t be back this season. Barring a surprise signing, the second quarterback will be Mike Kafka, Trent Edwards, or Nick Foles. None of those names inspires a lot of confidence right now. That means that the offseason will be huge for all three. Heading into minicamp in May, here is how I would rank the quarterbacks in terms of who is best suited to back up Vick.

Mike Kafka

The young Northwestern alum has the most experience of the three in this system. Andy Reid clearly likes Kafka and has already determined that he has the inside track to be the number two guy in 2012. Kafka appeared in four games during the 2011 season, all in relief. He has completed 11 of 16 pass attempts but has two interceptions. Basically, there isn’t a lot of experience on his resume. That said Kafka has a real shot to prove himself with a full offseason. Assuming he holds his own in preseason, he will be the backup.

Trent Edwards

Edwards definitely has the edge in terms of experience. He has made 33 career starts, a number that should bring comfort to some fans. However, Edwards was out of football in 2011 for a reason. He lacks a lot of the basic strengths you want to see in a quarterback. Maybe he can do better with the amount of skill players the Eagles have around him. However, I’m a little skeptical. I have a feeling that at some point in training camp, Edwards will end up getting cut.

Nick Foles

There is no chance that Foles will enter the season as the number two quarterback. There is also no chance that he will be cut. As a third round pick, the Eagles are going to invest at least a year or two in him and see what happens. While his role on the team is set for 2012, he will be a factor during minicamp and the rest of the offseason. His presence on the team will put pressure on Kafka. He fits a similar mold and is definitely a threat to supplant him down the road. Knowing that the Eagles took another quarterback high in the draft should push Kafka to excel during the offseason. That might end up making him a legitimate number two guy.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles will hold minicamp in May. After that, training camp won’t be too far away. This has been a pretty strong offseason for the Eagles, but several questions still remain. Not every roster spot is settled and there are still some questions about how some players fit into the fold. In my opinion, no Eagles player is under more pressure to succeed during the offseason than Brandon Graham. The 2010 first round pick has looked like a flop during his first two seasons. By drafting Vinny Curry in the second round, the Eagles look like they are preparing for life without the former Michigan star. For Graham, it is do or die time in terms of being a factor on this team. Either he shows the team something before the preseason, or his run in Philadelphia might come to an abrupt end.

To be fair, injuries have hurt Graham. Knee issues have ended both of his two seasons with team. However, Graham had issues aside from those injuries. As talented as he is at rushing the passer, Graham struggles against the run. He is severely limited when he isn’t rushing from the outside. Since he made his biggest contributions early in his rookie season, a lot has changed in Philadelphia. The team had a new system in 2011 and Graham only saw three games. Not only does he need to use this offseason to compete for a job, he also has to get adjusted to the wide nine scheme.

Assuming he can stay healthy, Graham is going to have to do a lot. Curry is a similar player but one that isn’t afraid to go inside. If push comes to shove, the Eagles are going to keep a defensive end that can rush the passer from all angles and Curry fits that bill. With Trent Cole and Jason Babin entrenched as the starters, there is only so much room that the team has at this position. You can’t overlook Darryl Tapp and Phillip Hunt. Both are solid backups at defensive end and you can bet that at least one will be on the final roster. Fletcher Cox is talented enough to play defensive end on occasion as well. That could mean that Graham winds up getting squeezed out.

If I had to guess, Graham will make the team in 2012. However, that doesn’t mean he will get a lot of playing time. He needs to prove his worth to the Eagles through the offseason activities. If he can’t find a way to stand out, I have no doubt that the team will try and trade him. Andy Reid doesn’t want to give up on a 2010 first round pick this soon, but the choice is ultimately up to Graham. I hope he can remind everyone why the team traded up to get him two years ago. With Curry on the team, Graham had better be ready to do that.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Eagles fan.