What to watch for tonight

Wow, June. The URL to my blog wasn't even in my browser history anymore.

Anyway...

The most boringest preseason game of them all happens tonight, with almost every starter for both teams sitting on the sidelines. But there are still several areas of interest, with two starting jobs undecided and the bottom of the roster to be filled out. Here's what I'll be watching:

• Wide Receiver - I'm rooting for Brandon Gibson. He's a big kid with speed...projected as a second-round draft pick after his junior year, he did "the right thing" by going back to school as a senior. But several bad QBs and eleven losses later, he had dropped off the radar of most NFL teams and ended up in the sixth round. But there's no mistaking this kid's talent. I think he's got a chance to stick around Philadelphia for years. But what I don't know is: who am I rooting against? Keeping Gibson would mean the end of Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett. Has either one done enough in their career to engender the strange sense of loyalty I feel toward them? Not really, I've just been waiting for them to reach their potential for so long I've developed a personal stake in it. But there's got to be some receiver-starved team out there (Baltimore, Tampa, Jets) who's willing to part with a conditional fifth-round pick for one of these guys. And I haven't even mentioned Danny Amendola, the short kid from Texas Tech, who has the quickness and speed to be a return specialist. He's fun to watch, but don't get used to it. He'll be lucky to make the practice squad, just too many good WRs here (when's the last time I said that about the Eagles?)
  
• Joe Mays - His size and attitude make him an ideal fit for the MLB in the Eagles' system, but his pass coverage has been terrible. The Eagles want badly for him to win this job, but unless he shows up big tonight, expect Gaither to get the nod by default. I don't think Moise Fokou was ever a serious challenger.
  
• Quintin Demps - I loved this kid out of college, and he has all the physical skills, but I'm not sure his head is screwed on straight. He's no Brandon Marshall, but he's mistake prone and has recently become mopey about not locking up the starting job. Waaaaaaaahhh. Victor Macho Harris appears to be his main competition, but I can't see a rookie winning this job. What the hell happened to Sean Jones? He's been invisible, but I'm not sure if that's a problem on his part or just a lack of opportunity.
  
• Offensive line - No, we still won't have any idea if the Week One starters are healthy or if they can block anyone. But you'll have an opportunity to watch last year's draftees Gibson and McGlynn, along with this year's phoenetically challenged picks Paul Fanaika and Fenuki Tupou. McGlynn looks like the new back-up center with Cole switching to guard, Fanaika and Fenuki are practice squad material, and Gibson's probably gone.
  
• Defensive end - Jason Babin should make this team, if preseason play has anything to do with it. Of course, I thought Jerome McDougle earned his way onto the team last year and I was wrong about that (he turned out to be worthless with the Giants also.) That means someone from last year has to go - and it's probably either Bryan Smith or Chris Clemons. Honestly, I haven't seen a thing from either one of them, so I don't care which one gets the axe.
  
• Running back - The final RB spot seems to be up for grabs between Eldra Buckley and Kyle Eckel. I like what I've seen from both of them in a spot/special teams role. Buckley's a better ball-carrier but Eckel has more versatility. Either one could fill a short-yardage role. Hopefully one of them has a big game tonight and makes this an easy decision.
  
• Kevin Kolb - It's time to start looking like an NFL QB, kid. Right now. If you're lucky, you'll get one more injury- or performance-induced shot this year, and you better be prepared to make the most of it. Big Red's patience is running out.
  

That was more fun than I thought. I may write up a review of the game tomorrow - but in the afternoon, after golf.