The fifth round of the Eagles' draft was every bit as entertaining as the fourth round.

First the Eagles selected running back Dion Lewis (5-7, 195), a Brian Westbrook type with receiving and return skills. Lewis teamed with Birds starting running back LeSean McCoy at Pitt.
The Birds then drafted guard Julian Vandervelde (6-2, 300) of Iowa, who teamed with defensive back Greg Castillo, the son of Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. Vandervelde speaks Japanese and Spanish and sings. Sang the National Anthem on President Obama's visit to Iowa City last summer.

Interesting fourth round for the Eagles.

After trading down with Tampa Bay to get an extra fourth round choice in 2012 they selected middle linebacker Casey Matthews, whose brother Clay starred for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

"I want to stop being known as Clay's little brother," Matthews said "and be Casey."

With their second fourth round pick the Eagles grabbed kicker-punter Alex Henry of Nebraska, whose career-long field goal is a 53-yarder. Only two kickers have been drafted higher. The Birds selected Tony Franklin in the third round in 1979 and Happy Feller earlier in the fourth round in 1971.

Henry sees himself as a kicker on the NFL level. And he thinks the Eagles feel the same way. Birds kicker Dave Akers and punter Sav Rocca both are unsigned.

"I'm very happy to be going where I'm going," Henry said. "I'm pretty sure (Eagles) mostly want field goal kicking and kickoffs."

Today the Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field played host to Philadelphia’s “Blue Flame” football team to raise money for the scholarship fund established in memory of Sgt. Patrick McDonald, killed in the line of duty on Sept. 23, 2008.

The Blue Flame team is composed of Philadelphia Police and firefighters and will play the Washington, D.C.P.D., who McDonald served.

Watch Eagles first round draft pick Danny Watkins describe the way he inflicts pain on the football field.

It's hard not to like the Canadian-born product of Baylor talk about his nasty style of play.

Here it is: http://delcotimes.com/video/.

Todd Watkins, who drives a heavy construction road grader, has had a whirlwind weekend accompanying his son, Danny, the first round draft pick of the Eagles.

Watkins talks about it the lunch he had at Chickie's and Pete's, a.k.a Chicken and Peas, here http://delcotimes.com/video/.

With holes to fill defensively and tjust two scheduled picks - Nos. 54 and 85 - the Eagles will be rolling up their sleeves on the second day of the draft that begins at 6 p.m.

There is a chunk of talent remaining after the first round, a group that includes defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, linebacker Akeem Ayers, quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Ryan Mallet, cornerbacks Brandon Harris and Aaron Williams, and defensive end Ben Ijalana of Villanova.

The Eagles might have to wait to upgrade to make their splash in free agency. It's possible the lockout could be back Monday as reports are surfacing the NFL owners could receive an administrative stay while the Eighth Circuit court in Minnesota considers their appeal of the injunction temporarily ending the lockout.

I'm going on Lunch Break with Rhea Hughes at CSNPhilly.com at 12:30 p.m. to address several oustanding issues including Eagles first round pick Danny Watkins, general manager Howie Roseman, backup quarterback Kevin Kolb and the booing of Commissioner Roger Goodell at the draft.

It's obvious Danny Watkins won Eagles head coach Andy Reid over with his heart, not his birth certificate. Watkins, the former firefighter who turns 27 in his rookie season, didn't seem like such a surprise Eagles first round draft pick Thursday after explaining what makes a guy want to be a firefighter. "Honestly,the guys that you work with and just the desire to help people," Watkins said. "Today I had some of the Canadian firemen with me and some of the members of the FDNY. And it's the same thing on the football field. You're with the same guys day in and day out. You're brothers and you'd do anything for them. And it's the same in the firehouse. They're your brothers and you're working through the good and the bad."

Almost from the beginning Gabe Carimi, the 6-7, 315-pound offensive tackle out of Wisconsin, was linked to the Eagles. Let it be said the Eagles think Carimi is the next Jon Runyan, who never missed a down playing right tackle during his tour with the Eagles. A source confirmed that. And let it also be known that in Michael Vick, the Eagles have a left-handed quarterback who could use a shutdown right tackle to protect his blind side. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, the Newtown Square resident, has Carimi coming off the board to the Eagles with the 23rd overall pick. I think the Birds are going to make another attempt to trade up in the first round in search of a cornerback like Prince Amukamara or a defensive tackle like Nick Fairley or Corey Liuget.

Almost from the beginning Gabe Carimi, the 6-7, 315-pound offensive tackle out of Wisconsin, was linked to the Eagles. Let it be said the Eagles think Carimi is the next Jon Runyan, who never missed a down playing right tackle during his tour with the Eagles. A source confirmed that. And let it also be known that in Michael Vick, the Eagles have a left-handed quarterback who could use a shutdown right tackle to protect his blind side. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, the Newtown Square resident, has Carimi coming off the board to the Eagles with the 23rd overall pick. I think the Birds are going to make another attempt to trade up in the first round in search of a cornerback like Prince Amukamara or a defensive tackle like Nick Fairley or Corey Liuget.

Almost from the beginning Gabe Carimi, the 6-7, 315-pound offensive tackle out of Wisconsin, was linked to the Eagles. Let it be said the Eagles think Carimi is the next Jon Runyan, who never missed a down playing right tackle during his tour with the Eagles. A source confirmed that. And let it also be known that in Michael Vick, the Eagles have a left-handed quarterback who could use a shutdown right tackle to protect his blind side. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, the Newtown Square resident, has Carimi coming off the board to the Eagles with the 23rd overall pick. I think the Birds are going to make another attempt to trade up in the first round in search of a cornerback like Prince Amukamara or a defensive tackle like Nick Fairley or Corey Liuget.

Von Miller, the Texas A&M pass rusher, is the top impact player in the 2011 draft.

But DT Nick Fairley of Auburn is close behind. Looks like Julius Peppers in some of this stuff: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Tyxixq.
Oh, and the more I think about the Eagles' draft plans, the more I am convinced they would be happy to come out with a ton of picks this year or in 2012.

They're convinced they can kick butt in free agency, whenever it happens.

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To steal a little of the labor thunders that's made the immensely popular NFL draft just another lottery the league is importing former star players to introduce the second round picks of the teams they played for.

In that vein cornerback Troy Vincent is going to introduce the Eagles' second-rounder, which could be their first overall pick if they trade back. Vincent also played for the Buffalo Bills who will turn to Andre Reed, the product of Kutztown University, to announce their second-rounder.

Ironically Vincent was the early favorite to become the new executive director of the NFL Players Association but lost to DeMaurice Smith amid what appeared very much like a smear campaign that just wasn't Vincent's game. Vincent now works for the NFL as a labor consultant.

The complete list of NFL retirees introducing the second round choices is here: http://tinyurl.com/4x3buwq

Phillies superstar Howard is engaged to the lovely Krystal Campbell, an Eagles cheerleader, with a 2012 wedding planned.

Howard divulged the news discretely before the Phillies took on the New York Mets Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Howard had long been rumored to have an infatuation with an Eagles cheerleader. He also has attended Eagles games.

Howard was the source of controversy last year when with the Phillies down, 1-0, in their National League Championship Series with the San Francisco Giants last fall, he was sighted on the sideline of the Eagles-Atlanta Falcons game that same day at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Phillies were to take on the Giants later that evening. Howard was criticized for not taking batting practice. The Phillies defeated the Giants, 6-1, to knot the series. Howard went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Phillies superstar Howard is engaged to the lovely Krystal Campbell, an Eagles cheerleader, with a 2012 wedding planned.

Howard divulged the news discretely before the Phillies took on the New York Mets Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Howard had long been rumored to have an infatuation with an Eagles cheerleader. He also has attended Eagles games.

Howard was the source of controversy last year when with the Phillies down, 1-0, in their National League Championship Series with the San Francisco Giants last fall, he was sighted on the sideline of the Eagles-Atlanta Falcons game that same day at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Phillies were to take on the Giants later that evening. Howard was criticized for not taking batting practice. The Phillies defeated the Giants, 6-1, to knot the series. Howard went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Phillies superstar Howard is engaged to the lovely Krystal Campbell, an Eagles cheerleader, with a 2012 wedding planned.

Howard divulged the news discretely before the Phillies took on the New York Mets Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Howard had long been rumored to have an infatuation with an Eagles cheerleader. He also has attended Eagles games.

Howard was the source of controversy last year when with the Phillies down, 1-0, in their National League Championship Series with the San Francisco Giants last fall, he was sighted on the sideline of the Eagles-Atlanta Falcons game that same day at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Phillies were to take on the Giants later that evening. Howard was criticized for not taking batting practice. The Phillies defeated the Giants, 6-1, to knot the series. Howard went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant's 51-yr old father, Jerry, died Saturday after being injured in an automobile accident in Pemberton Township, N.J. on Thursday.
"The Philadelphia Eagles are deeply saddened to learn of Jerry Avant's passing today," a team statement read. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jason and the entired Avant family."