Mike Bell Gets More Reps With McCoy Nursing Sore Ankle

LeSean McCoy missed yesterday’s workout with a sore ankle, so new running back Mike Bell got more work yesterday.

I like what I’m seeing of Bell, who has proven during his career that he can run with the football, but he’s being asked to do more in the passing game here.

Bell is picking up the offense rather quickly.¬† When I asked Bell about how tough it was to learn a new offense he didn’t think it was a big deal.

“In my short career, I’ve been on five different teams, so I had to learn five different offenses”, Bell told me after practice while smiling ear to ear.

He said it was hard to win the Super Bowl and then have to move on and not get the chance to enjoy the Super Bowl win with his teammates.¬† Bell said he’s going to wear his Super Bowl ring if the Eagles play the Saints in the NFC Championship game.

I think he’s doing a good job in the passing game.¬† He’s catching the ball well and being where he’s supposed to be when the quarterbacks look for him.

Rookie running back Martell Mallett has hands of stone.¬† He fights the ball when they throw it to him.¬† He had better start catching the ball better or his stay at Lehigh won’t be long.

Some of the Eagles players are developing into team spokesmen right before our eyes.  Of course quarterback Kevin Kolb will contstantly have a mic in his face.  Tight end Brent Celek will be out front and have no problem speaking his mind.

The voice of the offensive line is becoming right tackle Winston Justice.  Left tackle Jason Peters never has anything to say, plus he just looks at some of the reporters when they come around him.

Quintin Mikell will continue to be the voice of the secondary unless it’s during practice when Asante Samuel is entertaining everybody.¬† No longer do you have Donovan clowning around, so now Samuel is the one who keeps things light.

Sometimes the work at these passing camps is boring, but Samuel with his trash talking and screaming makes it fun.  Yesterday DeSean Jackson got into it with Samuel when Hank Baskett beat one of the cornerbacks.

He started talking some trash to Asante after Baskett’s catch and before one of the defensive backs knocked an intended pass down.¬† Once that happened Samuel started up again.

It’s all in fun and is good to keep guys focused.¬† He should elminate the nonsense toward Paul Domowitch but the banter back and forth between the players is good.

For the last couple of days, Eagles weakside linebacker Ernie Sims has been totally undressing the running backs when they try to run routes on him.¬† I don’t know what he’s going to do for an encore when they put the pads on because he has been getting ridiculous with the way he has been jamming them in shorts.

So far the running backs haven’t retaliated but I think it’s coming soon, or it makes me wonder about the heart of the backs.

Rookie wide receiver Riley Cooper continues to get open and catch the football.¬† I think he’s had some outstanding workouts.¬† We’ll see if it continues when they get to Lehigh University.

Right guard Stacy Andrews is moving much better than he did a year ago but you can’t tell much from looking at offensive guards and defensive tackles during these passing camps.

I don’t know what, if anything the big interior linemen¬† get out of these workouts other than a little exercise.