Before the Birds could get off the field after their morning workout, All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins came out of the training room and ran some gassers back and forth across the field with team train Rick Burkholder.
This was a good sight because I only had seen Dawk at the team's lunch on Saturday. He's battling a problem with his achilles tendon. Andy Reid has called it a strain but has not given us any other details. He has only offerred that an achilles tendon is something you don't rush. Andy has repeated that belief after each time he's mentioned Dawkins.
I do think there is reason to be a bit concerned. The achilles tendon rupture is considered an old man's injury. Dawk missed all the OTA's and mini camps during the off season because his wife had given birth to twins who were born premature. Rather go back and forth from Jacksonville to Philly and back, Dawk stayed in Florida to be by his wife's and children's side and you can understand it. He was supposed to get his timing and rythym with Sean Considine and the new defensive players. That's just going to have to wait, and we don't know how long.
Eagles tight end L.J. Smith was back at practice this morning. L.J. says he's ready to come back and do everything, everybody else in doing. He says he will play it by ear but Smith wants to avoid taking any more days or practices off. The veteran tight end looked good today running crisp decisive routes and coming down with the football.
