Allen eager to prove himself

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - It wasn't exactly a smooth start for Eagles safety Nate Allen.

Allen missed the first day of training camp Tuesday while contract negotiations dragged out. Then, with a deal close, last-minute haggling prevented him from signing until about 2:30 Wednesday morning. Working on less than four hours' sleep, he dropped the first ball lobbed his way in warm-ups, and dropped to the ground for push-ups.

"It was kind of a wake-up call, I guess you could say," Allen said.

Eagles coaches quickly will forget the first-day hiccups if Allen emerges as the player they hoped for when they drafted him 37th overall in April: a slick coverage man with a knack for interceptions and, more broadly, a player who can fill a void in the defensive backfield. The team has all but handed Allen the starting free-safety job before he has put on the pads.

Coach Andy Reid said Allen will be the starter even when veterans arrive at camp Thursday.

"He could be one of those guys who could be a fixture," special-teams coach Bobby April said. April has worked with Allen on special teams, and he sat in on meetings with defensive coaches when they discussed Allen before the draft.

Allen, from South Florida, said he was eager to reward the faith the Eagles have shown in him.

"I'm just excited to be up here finally," he said.

Allen faces challenges: filling a role once held by Brian Dawkins, being labeled as the man selected with the "McNabb pick" obtained from the Washington Redskins, and mentally adapting to the NFL in a position that is essentially the quarterback of the defensive backfield.

Allen will have to read offensive personnel and formations and adjust the defenses in front of him. Though he had similar responsibilities in college, those duties in the NFL will be far more complex.

"You're making a lot of calls and you've got to get people lined up. You can't be shy," Reid said. "You've got to be able to recognize what's going on in front of you."

While Reid said Allen has adjusted so far, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said a greater test may come as practices progress and more is added to the playbook.

"Some can handle it and still play fast, and some can't," McDermott said.

Allen's fellow rookie safety, Kurt Coleman, a friend from the Senior Bowl and a roommate here at Lehigh, offered a touch of assistance, leaving Allen's playbook on his bed late last night.