Clay Harbor

If he is healthy, Michael Vick will start at quarterback Sunday against the New England Patriots, Eagles coach Andy Reid said Monday. Vick's two broken ribs kept him out of Sunday night's game, so the if is significant. But after Vince Young's performance in the Eagles' 17-10 victory over the New York Giants in which he led the Eagles on an 18-play, game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, Reid may not feel as compelled to hurry Vick back. Young, though, was erratic in the first 28 minutes.

Here are some observations and ruminations about Sunday's Eagles-Redskins game: It's like a bad rerun. The Eagles gave up another long touchdown after there was an obvious breakdown in the secondary. It was difficult to say for certain who blew his coverage during a second-quarter touchdown. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was closest to the play, but he looked like he was playing a quarter zone. Safety Nate Allen, meanwhile, appeared to have made a bad read and left Aldrick Robinson all alone in the end zone.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Practice had ended minutes earlier, and most of the Eagles ambled to the locker room to shower and get out of the sun. Some complied to autograph and interview requests. Clay Harbor stayed on the field running routes for the backup quarterbacks. Harbor has a personal mission this training camp. After practice, the third-year tight end needs to catch 50 passes. He had caught extra passes during the last two training camps, but it was an inexact routine. This season, Harbor made an initiative to catch 50 each day. "That will help you a lot," Harbor said, "knowing you got 50 more catches after practice than your competition.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Brent Celek suffered a mild sprain in his right knee during practice Thursday, the Eagles said. The tight end caught a pass during the early portion of the first full-squad practice of training camp, but left soon after. Celek was later seen walking out of the locker room at Lehigh University wearing a wrap around his knee. "I'll be good," Celek said. "Promise. " Celek entered camp completely healthy, according to the team. This offseason, he underwent hip surgery and had a sports hernia repaired.

It's not going to make for a good argument if the Eagles and DeSean Jackson ever hold contract extension talks, but the wide receiver could point to Brent Celek's resurgence this season for proof of his worth. Jackson's loss has been Celek's gain. The tight end had a career day as the Eagles held on to dear playoff life and trounced the New York Jets, 45-19, on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Jackson not so much. The pregame storyline on Jackson was that he needed to put on a show against the Jets' all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis with his future in Philadelphia in great doubt.

The subject was Brent Celek, and the double sports hernia surgery and hip surgery the Eagles' starting tight end underwent at the end of the 2011 season. Clay Harbor, Celek's backup, was amazed. "That's big-time," Harbor said during Eagles OTAs this week. "My rookie season [2010], I played with one sports hernia. I was struggling?...?it was hard. I remember Brent coming off [the field] midway through the season saying, ‘I really gotta get this checked out. It's really starting to hurt.' We found out he had a [double]

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Eagles' most competitive roster battle might be at punter after the team signed veteran Mat McBriar to a one-year contract on Wednesday. McBriar, a two-time Pro Bowler with the Dallas Cowboys, will compete with incumbent Chas Henry for the roster spot during training camp and the preseason. "Should be great competition. That's what we're trying to do," coach Andy Reid said after Wednesday morning's practice. "You're talking about a kid that's one of the best in the National Football League.

BETHLEHEM — Brent Celek left practice early Thursday with what the Eagles described as a "mild" right knee sprain. Celek later walked briskly to the parking lot, waving off reporters' concerns with "I'll be good. I promise. " He was wearing a wrapping on his right leg. Just a day earlier, the Eagles seemed to be done with their tight-end flirtation. Visanthe Shiancoe had signed with the Patriots, and the Eagles hadn't opted to bring in four-time Pro Bowler Jeremy Shockey for a physical, after reports said they might.

AS THIS season trudges to an inglorious finish, the Eagles needed to make a roster move to bring aboard fullback/tight end Emil Igwenagu, so he could back up Clay Harbor, with Brent Celek sidelined for Thursday's game against Cincinnati. That move was to place defensive tackle Mike Patterson on the nonfootball injury-illness list, ending Patterson's season, agent Peter Schaffer said. But that isn't the part that has Schaffer angry enough to plan to file a grievance with the NFLPA.