Eagles

Matt Barkley's welcome to Philadelphia included a swarm of reporters invading almost every sliver of personal space surrounding him. It was evidence to the Los Angeles-area native that the closest thing to a Hollywood star in this city is an Eagles quarterback. At Friday's rookie minicamp at the NovaCare Center, Barkley was the biggest attraction. He was not the Eagles' first-round pick in the recent draft. He was not even the second- or third-round pick. But the fourth-rounder with the ballyhooed college resumé at Southern California has three days to impress the coaching staff before Michael Vick and Nick Foles arrive for Monday's organized team activities and take practice reps away from Barkley.

The Eagles begin a three-day rookie camp Friday that will be attended by 42 players, including eight draft picks and 19 players trying out for the team. The camp, which is closed to the media and the public, will mark quarterback Matt Barkley's first time at the NovaCare Complex after the team invested a fourth-round pick on the former Southern California quarterback. It also marks the return of the Eagles' top draft picks, who visited after they were selected. Offensive tackle Lane Johnson, fourth overall pick, will make his debut wearing No. 65. For tight end Zach Ertz and cornerback Jordan Poyer, this weekend will be their first offseason workout with the Eagles.

Asked last month who was ahead at quarterback on the Eagles' depth chart, Chip Kelly said the competition was "even" between Michael Vick and Nick Foles. He even threw Dennis Dixon into the mix, and said that the former Oregon quarterback took snaps with the first team during a three-day minicamp. But Jeremy Maclin shed some more light on the battle when he was asked who he thought would ultimately be the Eagles' starting quarterback. "Right now, you've got Mike going with the ones and Nick 'sprinkled in,' some reps here and there," the wide receiver said Thursday.

There will be expectations heaped on the shoulders of Lane Johnson, but they may come earlier than normal, even for a top-five draft pick, because of the position he plays. From 2006 to 2012, seven tackles were taken in the first five draft picks, and all six started in the season opener. The Eagles will most certainly want Johnson to start right away. But can he, considering how little he played on the offensive line in college? Asked after his first practice as an Eagle if he felt that he needed to start from Day 1, Johnson said Friday: "I just feel I have to kind of work every day and do my best, and I think if I do that then good things will happen.

THE EAGLES' COACHING STAFF will face some challenges, trying to quickly impart new systems in a 3-day rookie camp that starts tomorrow at NovaCare. The rest of the team joins in for an organized team activity starting Monday. The biggest challenge this weekend might belong to special-teams coordinator Dave Fipp, who will be working with players who usually were among the best on their college squads and haven't played special teams lately, or in some cases, ever. "Someone said to me, 'Oh, this guy doesn't play special teams,' or, 'This guy does.' In my opinion, they all play special teams.

NEW COACH Chip Kelly has touted an even competition between Michael Vick and Nick Foles for the Eagles' starting quarterback position, but given the reworked 1-year, $10 million contract the Birds gave Vick, most of us figure he is likely to emerge as the starter. That's pretty much what receiver Jeremy Maclin thinks, as well. Maclin was asked yesterday, if he had to guess, who will be No. 1? "Right now, you've got Mike going with the 'ones' and Nick sprinkling in some reps here and there, so . . . " Maclin said at his Lincoln Financial Field charity event honoring five moms of kids he met through his summer football camp in West Deptford, N.J., where Maclin lives.

Drafted or free-agent rookies Barkley, Matt, QB, USC Carrier, Derek, TE, Beloit Cunningham, B.J., WR, Michigan State Ertz, Zach, TE, Stanford Johnson, Lane, OL, Oklahoma King, David, DE, Oklahoma Kinne, G.J., QB, Tulsa Knott, Jake, LB, Iowa State Kruger, Joe, DE, Utah Logan, Bennie, DT, LSU Maysonet, Miguel, RB, Stony Brook Momah, Ifeanyi, WR, Boston College Poyer, Jordan, CB, Oregon State ...

The Eagles worked out former Cowboys running back Felix Jones on Tuesday at the NovaCare Complex. A free agent, Jones was a multipurpose back in Dallas. He ran for 2,728 yards on 569 carries (a 4.8-yards average) and caught 127 passes for 1,062 yards in five seasons. He also scored 11 rushing touchdowns, caught three more through the air and averaged 24 yards on kick returns. Jones returned a kick 98 yards for a score against the Eagles when he was a rookie. The Eagles could be in the market for an upgrade at running back.

EAGLES STARTING left guard Evan Mathis confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that he has undergone an ankle "cleanout," which Mathis said would sideline him through the remaining spring workouts. Mathis said he expects to be fine by training camp. The procedure was first reported by CSNPhilly's Reuben Frank. This would barely be worth noting, except when the Eagles drafted offensive tackle Lane Johnson fourth overall last month, the selection seemed likely to end Danny Watkins' chances of going to camp as a starter; the obvious move would be to start Johnson at right tackle and move Todd Herremans back to guard.