Howie Roseman

THE EAGLES HAVE re-signed defensive tackle Derek Landri to a 1-year deal and placed defensive tackle Antonio Dixon on the injured reserve list with a torn triceps. Landri spent the preseason with the Eagles, but was released as part of the team's final roster cutdown. He is entering his fifth NFL season after spending the first 4 years of his career in Jacksonville (2007-09) and Carolina (2009-10). Landri had a strong training camp and preseason. In fact, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman compared him to Paul Grasmanis, another undersized former Notre Dame defensive tackle who became a useful player for the Birds.

Here are some of the biggest issues new Eagles coach Chip Kelly will have to resolve: Who is his quarterback? Is it second-year player Nick Foles? Could Michael Vick return? Will Kelly draft a QB or sign a veteran to hold the fort until real help arrives? Who is his first-round draft pick? The Eagles have the fourth pick, and if he does not choose a quarterback, who is next on Kelly's list? What about that secondary? Can Kelly fix what ails the Eagles' cornerbacks and safeties, or will he have to hire a whole new backfield?

No doubt scouts are still talking about an impressive group of defensive backs who took the field Tuesday as the NFL scouting combine ended in Indianapolis. According to NFL.com, evaluators saw standout performances that enhanced the value of several top prospects at the cornerback position. Dee Milliner of Alabama, the top-rated corner, answered questions about his speed and quickness with a remarkable 4.37-second effort in the 40-yard dash. Tyrann Mathieu of LSU also impressed with a time of 4.5 in the 40.   "Me time" for Nnamdi Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha ate lunch in his car during practices instead of eating with his teammates last season, WIP-AM (610)

Here are some of the biggest issues new Eagles coach Chip Kelly will have to resolve: Who is his quarterback? Is it second-year player Nick Foles? Could Michael Vick return? Will Kelly draft a QB or sign a veteran to hold the fort until real help arrives? Who is his draft pick? The Eagles have the fourth pick, and if he does not choose a quarterback, who is next on Kelly's list? What about that secondary? Can Kelly fix what ails the Eagles cornerbacks and safeties, or will he have to hire a whole new backfield?

If Andy Reid were still the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, there is no question what the team would do with the fourth pick of the NFL draft on Thursday night. Reid would request that the player-personnel department run by Howie Roseman take the biggest offensive tackle still available. That would have been a solid decision, just as it will be if Chip Kelly makes the same one, but it is also in keeping with the straight line of Reid's draft history. In nine of the 14 drafts with Reid as head coach, depending on which side of the ball required more attention that year, the Eagles took either an offensive or defensive lineman with their initial selection.

It was expected that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie would use general manager Howie Roseman's input when determining the new coach, but another key person in the process is team president Don Smolenski. Although Smolenski does not have a direct role in football operations, he directs the organization's business and strategic efforts and will have an influential voice in the process. "I bring in an understanding of the culture, I bring an understanding of the dynamic of the organization and how there are no barriers between the football operations and the business operations," Smolenski said.

The rise in tackle Lance Johnson's NFL draft stock can be summed up in 140 characters: Junior college quarterback turned Oklahoma offensive tackle puts up freakish combine numbers, climbs draft boards, and is now a top-10 pick.   The Twitter version, of course, is only a snippet of Johnson's story. While his ascension can accurately be described as meteoric, it does not take into account the No. 1 reason many teams have the offensive lineman rated as a first-round talent: his tape.

THE MATT BARKLEY stunner aside, there were two major Eagles surprises when the draft process concluded. The rebuilding Birds, who had just one selection in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, were never able to trade down and acquire more. Eagles coach Chip Kelly brought that up without being asked in one of his weekend media sessions, volunteering that nobody called when the Eagles were on the clock at fourth overall or 35th. That led to the second surprise: As happy as they might have been with getting offensive tackle Lane Johnson in the first round or tight end Zach Ertz in the second, adding a second-, third- or a fourth-rounder might have allowed the Eagles to address their secondary problems a little earlier than the fifth round (safety Earl Wolff)

The Eagles returned to Cowboys Stadium last night for their first-round playoff game against Dallas, but general manager Tom Heckert did not accompany them. That's because Heckert is about to become general manager of the Cleveland Browns, opening the door for Howie Roseman to replace him. Attempts to reach Heckert yesterday were unsuccessful, but a team source indicated that multiple reports about the general manager's decision to take the job in Cleveland were correct. The source said as of yesterday afternoon that Heckert had not officially notified the Eagles of his departure.

ATLANTIC CITY - A tuxedo-clad Chip Kelly attended the Maxwell Awards dinner on Friday night, one month before the new Eagles coach can finally begin to work with his players. Until then, it's more film study, administration, and preparation for the draft and free agency. Kelly said he does not have an overriding philosophy on free agency, but he said it's not a panacea for a team's problems. "If you can find someone who can improve your team and get better, but I don't think there's, 'We have to get X amount of players this year,' or, 'Don't get X amount of players,' " Kelly said.