Jamaal Jackson

Nadin Khoury, the Upper Darby teenager who gained national attention after being attacked by bullies Jan. 11, will be giving an anti-bullying speech in Washington Friday, with DeSean Jackson's mother expected in the audience. Khoury and the Eagles wide receiver became friendly after a group of harassers videotaped their torment of the teen, and the video gained national attention. The story gained even more traction when Jackson and fellow Eagles players Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson surprised Khoury on The View , offering encouragement.

The Eagles are making another change on the offensive line, this one just four days before the team's season opener Sunday in St. Louis. Guard Kyle DeVan, whose first practice with the Eagles was Monday, practiced with the starters Wednesday, ahead of rookie Danny Watkins, who has struggled at right guard. Neither coach Andy Reid, DeVan, nor Watkins would confirm the move, or say if it is permanent, but a team source said the change has been made. Wednesday practice lineups generally reflect Sunday's starters.

JAMAAL JACKSON was right there where we'd left him, along the row of offensive linemen's locker stalls at the back of the NovaCare locker room, when the Eagles convened yesterday for the first time since cutting their roster to the regular-season limit of 53. If Jackson, the longest-tenured Eagle, was surprised or disappointed not to be somewhere else, somewhere he might be able to return to his accustomed role as a starting center, he wasn't...

In the end - and, well, there never really is an end to roster maneuvering - the Eagles made few surprise cuts as they trimmed their team to 53 players. Longtime hands on the bubble such as center Jamaal Jackson, defensive end Juqua Parker, tackle Winston Justice, and defensive tackle Trevor Laws - believed to be on the cut line - were not cut before Saturday's 6 p.m. deadline and will remain Eagles when the regular season opens in a week at St. Louis. But there were a few casualties as the Eagles continued to transform their team into one that is significantly different from the Birds of just two seasons ago. Cornerback Joselio Hanson and offensive lineman Mike McGlynn were among the most familiar faces to be released on Saturday.

The Eagles reshaped their offensive and defensive lines this offseason, bringing in new coaches to revitalize areas that Andy Reid believes are fundamental to NFL success. The twin makeovers, though, left very different results when the team pared its roster to 53 Saturday. On the defensive line, coach Jim Washburn has depth and experience: 10 men for four line positions. Six of them played in Philadelphia last season, and only two of them have less than two years' experience.

The Eagles reshaped their offensive and defensive lines this offseason, bringing in new coaches to revitalize areas that Andy Reid believes are fundamental to NFL success. The twin makeovers, though, left very different results when the team pared its roster to 53 Saturday. On the defensive line, coach Jim Washburn has depth and experience: 10 men for four line positions. Six of them played in Philadelphia last season and only two of them have less than two years experience.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The real purpose behind last night's Eagles' preseason finale against the New York Jets was to settle a half-dozen or so roster spots for each team. NFL teams must cut from 80 to the regular-season limit of 53 players by 6 p.m. tomorrow. Roster projections are like mock drafts - mock drafts can never be 100 percent correct because there are always trades, which can't be predicted. With the roster, you have the fact that every other team is trimming from 80 to 53 as well.

THERE WILL BE at least one starter playing for the Eagles tomorrow night, when they visit the New York Jets for their final preseason game. Right guard Danny Watkins confirmed yesterday that he will be in the lineup. "I asked for it," Watkins said, as he hurried to the team's annual meeting with NFL security, where players are warned to stay away from gamblers and the like. Watkins, a first-round rookie, spent a fair amount of time conferring with offensive line coach Howard Mudd yesterday.

Jamaal Jackson was right. Jason Kelce, as expected, is the Eagles' new starting center and will be snapping the football to Michael Vick on Sept. 11 in the opener at St. Louis. "He's our starting center," Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said when he was about the rookie on Monday. Kelce beat out Jackson, who as of Saturday had declared the competition was over. The next question for the nine-year veteran is if he remains on the team as Kelce's backup or a utility guard.