King Dunlap

Winston Justice said playing right tackle is like riding a bicycle. Since he last played there, though, the Eagles have replaced a mountain bike with a racing model. And with a knee that's still less than 100 percent, it's unclear whether Justice can even get back on the bike. Questions about Justice's ability to return to tackle were prompted by King Dunlap's recent spate of back spasms. Dunlap started at left tackle last week for the injured Jason Peters and was slated to fill that spot again Sunday at Washington.

The Eagles announced yesterday they have agreed to terms with three of their 2008 draft picks - cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, linebacker Joe Mays, and offensive tackle King Dunlap. The Eagles now have seven of their 10 picks in the most recent draft under contract. Ikegwuonu, selected in the fourth round after completing his junior season at Wisconsin, is expected to sit out the 2008 season after suffering a right-knee injury during workouts in preparation for the NFL combine.

LES BOWEN Not a lot of hesitation here for me. Don't like King Dunlap vs. John Abraham. Can't imagine Michael Vick can really play effectively this soon after his injury. Overall, the Eagles have done very little to make me want to pick them over a 4-1 team. You can question how legit the Falcons are, given the teams they've beaten, but this year you can do that with anybody, certainly including the Eagles. If I were inclined to pick the Eagles, I might lean on the fact that they have to win a home game sooner or later, or that Andy Reid is 7-1 against Atlanta.

BREAKING down the Eagles' 20-13 win over the Redskins on Sunday:   Spotlight on Herremans Seven-year veteran Todd Herremans made just the sixth start of his career at left tackle because of injuries to Jason Peters and King Dunlap. As with his earlier move from left guard to right tackle, he made a seamless transition.   Run defense The Eagles didn't abandon the wide nine, but they used it less, particularly on first down, when they lined up in a tighter, more traditional, four-man front, and also moved their linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage.

What we're talking about after the Eagles' 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers last night: Who's the starting QB? Kevin Kolb turned in an impressive performance against the Niners, completing 21 of 31 passes for 253 yards. If Michael Vick can play next week, will he start? Another big day for Shady: Playing with a fractured rib, LeSean McCoy rushed for 92 yards and had a 29-yard touchdown run. He also had five catches for 46 yards. Better against the run: After giving up 169 rushing yards to the Redskins last week, Sean McDermott's defense did a much better job against the run last night, holding Frank Gore to 2.9 yards per carry.

AGENDA : Who: Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers What: Second game of the preseason When: Tonight, 8 Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh TV: FOX29 Radio: WYSP (94.1-FM), WIP (610-AM), ESPN (97.3-FM) FIVE THINGS TO WATCH: 1. DeSean Jackson: Wideout makes his debut after about a week of camp. Wants a new deal before risking injury too extensively. Looked great at Lehigh. 2. Right tackle: This is a huge chance for a huge guy, King Dunlap, who seemed to be a bit of an afterthought until Ryan Harris' back started bothering him. 3. Kickoffs: Is that facet of the game really going to be as boring as it was last week?

He came, he saw, he left without a contract. Demetrius Bell was still a free agent when he departed Philadelphia after visiting with the Eagles over the weekend. The left tackle has met with four teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers, since the start of free agency last month. But he remains on the market even though the Eagles were scrambling to find a starting left tackle after Jason Peters suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last week.

Andy Reid offered a non-update on Jason Peters' condition, saying Monday morning that the Eagles tackle was out "indefinitely. " It was unclear later in the day whether the Eagles coach knew that Peters had re-ruptured his Achilles tendon, although it is likely he did since the five-time Pro Bowler once again needed surgery. But it is safe to say after this latest setback that Peters is definitely out for the 2012 season. The Eagles confirmed the injury Monday evening after Comcast SportsNet first reported that Peters re-ruptured his Achilles when the Roll-A-Bout machine he was using malfunctioned.

The Eagles have signed tackle Thomas Welch off waivers from the St. Louis Rams. Welch, 24, played in eight games last season, five with the Rams and three with the New England Patriots. His only start was as an extra tight end for New England. Welch was originally a Patriots seventh-round pick in 2010, but he spent most of that year on the Vikings' practice squad. Welch joins King Dunlap, D.J. Jones, and fifth-round pick Dennis Kelly as the team's backup tackles heading into offseason practices.

THE LEAST popular thing the Eagles could do in the first round of the draft Thursday night would be to select an offensive lineman. But it also might be the smartest thing they could do. By the end of last season, the Eagles' offensive line was one of the top performing units on the team. Jason Peters was the best left tackle in the league. Todd Herremans had made a silky-smooth switch from left guard to right tackle. Rookie center Jason Kelce was playing like a seasoned veteran and drawing comparisons to five-time Pro Bowler Jeff Saturday.

Jason Peters underwent surgery to repair his ruptured right Achilles tendon, the Eagles said Tuesday. The surgery was performed by Steve Ralkin of the Rothman Institute at Jefferson Hospital in the Navy Yard. Peters injured himself on March 27 while working out in Texas. The Eagles have not set a timetable for the all-pro left tackle's return, but recovery from an Achilles injury takes on average about nine months. The team has already begun to search for a replacement, bringing in free agent Demetrius Bell for a visit last weekend.

He came, he saw, he left without a contract. Demetrius Bell was still a free agent when he departed Philadelphia after visiting with the Eagles over the weekend. The left tackle has met with four teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers, since the start of free agency last month. But he remains on the market even though the Eagles were scrambling to find a starting left tackle after Jason Peters suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last week.

So much for offensive line continuity. A little more than two weeks after the Eagles finished locking up their starting offensive line, at least through the next three seasons, the strongest link in the group, Jason Peters, ruptured his Achilles tendon. The Pro Bowl left tackle injured his right tendon Tuesday in a football drill. But the Eagles didn't announce Peters' injury until Friday. He will undergo surgery next Tuesday at the Rothman Institute. "We don't know when he will return to the field and we will not speculate on a timeline," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement.

Free agency allows some teams to alter their rosters and most fans to dream big. The Eagles, after last season's splurge, aren't expected to fulfill the musings of those who want another spending spree in free agency. Most Birds fans, it seems, are fine with this considering how poorly the Eagles spent their allowance last summer. The hope is that the Eagles will target linebacker and perhaps a few other positions of less significance when scouring through the lists of free agents from other teams.

THE EAGLES have 11 pending unrestricted free agents and one pending restricted free agent, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, who almost certainly will return. Some of the unrestricted 11 are strong bets to be Eagles when training camp starts in less than 8 months. Others, not so much. Here's a rundown: * Defensive end Victor Abiamiri: Missed the last two seasons with injuries. The 57th overall pick in the 2007 draft isn't getting another contract here. * Running back Ronnie Brown: The man who flung a fumble at the other team on the goal line against the 49ers will always hold a place in franchise lore.

They were each former Pro Bowl players, but for whatever the reason Vince Young, Ronnie Brown , and Steve Smith settled for one-year contracts this season. They came as part of the "Dream Team" (Young's phrase) collection of free agents the Eagles stockpiled during training camp, but in the end they did very little to help the team. All three will likely be remembered for their mistakes more than anything else. Young, discarded by the Titans after five seasons, came to the Eagles in the hopes of being Andy Reid 's latest quarterback reclamation project.