Trent Cole

A magnetic resonance imaging on Trent Cole's right ankle Saturday revealed no structural damage, the Eagles said. The defensive end is listed as day to day with a mild ankle sprain. Cole injured the ankle in the second quarter of the Eagles' 20-17 preseason win Friday night at Kansas City. He had to be carted off the field. "Well I'm good nothing serious," Cole tweeted. "Time to recover and get after Green Bay. " The Eagles will play their final preseason game Thursday against the New York Jets.

Hugh Douglas, the Eagles' most proficient pass-rusher during coach Andy Reid's first four seasons as head coach, had signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2003 free-agent period, and now the search was on for the team's next disruptive defensive end. The draft seemed like a logical place to start, so the Eagles maneuvered from the 30th overall pick to the 15th selection and grabbed Jerome McDougle from the University of Miami. Oops, that didn't work. They also took McDougle's Miami teammate Jamaal Green in the fourth round of that same draft.

One of the bright spots of an otherwise gloomy Eagles season has been the rapid development of rookie defensive end Trent Cole. A fifth-round draft choice from the University of Cincinnati, Cole made his first NFL start last week against the New York Giants a memorable one, with two sacks and six tackles in the Eagles' 27-17 loss. Cole is second on the team with five sacks, all in the last three games, with two against Dallas and one against the Washington Redskins. His emergence has coincided with improved play of fellow defensive end Jevon Kearse.

Trent Cole is just a country boy in the big city. Right now the rookie defensive end from rural southern Ohio is looking for two things: an opportunity on the field and a new hunting partner. Cole, a fifth-round draft pick out of Cincinnati, has survived the first test by making the Eagles' roster. He sees a chance to make an impact. The Eagles released veteran defensive end Hugh Douglas, and Jerome McDougle is not expected to return from a gunshot wound until five or six weeks into the season.

What a difference a few months make. After a toxic 2011, Andy Reid and the Eagles management have restored a sense of optimism and hope around their team. Even the loudest Reid critic should be impressed with what the Eagles have done the last two months, including the draft that just unfolded. "It's a positive thing. When you're around the team right now you feel that," Reid said Saturday, wearing a signature Hawaiian shirt. "I think they're excited to get going. " For anyone else it would be a bit early for short-sleeves with a tropical motif, but as the weather warms and the Eagles' barren January fades in the distance, the team once again looks great in the offseason.

1. Stewart Bradley          2. Brent Celek 3. Trent Cole                4. DeSean Jackson 5. Kevin Kolb                6. Quintin Mikell 7. Asante Samuel

Jason Babin officially is no longer an Eagle. Tennessee acquired the defensive end after the Eagles declined to match the Titans' offer. Under a right-of-first refusal clause the Eagles put into Babin's contract, they had 1 week to match the offer sheet signed Wednesday. Without the clause, Babin would be an unrestricted free agent because of his 6 years of NFL service. The Titans announced that the Eagles notified the NFL yesterday they would not match the offer. Babin, a first-round draft pick in 2004 out of Western Michigan, has played for Houston, Seattle, Kansas City and, last season, the Eagles.

UP NEXT: Who: Eagles at Buffalo When: Sunday, 1 p.m. Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y. TV: Fox Radio: WIP (610-AM, 94.1-FM) Series history: Eagles lead, 6-5 and are 3-3 in Western New York. Last meeting: Eagles won, 17-9, at the Linc in 2007. INJURY REPORT -- Trent Cole. Calf strain. MRI today. -- Antonio Dixon. Triceps strain. MRI today. -- Jason Peters. Hamstring strain. MRI today. -- Michael Vick. Finger on his left hand popped out, but it was popped back in and he stayed in the game.

THE DEPLETED DEFENSIVE LINE: Defensive tackle Antonio Dixon suffered a triceps injury that could keep him out for a while. Trent Cole was on crutches after the game with a calf strain. Ends Juqua Parker and Darryl Tapp still are out. Not a good situation. THOSE FOURTH-QUARTER BLUES: For the third straight week, the Eagles blew a fourth-quarter lead. They have been outscored 36-0 in the fourth quarter the last three games. DEFENDING THE BACKS AND TIGHT ENDS: A seasonlong problem continued as the Niners' running backs and tight ends accounted for 154 of 291 receiving yards.

Never have so many been so glad to see a bunch of professional football players running around in shorts. Organized Team Activities (OTAs or, as we called them before the NFL was completely bloated with self-importance, minicamps) have come to South Philadelphia. That is welcome news for two reasons: one, because it signifies the unofficial start of the 2012 season; and two, because it signifies the official end of all the lame excuses about how the lack of running-around-in-shorts time hurt the Eagles in 2011.

What a difference a few months make. After a toxic 2011, Andy Reid and the Eagles management have restored a sense of optimism and hope around their team. Even the loudest Reid critic should be impressed with what the Eagles have done the last two months, including the draft that just unfolded. "It's a positive thing. When you're around the team right now you feel that," Reid said Saturday, wearing a signature Hawaiian shirt. "I think they're excited to get going. " For anyone else it would be a bit early for short-sleeves with a tropical motif, but as the weather warms and the Eagles' barren January fades in the distance, the team once again looks great in the offseason.

Love them or hate them, the Eagles' draft picks on the defensive line usually have been memorable. They are rarely boring. They have been stars who set standards of Eagles excellence. They have been colorful. They have been busts of historic proportions. They have been hated and loved and have died tragically early. Start at the top, with Reggie White, who was taken in the 1984 supplemental draft and became one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. He made seven Pro Bowls with the Eagles and six with the Green Bay Packers after leaving as perhaps the most sought-after free agent in NFL history.

If you already have a strong pass rush, do you really need more? For an easy answer to that question, all the Eagles have to do is turn their gaze to New Jersey, where the Giants have used a succession of star defensive ends - from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Jason Pierre-Paul - to take home two championships in five years, roughing up Tom Brady both times with the help of a deep front four. So, no, a 4-3 defense can never have enough horsepower up front, which is one reason the Eagles could add another early pick there when the NFL draft opens Thursday.

If you already have a strong pass rush, do you really need more? For an easy answer to that question, all the Eagles have to do is turn their gaze to New Jersey, where the Giants have used a succession of star defensive ends - from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Jason Pierre-Paul - to take home two championships in five years, roughing up Tom Brady both times with the help of a deep front four. So, no, a 4-3 defense can never have enough horsepower up front, which is one reason the Eagles could add another early pick there when the NFL draft opens Thursday.

Love them or hate them, the Eagles' draft picks on the defensive line usually have been memorable. They have been stars who set standards of Eagles excellence. They have been colorful. They have been busts of historic proportions. They have been hated and loved and have died tragically early. They are rarely boring. Start at the top, with Reggie White, who was taken in the 1984 supplemental draft and became one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. He made seven Pro Bowls with the Eagles and six with the Green Bay Packers after leaving as perhaps the most sought-after free agent in NFL history.

Suddenly, the Eagles have a fire burning on their front lawn. It had been a smooth and serene offseason for the team, the to-do list meticulously crossed off one by one until all that seemed left to do was kick back, watch some game film, and try to bolster a solid roster in the draft. Then came Friday's news that Jason Peters, their Pro Bowl left tackle, one of the Eagles' two best players in 2011 along with LeSean McCoy, had ruptured his Achilles tendon, probably ending his season.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It didn't take Andy Reid's admitting that he "goofed" on defense for Eagles fans to suddenly realize that ill-equipped linebackers and safeties were responsible for last season's befuddled start. Many knew before the season even began that a group of novices in the middle of Juan Castillo's first defense were going to be plowed over behind the wide-nine front. But Reid's finally taking responsibility was a nice way for the coach to put last season's 8-8 debacle in the past.

Andy Reid threatened to quit? The Eagles were, in fact, interested in Peyton Manning? Both things happened, according to a Los Angeles Times article published Friday. However, not long after the piece was picked up by the Philly media and spread like wild fire, Reid uncharacteristically released a statement essentially refuting the sourced claims. In the article - a notes column - "two NFL insiders" said the Eagles coach was prepared to leave the team if he wasn't given more control over personnel.