I just got off the phone with Garry Cobb up at Eagles training camp. He says that he got word that Eagles starting WR Reggie Brown is in danger of being passed over by Hank Baskett. This is a big story in Eagleland, as they are very concerned about their WR situation.

When I saw Brown at training camp last week, he was dropping passes. Apparently, he’s been doing quite a bit of that. Baskett catches most everything thrown his way and does have some big-play ability. In 2006, he had two plays over 80 yards that went for touchdowns.

Fantasy leaguers keep an eye on this one.

BETHLEHEM, Penn. — Maybe the biggest thing I took away from Eagles training camp Saturday (aside from the fact that Darren Howard sucks), is that DeSean Jackson is really impressive. I know it’s early and it’s just a training camp practice, but the second-round pick from Cal is like a suction cup out there. Some of these undersized burners from college have no actual receiving skills, but that’s not the case here. He moves very well in an out of his cuts and it’s completely quiet when he catches the ball.

Mike Ditka said years ago that he wanted receivers with strong hands, not soft hands. Soft, weak hands make a loud smack when they catch the ball. Strong hands absorb the ball easily and quietly. That’s what I saw from Jackson.

In one-on-one drills (which you really can’t take much from), Jackson lined up against safety Brian Dawkins. He proceeded to make a cut that threw Dawkins about eight yards off of him. I understand that Dawkins is a safety and doesn’t have the legs he used to, but the press section and most of the crowd made a collective gasp. It was a cut out of a video game.

On another play, Jackson caught the ball about 18 yards down the field in traffic. He caught the ball and while his hands were still extended forward, he got both arms whacked by the hack of a DB. He held on, and I have no idea how.

Jackson also "gets it." The Eagles have designated autograph-signing tents for different players where they’ll sit and sign on different days. But, there is still a group of fans that hangs in an area where they can hope to get the guys’ attention as they head off the practice field. I looked over, and there is Jackson signing autograph after autograph for the people. This helps to get the Philly faithful behind you. It’s really not fun to be on their bad side.

I saw him after the morning practice near the training area and he was walking gingerly. I wasn’t sure if it was a tweaked ankle or just practice feet.

"You alright," I asked.

"Yeah, yeah I’m good," he replied.

"That’s good, they really need you," I said.

He smiled and said, "Thank you very much, I appreciate that."

His overall demeanor is a great complement to his apparent on-field talent. A possible first-round stud that slipped to the second round, Jackson could very well be walking around with a chip on his shoulder and a hot-shot attitude.

Based on everything I saw yesterday, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Eagles announced today that they have signed general manager Tom Heckert to a contract extension, which will keep him in town through 2011.

The Eagles also promoted Howie Roseman to V.P. of player personnel.

“I feel we have strengthened our personnel staff today by extending Tom’s contract and by promoting Howie Roseman,” said someone in the PR department head coach Andy Reid. “Tom’s leadership and work ethic has continued to impress me over the years. Tom has also done a great job of nurturing and incorporating Howie’s talent into the personnel side of the organization. Howie has demonstrated a sharp eye for talent evaluation along with a knack for creative draft and free agent strategies. Both Tom and I feel Howie will be an excellent addition to the Philadelphia Eagles personnel staff.”

In case you missed, and judging by the amount of people that have sent me the link to the Cnnsi.com story you haven’t, Philadelphia is officially a town that hasn’t had a pro sports championship in 100 seasons. The 76ers won in 1983, and all four teams have now gone winless in their last 25 years. Cnnsi.com has been nice enough to mention it with 100 of the worst things to happen to Philly sports during that time.

You can get Perry’s take right here. He’s as miserable a Philly sports fan as you’ll find.

Check it out, it’s a pretty thorough list. Maybe now you will understand why the fans in Philly are the way they are. From the Fog Bowl to the wet chart to the Allen Iverson “practice” tirade to Scott Rolen to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final fiasco to Shawn Bradley to the Charles Barkley trade to the three-straight NFC Championship game losses…Cnnsi.com has it covered.

A source close to the situation has told Blast that the Eagles really love Pittsburgh OT Jeff Otah. The source also says that the Eagles are enamored with Vandy’s OT Chris Willams and Michigan State WR Devin Thomas. Read more here.

UPDATE: The Eagles signed Asante Samuel Friday to a six year deal after BLAST broke the story Thursday.

According to a source inside the Eagles with knowledge of the situation, former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has reached a deal to play in Philadelphia next year.

There are no specific details on the terms, years or compensation. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King reported Monday that the Eagles could offer the cornerback a five year deal worth up to $55 million, but cautioned that it might not be a great move for the team.

“This is a dangerous, dangerous move if the Eagles do it. I’ve been a Samuel guy for the last couple of years, because he’s a fearless competitor, but his play late last season, particularly when the Patriots couldn’t generate a consistent pass-rush on Eli Manning, was poor,” King wrote.

Samuel played in all 16 games in 2007 and recorded six interceptions, one for a TD — against the Eagles. There had been many rumors involving his eventual landing place in free agency, including the possibility of New Orleans and Tampa Bay.

Another source confirmed my last report that the Eagles are indeed going after a top-flight wide receiver and that Larry Fitzgerald is at the top of that list.

As I said previously, this will require the efforts of Head Coach/VP Andy Reid, General Manager Tom Heckert and salary capologist Joe Banner, as they will need to work out compensation with the Arizona Cardinals as well as restructure Fitzgerald’s current ridiculous deal. He is scheduled to make $14.6 million in 2008 with a total cap number of $16.5 million.

The source also mentioned that Patriots free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel is on the radar as well. This would dovetail with another rumor that has Lito Sheppard wanting a new contract shortly, if not now. While both the Eagles and Sheppard have said that any notion that they have given him permission to seek a trade is false, Sheppard did tell Comcast Sportsnet’s Derek Gunn that he should be paid like a top corner. Maybe he is a top corner, but it’s tough to tell when he’s on the injury report so often.

While I am not reporting that all of these things will happen, what was clear from my source is that the Eagles are not resting on their laurels this off-season. They want to add weapons for Donovan McNabb and infuse playmakers throughout the roster.

How it all plays out remains to be seen, but this is good news for Eagles fans who want the organization to make the push required to get the city a championship.

As I first reported on 610 WIP sports radio in Philadelphia and GCobb.com, a source close to the situation told me that the Philadelphia Eagles are going hard after Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

The name “Chad Johnson” was also floated, but I don’t see that as a realistic possibility. It is rumored that the Redskins are interested in Johnson, and we all know they’ll overpay and give up tons of draft picks. In contrast, the Eagles are much more careful with their April selections.

The source also stated that the Eagles are not planning on rebuilding (ie not trading Donovan McNabb) and that they have a list of guys that they want to go after. Fitzgerald, according to the source, is on the top of that list.

There was also a mention that the Eagles had their eyes on a kick-returning cornerback with their 19th overall selection in April’s draft. Poor kick and punt returning was a hallmark of the 2007 Eagles season.

A source close to Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb recently told me that the embattled star “absolutely wants to stay” in the City of Brotherly Love.

McNabb told ESPN in a recent interview that he thinks they should bring more star-caliber talent into the Eagles’ the roster. Many think that he is just saying all the right things despite wanting out. Some believe that his vocal desire to add playmakers is an attempt at forcing a trade.

“Donovan definitely wants to stay in Philly,” the source said. “He wants to stay in Philly and win a championship here.”

Most probably wouldn’t blame McNabb one bit if he really did go elsewhere for a fresh start. He’s had to take heat going back to the 1999 draft when he was booed thoroughly after the Eagles made him the second overall pick.

Of course, he was booed for what he wasn’t (Ricky Williams) and not for what he was. Still, he had to stand up there and take it.

In 2003, after a rough start, which included inconsistency and a sore throwing thumb, the Philadelphia faithful clamored for third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley, who had filled in admirably in 2002 when McNabb went down with a cracked ankle (they ignored the fact that he threw four touchdown passes in that game, after the ankle snapped). Even Rush Limbaugh was able to jump in on the McNabb bashing during the 2003 season.

McNabb rebounded from all of it and rattled off nine straight wins that season, leading the Eagles to their fourth-consecutive playoff berth.

At the conclusion of the 2004 season, the Eagles lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots and McNabb was held responsible by the locals. He threw three interceptions — two of them very costly — and was seen vomiting in the huddle towards the end of the game. The phone lines at Philadelphia’s sports radio 610 lit up like a Christmas tree with angry fans harping on his mistakes during the game.

Nowadays fans say Eli Manning grew up in the Super Bowl while Donovan threw up.

In 2005, Terrell Owens openly criticized McNabb as a way to help Owens get a new contract. The quarterback was then thrown under the bus by just about anyone with a pen. His leadership was called into question, and it was widely reported that he lost the locker room. McNabb was ridiculed for taking the high road and not standing up to Owens. Some claimed that he should have physically confronted the mercurial receiver.

“He did not lose that locker room,” a former Eagle teammate told me at the time. “Those guys have Donovan’s back. That stuff isn’t true.”

In 2006, following an injury-shortened season, McNabb found himself on injured reserve for the second straight year when he blew an ACL against the Tennessee Titans. The ire was now centered around his inability to stay healthy.

The NFL Draft last April saw the Eagles draft University of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb in the second round. It was their first selection in that draft. Since the moment his name was announced, all of the talk has centered around when McNabb will be gone. He has been hammered repeatedly with questions about whether he’s going to stay, whether he wants to stay and whether he thinks the team even wants him anymore.

By the conclusion of the Eagles 8-8 season, McNabb looked bloodied. He looked like a man exhausted from the constant barrage of repetitive questions. No one would be surprised if he privately wished to re-start his career in another city. But, it seems that McNabb has just gotten used to how things work in one of the toughest sports towns in the country.

He has responded to the adversity admirably thus far in his career, and judging by the way his knee seemed to be coming around late in the season, most signs point to him doing it again.