Eagles Wake-Up Call

Each morning during training camp, we’ll be bringing you the Eagles wake-up call with links and notes from Lehigh.

If you’re looking for proof that the betting public believes the Eagles are going to bounce back in 2012, here it is.

The Birds’ over/under number for wins in 2012 is now 10.5, per Bovada. Betting the over pays even money, and betting the under is -130.

Only the Packers and Patriots (both at 12) have higher totals. If you’re wondering about the rest of the NFC East, the Giants’ number is 9; the Cowboys are at 8.5; and the Redskins are at 6.5.

Elsewhere in the NFC, the Saints and 49ers are both at 10.

WHAT YOU MISSED

Let me tell you, no one writes a vomit post like McManus. No one. He’s got details (don’t worry, not too many) on DeSean Jackson’s rough afternoon.

I’ve got practice observations and depth chart notes from Friday. Michael Vick slid. Really. I swear to you.

If you weren’t already excited about DeMeco Ryans, read Tim’s piece on the leadership skills the Birds’ new middle linebacker is already displaying.

I tried to figure out what the Eagles are expecting from second-year safety Jaiquawn Jarrett.

Right now, the Eagles are looking at two rookies to handle return duties on special teams.

Andy Reid says the Eagles aren’t looking at Jeremy Shockey right now, although that could change.

What exactly are the Birds looking for in their second tight end? And can Clay Harbor fill that role? I took a closer look at those questions.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

The Eagles put in a waiver claim for wide receiver Dez Briscoe, but the Redskins ended up landing him, according to Adam Caplan. Briscoe (6-3, 200)  had 35 catches for 387 yards and six touchdowns with the Bucs last year, but Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano decided to cut him.

Dan Graziano writes on ESPN.com’s NFC East blog that he’d take the Giants’ pass rush over the Eagles’:

Round and round you can go with this, because it’s very close. But when I write that the Giants are better because they have the rings, that’s more than just a flippant tiebreaker. The Giants have a team full of proven Super Bowl champions. The Eagles have a team that played extremely well in stretches last season, but also played very poorly in critical late-game situations. You can look at the names on paper and decide which you like better, but if you don’t allow recent past performance to factor into your analysis of what kinds of players these guys are, you’re being foolish. The Eagles’ pass rush might outperform the Giants’ pass rush in 2012. But the guys the Giants use have proven more than have the guys the Eagles use, and that’s why I’m picking them in this comparison.

I wrote about the Patriots releasing veteran running back Joseph Addai earlier this week, wondering whether he might interest the Eagles. But according to Mary Paoletti of CSNNE.com, the reason New England cut him was because Addai was struggling during a conditioning test and then just quit.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.