Eagles minicamp kicks off today!

Football season is still a long way off, but with minicamps starting up this weekend it's hard to not start looking forward to the coming season. The Eagles will begin their minicamp today and there are a few intriguing stories that are already developing as we look to the new season.

*Lito Sheppard He's still on the roster, so Lito will be coming to minicamp. There is some discussion that if the Eagles are still trying to trade him, they are taking a risk in having him participate in minicamp. An injury right now would kill his trade value, so let's hope he stays healthy.

*New faces By my count, the Eagles are bringing in 26 new players to minicamp. This includes free agents, players acquired through trades, drafted rookies and free agent rookies. Here is a complete list of new players by position:

Running backs:
Lorenzo Booker

Fullbacks:
Jed Collins
Dan Klecko

Wide Receviers:
Bam Childress
Terrell Golden
Frantz Hardy
DeSean Jackson
Jamal Jones
Shaheer McBride

Tight Ends:
Kris Wilson

Offensive Tackles:
Franklin Dunbar
King Dunlap
Mike Gibson

Guards:
Mike McGlynn

Defensive Tackles:
Trevor Laws

Defensive Ends:
Chris Clemons
A.J. Schable
Bryan Smith

Linebackers:
Rocky Boiman
Joe Mays
Justin Roland
Andy Studebaker

Cornerbacks:
Kyle Arrington
Asante Samuel

Safety:
Quintin Demps

Punter:
Richmond McGee

It's interesting to look at the positions where they only got a few players, like safety and defensive tackle. Clearly the Eagles feel comfortable with the players they have returning from last years squad at those positions. The one position not represented in the list above: QB.

*Position battles Yes, it's early, but position battles start now. Dan Klecko is being brought in to battle with Jason Davis for the starting fullback spot. L.J. Smith will still be the starting tight end, but there are three players vying for playing time behind him: Brent Celek, Kris Wilson and Matt Schobel. My guess is the signing of Wilson will mark the end of Schobel's Eagle career. There will also be an interesting battle at running back where the acquisition of Lorenzo Booker will likely push out either Tony Hunt or Ryan Moats.

There is a lot going on already, and we still have four months until the season starts!