Herremans, Curtis Return to Practice

Herremans could see the field again in two weeks.


For the first time since training camp, Todd Herremans has returned to the practice field. The starting left guard was forced to sit out for the first four games of the season because of a stress fracture in his foot that required surgery.

While he's not in pads or hitting, he is out on the field in shorts and is doing some running and conditioning. With next week scheduled to be a "scrimmage" with the Raiders, it is unlikely that Herremans will be forced into duty against such a beatable team. It's not worth risking his health for the rest of the season when Nick Cole and Max Jean-Gilles are more than capable.

He will most likely return to action in two weeks when the Eagles play the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. The game being on Monday also gives him an extra day to get everything in order and make sure he's 100 percent and ready to go. If he's not 100 percent, he will not play.

His return would most likely mean Max Jean-Gilles gets relegated to a backup role, with Nick Cole continuing a rotation at right guard with Stacy Andrews. Eventually Reid and the Eagles would like to have Herremans the permanent starter at left guard, and Andrews as the permanent starter at right guard.

If Herremans and Andrews can both make full recoveries from their injuries and become full-time starters, Jean-Gilles and Cole could find themselves on the trading block during the offseason. There are about a dozen teams that could use either one of these guys, and the Eagles would most likely be willing to part with them for a draft pick.

Kevin Curtis also returned to practice, and could play this week. Whether he will or not still isn't known, and probably is of no consequence given the way Jeremy Maclin played last week and the level of talent they're facing this week.

If he is healthy and ready to play, he will probably be the fourth receiver behind Maclin, DeSean Jackson, and Jason Avant. Since the Eagles have only been keeping four active receivers, it would probably mean that Reggie Brown and Brandon Gibson are inactive when the Eagles travel to Oakland.