Philadelphia Eagles

With his 31st birthday fast approaching, Eagles cornerback Joselio Hanson has been promised nothing other than a chance to win the job he has held for the better part of the last six years.

Signed out of NFL Europe in 2006, the 5-9, 185-pound Hanson has been one of the league's better nickel corners the last six years. But he heads into the spring OTAs needing to beat out fourth-round rookie Brandon Boykin to hang on to his job, and probably his roster spot.

"I was told I was competing for the (nickel) job," Hanson said. "No problem. I've been competing (for a job) every year since I've been in the league. I've competed every year. That's the way it is in the NFL. Everybody's competing (for a job). Even the coaches are competing."

Hanson said the coaches shouldn't expect him to mentor Boykin, though.

"If they said we weren't competing, then maybe I would mentor (him). But when it's competition, it's every man for himself."

The Eagles are very high on Boykin, who fell into their lap in the fourth round of last month's draft. He's younger, faster and cheaper than Hanson. He played a lot of nickel at Georgia and also returns punts and kicks.

But Hanson isn't going down without a fight.

"I'm just trying to come out here and do my job," he said. "I feel I'm still the best nickel on the team. I continue to grow. I'm still not at the max of my mental ability to play the game, play this defense. I'm in the mental prime of my career. Not a lot of things confuse me out there."

Hanson found himself briefly unemployed last September when the Eagles released him. It mainly had to do with the arrivals of Pro Bowl corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. With another Pro Bowl corner, Asante Samuel, already on the premises, Hanson suddenly was the team's fourth corner.

Scheduled to make $1.8 million last year, the Eagles released him and then re-signed him three days later for considerably less money. Hanson spent the first nine games of the season as the team's fourth corner while new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo struggled mightily to find a way to put Samuel, Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie on the field together. The problem was, none of them could play the inside position that Hanson had mastered under the late Jim Johnson.

"A lot of people play nickel in the league, but they don't play the same position I play," Hanson said. "I always tell people, a lot of other nickels in the league don't have the same responsibilities I have. When it comes to our scheme, the pressure on me is (different).

"A lot of nickels around the league, they can just sit back and read the quarterback and react. That's pretty easy in football terms. Here, you have to do a lot of reading, communicating. I'm reading the (running) back. If the back goes this way, I've gotta do this. If he goes the other way, I've gotta do that. It's a lot more thinking than some other schemes."

Castillo tried using both Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie inside and both failed miserably as the Eagles lost six of their first nine games last year. Hanson finally was reinserted as the nickel in the 10th game against the Giants after Rodgers-Cromartie injured his ankle.

The Eagles held the Giants to 10 points and Eli Manning to 18 completions in 35 attempts that day as the Eagles earned a seven-point win. They went on to win five of their last seven games with Hanson at nickel, allowing 10 points or less in four of those five wins.

"Last year was difficult," Hanson said. "But I proved a point to them. You can't just put anybody inside. It's a totally different position. When I got in there for good in the second half of the season, we ran off some wins. That was a good feeling."

Samuel was traded the Atlanta Falcons last month for a seventh-round pick, which will allow Castillo to play both Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie outside. But that doesn't mean Hanson will be the nickel. He will be challenged this spring and summer by the rookie, Boykin. Hanson knows he's got his work cut out for him, because he knows the Eagles probably would rather go with the younger guy. Then again, in a year when the Eagles believe they have the horses to compete for a Super Bowl title, going with a veteran who won't cost you a game with a mental mistake has its advantages.

"I'm working a lot harder now than maybe when I was younger," said Hanson, who has added about five pounds of muscle to his frame since last season. "I feel good. I feel faster and quicker than ever."

• The Eagles eliminated a potential major training camp distraction last week when they signed running back LeSean McCoy to a five-year, $43 million contract extension that includes nearly $21 million in guaranteed money. McCoy, one of the league's top backs, was in the last year of a rookie contract that would have earned him just $615,000 this season. Last year, wide receiver DeSean Jackson let his uncertain contract situation affect his play. Jackson had an off year. The Eagles didn't want to risk the same thing happening with McCoy.

  "Me and DeSean are great friends, but everybody handles things differently," McCoy said. "I try and do things the right way. I go out every week and work hard in practice and in the games and play my heart out. I didn't want to act the fool and do the wrong thing because I wasn't raised like that. I want to do the right things by showing up and being a team guy, all the things that I really am."

• Quarterback Michael Vick, who is coming off one of the poorest seasons of his career, said he thinks the full offseason of workouts and classroom work will be a big benefit to both himself and his teammates.

  "Last year at this time, we would've been off probably vacationing or something," he said. "Now, we're out here detailing our work and trying to get better as individuals and better as a team. Everything happens for a reason, and this year, there's a chance for us to gel together and know one another and work on being the best players we can be."

• Linebacker Jamar Chaney who started 16 games last season, including 14 at MIKE and two at SAM, has been moved to the weak side where he will compete against last year's starting WILL, Brian Rolle. The Eagles upgraded both the MIKE and SAM positions, acquiring middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans in a trade with Houston and selecting their projected SAM starter, Mychal Kendricks, in the second round. While Rolle started 13 games at WILL last season as a rookie, he's just 5-9. Considering that Kendricks is only 5-11, the Eagles probably will be reluctant to start two sub-six-foot linebackers.

  "May the best man win if it's just me and him (Rolle) battling it out," said Chaney, who had surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck in January, but has been cleared to participate in the Eagles' OTAs. "Nothing in my life has ever been given to me. You always have to work for it. I prefer it like that." Chaney was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in the 2010 draft.

Quote To Note:

"I haven't done anything, really. Right now, I'm a bust, so I'm going to deal with that. I'm a bust and I'm going to keep being a bust even when I make plays. I'm going to act like a bust, you know what I'm saying?"

—DE Brandon Graham, the Eagles' 2010 first-round pick, who played sparingly last season after recovering from microfracture surgery on his knee.

The only three veterans not participating in the Eagles' first round of voluntary OTAs this week are defensive end Jason Babin, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and linebacker Keenan Clayton. Babin isn't here because he's on vacation in Alaska. Clayton had surgery Wednesday (May 23) to repair a sports hernia, which will keep him sidelined until the start of training camp in late July.

The Eagles have moved linebacker Jamar Chaney, who started 14 games in the middle last season, over to the weak side, where he'll compete for the starting job with Brian Rolle.

Kurt Coleman is running ahead of 2011 second-round pick Jaiquawn Jarrett at strong safety.

One of the more interesting training camp battles this summer will be the battle for the fourth wide receiver job between third-year man Riley Cooper and rookie sixth-round pick Marvin McNutt. McNutt has looked impressive in last week's rookie camp and this week's OTAs.

Medical Watch

• TE Brent Celek is participating in this week's OTAs despite having January surgery to repair a torn hip labrum and a sports hernia.

• LB Jamar Chaney, who had surgery on his neck in January, also is participating in OTAs.

• LB Keenan Clayton had surgery this week to repair a sports hernia. He will be sidelined until training camp.

Franchise Player:

WR DeSean Jackson (tendered at $9.515 million; signed long-term contract).

Transition Player:

None.

Unrestricted Free Agents

• DE Victor Abiamiri has had an injury-riddled career with the Eagles. Since being drafted in the second round in 2007, he's played in just 29 games and has missed both of the last two seasons with knee and Achilles injuries. He isn't expected to be re-signed.

• RB Ronnie Brown was brought in to back up LeSean McCoy, but his best days are behind him. He had just 42 carries, averaging 3.2 yards per carry. He won't be re-signed.

Restricted Free Agents:

None.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents:

None.

Draft Choices Signed

• LB Mychal Kendricks (2/46); 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• DE Vinny Curry (2/59); 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• QB Nick Foles (3/88): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• CB Brandon Boykin (4/123): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• T Dennis Kelly (5/153): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• WR Marvin McNutt (6/194): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• G Brandon Washington (6/200): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• RB Bryce Brown (7/229): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

Players Re-signed

• DT Antonio Dixon: RFA (tendered at $1.927M with second-round pick as compensation); $1.927M/1 yr.

• OT King Dunlap: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

• WR DeSean Jackson: Franchise FA (had been tendered at $9.515M; $47M/5 yrs, $15M guaranteed.

• OT D.J. Jones: ERFA; terms unknown.

• DT Derek Landri: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

• OG Evan Mathis: UFA; $25.5M/5 yrs, %$7M guaranteed.

Players Acquired

• LT Demetress Bell: UFA Bills; $34.10M/5 yrs, $8.5M RB '13.

• OL Mike Gibson: Not tendered as RFA by Seahawks; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

• QB Trent Edwards: FA; terms unknown.

• WR Mardy Gilyard: FA; terms unknown.

• LB DeMeco Ryans (trade Texans).

• C/G Steve Vallos: UFA Browns; 1 yr, terms unknown.

• T Thomas Welch (waivers Rams).

Players Lost

• C Jamaal Jackson (released).

• OT Winston Justice (traded Colts).

• DT Trevor Laws: UFA Rams: $700,000/1 yr.

• DE Juqua Parker: UFA Browns; 1 yr, terms unknown.

• CB Asante Samuel (traded Falcons).

• FB Owen Schmitt: UFA Raiders; terms unknown.

• WR Steve Smith: UFA Rams; $2.5M/1 yr, $625,000 base guarantee/$1.5M RB.

• QB Vince Young: UFA Bills; $2M/1 yr.