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Reid not quite ready to anoint Eagles squad

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GLENDALE — A Dream Team? Not so fast.

At least not according to longtime Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, who tempered expectations over his team’s new look on Wednesday.

“Right now, we’ve got a lot of good-looking guys standing around watching,” Reid, a former Glendale Community College player in the 1970s, told ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning. “Obviously, dreams aren’t reality, so the reality will come when I get my hands on them and we get them into practice and start grinding here like the other guys are grinding. That’s reality. If you’re dreaming in this league, you end up in about the third row with a concussion.”

Still, that hasn’t stopped fans from gushing over the team’s latest acquisitions.

Last week, the Eagles acquired Pro-Bowl cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha (five-year deal) and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (via the Kevin Kolb trade with the Arizona Cardinals) to bolster a position that already featured Asante Samuel, a four-time Pro Bowler himself.

The glut of talent at the position presents an interesting, if not, pleasant, dilemma for Reid and his coaching staff.

“That’s a pretty good situation for a coach ... you find a way to work them in and keep them all working,” Reid said in the same interview. “That’s what our challenge is as coaches. We kind of welcome that.”

The Eagles also added running back Ronnie Brown and quarterback Vince Young. Brown, a 2008 Pro Bowler who has spent his entire six-year career with the Miami Dolphins, adds a veteran presence behind LeSean McCoy. And Young, the former college standout who led Texas to the 2006 Rose Bowl win over USC, signed a one-year deal to backup Michael Vick at quarterback.

“You hear a lot of history about Eagles Nation,” Young told CSNPhilly.com. “And just to be part of it, I’m very, very happy to be here and be a part of a great, great organization.”

While the roster appears stellar on paper, the team is without a few key players. Star wide receiver DeSean Jackson, reportedly holding out for a long-term contract, has yet to report to training camp at LeHigh University. And budding receiver Jeremy Maclin, who missed the start of training camp because of an unspecified illness, showed up to camp for the first time Tuesday.

About Jackson, Reid told the Philadelphia Inquirer: “You don’t want any player to miss time. You don’t want them to do that. You understand that’s part of the game, but I don’t want any player to miss time. I want them to be out here. I think the players want to be out here, likewise, but there’s two sides to this. There’s the football side, the business side. You have to work it through if things happen.”

The Eagles absorbed another blow Wednesday when former USC defensive tackle Mike Patterson collapsed an hour into practice. Patterson reportedly fell on his back near the start of line drills and appeared to be convulsing. Reid later said that Patterson had suffered a seizure but was alert and stable at the hospital undergoing exams, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

As a precaution Patterson remained overnight at LeHigh Valley Hospital for observation.

Despite the absences, the Eagles’ acquisitions — which also includes right tackle Ryan Harris, defensive end Jason Babin, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and first-round draft pick Danny Watkins — has drawn a figurative bull’s-eye on their backs.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, without directly mentioning the Eagles, said: “I don’t know if we win the all-hype team. That might have gone to someone else, but we’re going to beat their ass when we play them.”

Reid laughed off those remarks Wednesday in the interview with ESPN Radio.

“I would have been pretty upset if he’d have said it was a hot dog eating contest,” Reid said. “I would have been ready then. I don’t really care about that stuff. Anybody can say what they want to say. Reality is when you strap it on and play. That’s where it all takes place.”

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