The day begins with a 7 AM wake-up call. After eating a breakfast fit for kings at the NovaCare Complex, there are roughly two hours of meetings before a two-hour practice. Lunch is followed by another 90 minutes of meetings. There is another two-hour practice to conclude the day.

The first two days of the post-draft mini-camp are so jam-packed that it could even make a veteran's mind go crazy. Just imagine what it must be like for the rookies.

"There's no doubt it's a change," said rookie linebacker Andy Studebaker. "I'm learning a new position right now. I'm doing some extra work, reading my playbook just trying to get a hang of the new linebacker spot."

Studebaker's claim-to-fame is that he is the first player ever to be drafted from tiny Division III Wheaton. One of the ways he got noticed was through a YouTube video that displayed his highlights. In college, Studebaker was a right defensive end. Now, the 6-3, 251-pound Studebaker is trying to be a driving force at outside linebacker. He's not the first person on the Eagles roster to make the change from defensive end to outside linebacker. Chris Gocong was drafted in 2006 and made a successful transition as he took over the starting strongside linebacker spot last season. Studebaker knows it will take time and mistakes will be made. But he has to find a balance between going all-out on every play and trying to do the right thing.

CB Asante Samuel

Defensive end Trent Cole remembers his first mini-camp back in 2005. Similar to Studebaker, Cole was a 236-pound hybrid defensive end/linebacker when he was drafted in the fifth-round out of Cincinnati. Back then, Cole had to share a locker with former linebacker Jason Short. Cole's name was only known by the members of his family. Three years and 25.5 sacks later, Cole is looked upon as one of the leaders in the locker room. He made a trip to the Pro Bowl last year. Now he owns his own locker which he is proud of. The road to success as an NFL player began for Cole with his post-draft mini-camp in 2005.

"I came in; I know I wanted to play. I know I wanted to be somewhere on this team," Cole said. "I wanted to be a part of this team. I wanted to find my place so I went out there and played hard. That's why I'm standing here with my own locker. It's a great achievement for anybody in here - getting to have your own locker, having your own place, being a part of the team."

To compare one of the newest additions in defensive end Bryan Smith to Cole is legitimate. Smith said on Friday that he weighs 238 pounds right now and wants to add another 15-20 pounds. Cole is now listed at 270, but will probably play at around 255. Smith also played at a school not known as being a football factory, McNeese State. And again, like Cole, other teams projected Smith to be an outside linebacker in the NFL. Cole knows exactly what Smith is going through during this hectic weekend.

"It's fast-paced for him, I can tell," said Cole. "It's a lot faster and there's a lot of new stuff. I tell him just keep a positive head on him because there's a day when you're going to become a great player here. You can learn a lot of stuff that's going to increase your game. He just has to take it how it is and keep pushing through. Be thankful for the hard work you did to be here and be on this team. In the end, you're going to thank yourself for the hard work to come out here."

When it comes to production in the NFL, however, Cole doesn't assume that Smith will follow in his footsteps.

"We won't know. Everybody's put to a test, a test to see if you can do it or you can't do it. If you can get it done, you get it done," Cole said.

One new Eagle who has produced in his career is cornerback Asante Samuel. The NFL's leader in interceptions over the past two seasons with 16 may not be a rookie, but he is getting used to his new surroundings. A two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Samuel said that the biggest change in the new defense is the amount of times the cornerbacks are asked to blitz. Samuel spent his first practices with the team rotating in at left cornerback along with Lito Sheppard.

"It was good. I was happy to be out there with my new team and show a lot of love," said Samuel. "Everybody is excited and it's new for me. I like the way things are going.

"I want to learn from everybody. If they want to learn from me, it is what it is. We're all brothers here. We're happy to be out there. We're playing and we're happy."

Even though it's only the first mini-camp, the tempo is already at a fever pitch. By the time you catch a minute to rest, there's that phone call which reminds you that a new day, a new set of meetings and practices has arrived.