At the end of his rookie season, linebacker Stewart Bradley provided a spark to the Eagles defense and showed enough of his ability to impress the coaching staff.

His mental and physical attributes caught their eye as well.

"He's tall," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said. "He's big - 245 or 250 - but he's got good height. He's smart. He's picked things up. He did a great job in the offseason. He was here almost every day, learning things. So he's done a good job."

LB Stewart Bradley

The Eagles will be asking Bradley to take on a larger role in 2008 as the starting middle linebacker and signal-caller on the field.

"I like it a lot," he said in regards to his assignment. "I'm getting more and more comfortable out there and I like the responsibility."

In order to be successful in his first full season with this significant role Bradley said, "I'll stay with my playbook and keep mentally focused so I'll know what I'm doing out there."

Another interesting detail about the Eagles linebackers this year is that they are devoid of a major veteran presence such as Takeo Spikes or Jeremiah Trotter as in previous seasons.

Bradley acknowledges that there are some benefits and disadvantages of having such a young group of linebackers. All of the linebackers have two years of NFL experience or less - with the exception of Rocky Boiman who is entering his seventh professional season, but first as an Eagle.

"We're young so we can gel together," he said. "I think we have good chemistry, we are all around the same age, and we get along well. Obviously, we are not terribly experienced but I think we are a fast, athletic and a hard working group so I think we'll be ok."

This past weekend at the post-draft mini-camp meant working on the small things which can go a long way, according to Bradley.

"Making sure your drops are clean, making sure you're communicating well, that the calls are right, that everyone is on the same page," Bradley said. "This is the kind of stuff we can work out in training camp, before the season starts and it will help make next season a lot easier."

Understanding Johnson's complicated defense, through repetition and preparation, will not only help Bradley, but the rest of the team, achieve great success.