They come off the field, carrying with them their helmets, cuts and bruises and puddles of perspiration. They are exhausted.

Once the Eagles finish a practice, they stretch to loosen the warm muscles and then they gather as a team and break. They leave the battleground and meet reporters as they make their way to the locker room.

I decided to hit up a handful of players following Thursday afternoon's practice and these are the stories within the story ...

Baskett: Early Camp Sensation

If you've been keeping half an eye open during this training camp, you know that rookie free agent wide receiver Hank Baskett has been terrific. He is a big body who has a good feel for the offense. Most important, he has made big plays -- none bigger than the bullet from Donovan McNabb that he laid out for and caught during the afternoon practice.

The reception drew a rousing response from the crowd, who seem to have taken nicely to Baskett.

Hank Baskett: One of the top stories of camp

After practice, Baskett was surrounded by nine print reporters. This after a morning scene during which Baskett had a dozen reporters around him.

Naturally, he was asked about THE CATCH of training camp.

"I don't mind going after it and if I have to lay out, I will do that," said Baskett, whom the Eagles acquired in a trade with Minnesota in the spring. The Eagles sent veteran Billy McMullen to the Vikings.

"You've got to do what you've got to do. If I want to be here in the fall, if I want to stay here ... whatever I have to do to catch that ball, I'm going to do it."

Certainly, Baskett (pronounced like 'basket' ball) has the fans paying attention. They shouted his name throughout the afternoon practice.

"It's pretty neat. It's kind of cool when the fans get behind you because Philadelphia is such a fan-based town," he said. "They want to see people come out here working. For them to be cheering for you is definitely a good thing.

"I've seen them get on some guys, so I'm glad I'm on the good side instead of the bad side of the fans."

It is a great story: Baskett was considered a mid-round possibility by some before the April draft but then was not taken. Signed by Minnesota, he lasted through the post-draft mini-camp before the Vikings and Eagles made the trade.

Now he is the camp darling.

But before Baskett starts feeling too good about himself, he knows he must take care of the details.

"I was just walking off the field right now saying to myself, 'Stay humble. Stay thankful.' You can't get too high and you can't get too low," he said. "You may have all seen the catch, but there was a block I missed and I take more pride in that. That messed me up right there. I'm overlooking ... my run blocking, I've got to get back on that. I've over-thinking that instead of going out there and doing what I always did in college, where I was really good in run blocking.

"Yeah, I may have made a good catch and everything, but missing that block is what I'm actually thinking about right now."

Parry: Working On The Little Things

For the first time in his two-plus seasons as an Eagle, Josh Parry enters training camp first on the depth chart at fullback. He is a grind-it-out player, and that's exactly the mentality he has in this camp.

"I feel like I'm getting better every day because I'm working on the little things," he said. "It's the little things that go a long way in football. When you have 11 guys out there, they have to be clicking as one."

Parry has a battle remaining, though. He knows nothing is going to come easily. Thomas Tapeh is back at practice and healthy. Rookie Jason Davis has looked good in camp.

Parry has to do it every day.

"You put your head down and keep grinding," he said. "That's how you get through these days. I take one practice at a time and pretty soon they add up. That's how I look at it."

Year 2 Finds McCoy A Changed Player

The Matt McCoy of this year does not resemble the Matt McCoy of 2005. Want a reason?

"I know what I'm doing now," he said. "Last year, I didn't know. That's what it is."

Indeed, McCoy has handled the WILL position well, say the coaches and knowledgeable observers. The job is his right now. He doesn't intend to let it go.

It feels good when he is on the field and that sense is confirmed during film study.

"I'm seeing good things," said McCoy. "I'm having some mental mistakes, but that's natural and I'm learning from them. I'm getting better every day."

The Eagles were hoping that McCoy's impressive spring would carry over to training camp. That seems to be the case. He has received a lot of positive feedback.

"I feel that, but I also know it's a long season. I want to make the Pro Bowl. I want to win the Super Bowl. Those are the goals, especially the Super Bowl," he said. "We've just started, so I have to be ready for the long haul."

How Deep Can Akers Go?

They hit more home runs in baseball. They jump higher and run faster in basketball. Athletes are bigger and stronger and more, well, athletic than they have ever been.

So why don't field goals convert from, say, 65 yards these days?

David Akers has an answer. He took time after practice to sign autographs -- he does it every day and is truly one of the good, good guys -- and address the issue.

"Give us a week-old ball and you're going to see more touchbacks. You're going to see longer kicks being made -- not because of the accuracy but because of the distance.

"If you get the leather on a ball softened, the ball will go far. They give us balls that have been scrubbed by equipment managers and the leather has not been broken it. It's not malleable. You don't have a basketball player play with a new basketball. Baseball players don't have a brand-new glove and have as much control.

"If you gave us a week-old ball, you would be shocked how far it goes compared to a new ball."

As it is, Akers has hit from 60 yards in practice and his leg appears as strong as ever after his hamstring injury from 2005.

Akers is ready for another David Akers season. That translates to enormous possibilities.

"I feel good. Things are coming along for me in my routine," he said. "I'm hitting it fine."

Fine, sure. Just not fine from 70 yards. They're taking away the kickers in the game.

"Why would they want us to kick long field goals? If you miss it, it goes back to the spot of the kick, not the line of scrimmage," he said. "It's risky. You want touchdowns, not field goals."

And then it was over. The field cleared. The fans scattered and a calm collected on the practice fields. They would be quiet for another night, only to be welcomed by another day of Eagles football to follow.