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Danny WatkinsAlex Brandon

After spending the first month of the season sitting and watching, rookie first-round pick Danny Watkins will make his first NFL start Sunday when the 1-3 Eagles travel to Buffalo to play the 5-1 Bills.

The Kelowna, B.C. native will replace struggling Kyle DeVan at right guard. DeVan replaced him as the starter days before the season opener.

Watkins had been penciled in as the starting right guard the day he was drafted last April. But the 4 1/2-month lockout coupled with a five-day training camp holdout put him behind as he tried to learn both the offense and offensive line coach Howard Mudd's blocking technique.

After the last preseason game, both Mudd and coach Andy Reid realized Watkins wasn't ready. They had claimed DeVan, who had started for Mudd with the Indianapolis Colts, on waivers, and they plugged him in at right guard.

But there obviously was a reason that the Colts had released DeVan. He played OK in the Eagles' first two games, then struggled in a Week 3 loss to the Giants and turned in a really poor performance last week in his team's 24-23 loss to San Francisco. He was flagged for holding twice and got beat several times by 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald. His failure to carry out his blocking assignment on a goal-line play set in motion a fumble by Ronnie Brown that ended up being the difference in the game.

So, ready or not, Watkins is going to get his chance Sunday against a Buffalo defense that has just four sacks and is ranked 25th in the league in rushing average.

Watkins won't be the only new face on the Eagles' offensive line. Their four-time Pro Bowl left tackle, Jason Peters, suffered a fairly serious hamstring injury last week and won't play Sunday. He'll be replaced by King Dunlap, who will be making just his sixth career start and third at left tackle.

"Danny has been working with Howard and just going over all the small things it takes to play," Reid said. "We've eased him back in the past couple of weeks, and he's handled it well and done well."

The Eagles' offensive line has struggled in short-yardage and goal-line situations in the first four games. Mudd prefers lighter, more athletic offensive linemen. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Watkins is a little bigger than the 6-2, 302-pound DeVan, but Reid said the need for some added goal-line girth had nothing to do with the move.

"I wouldn't say that, no," he said. "I'd just say we're always trying to get the best guys on the field that we possibly can. It really has nothing to do with what the other guys have done, their size or anything like that."

Thus far, the Eagles have gotten nothing from their top draft picks. This not only will be Watkins' first career start, it will be just the second game for which he's active.

Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, the team's second-round pick, was inactive for the first three games. He was activated last week, but he was on the field for just four special teams plays. Cornerback Curtis Marsh, the third-round pick, has yet to be activated for a game.



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