In no particular order of importance, here are ten storylines to pay attention to before and during training camp:

1. The Health and Readiness of Brian Westbrook - As always, there are two sides to this story.  The injury was reported to be more serious than the team is letting on, and as usual, the team is downplaying everything.  The truth is, we won't know how fast B-West will recover until he actually suits up again.  Obviously, we don't want him rushing back from injury, but we can't afford to be without him for too long.  He's expected to miss the preseason, so camp is pretty much out; it'll be interesting to see how he'll ready himself in the meantime.

2. Donovan McNabb's Contract Situation - Lips are tight across the board on this issue, but I think the two sides will be able to hammer out a contract extension sometime before the start of the season; before camp would be terrific, because it would give Donovan peace of mind and allow him to go about his business without money matters festering in the back of his mind.

3. McCoy or Booker? - This will be a very interesting camp storyline.  Lorenzo Booker has already staked his claim, publicly stating that he would readily fill Westbrook's shoes for as long as he is out, and that the job is his to lose.  After all, what would you expect a veteran running back to say?  No vet wants to go into camp and be beaten out for the job by a rookie.  LeSean McCoy, however, has tremendous upside and is already listed as the backup on the team's unofficial depth chart.  Hopefully that sprained thumb won't become a nagging injury for McCoy, because I'd love to see him wow everyone and make an immediate impact.

4. Who Starts at Free Safety - The quick answer is Quintin Demps, but I think we should reserve judgment and see how camp plays out.  We didn't sign Sean Jones for no reason, after all.  Jones is very hungry, and wants to prove that he can replace a legend like Dawk.  Demps is hungry too, but it remains to be seen if he's matured since last season.  The knock on him coming out of college was his cockiness, which I personally don't mind in a player as long as he can back it up.  But that cheap shot on Kurt Warner caught everyone's eye, and don't think Andy wasn't thinking about that when he endeavored to sign Jones.  At any rate, this should be one of the best position battles of the entire camp.

5. Number Three Receiver - Barring disaster, Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson should be the first and second receivers, respectively.  The way I see it, there are three guys who will vye for that third spot: Hank Baskett, Jason Avant, and Jeremy Maclin.  What is so interesting about this is that each guy brings a different strength to the field; Baskett has height, Avant has hands, and Maclin has speed.  It all depends what Andy thinks he'd need most when throwing to the slot.  I think the smart money is on Avant taking the spot, because he's really come along and as I've said before, he's become a very reliable third down pass-catcher.  Baskett could be used more in a situational role, particularly the red zone, and Maclin could see a lot of return duty.

6. The Sheldon Brown Saga - Brown skipped a recent set of OTAs, but it was reportedly due to personal matters and not his contract.  Whether that is true or not, who knows, but if Brown is smart, he'll show up for camp ready to rock.  If he acts up, I'm sure Andy will have no problem replacing him with Joselio Hanson.  The team didn't let him become a free agent because they saw value and talent.  I'd love to keep Sheldon around because he's a heavy hitter, so we'll see how this plays out.

7. David Akers' Longevity - I raised an eyebrow when the team took Sam Swank, a kicker from Wake Forest, because I wondered if this was the year Akers finally had some competition.  As it turned out, Swank's already been released, and once agin there is no one behind Akers.  He had an up-and-down season last year, but it will be interesting to see how well he's recovered from his ugly performance against the Cardinals to close out the season.  He's one of the Iron Men of the team, but can he still kick at an elite level, or even well enough to help his team win come playoff time?

8. The Brothers Andrews - The shake-up on the o-line was one of the top stories of the offseason, beginning with the signing of man-mountain Stacy Andrews, big bro to Shawn.  The team subsequently added Jason Peters, and then decided to move Shawn out to tackle.  This will prove to be one of the most momentous stories of training camp, as we will find out how well the line can adjust to the new system.

9. Short-Yardage Woes - The team finally has a genuine fullback in Leonard Weaver, who the team hopes can help convert in those pesky 3rd-and-short situations.  This is a problem that should be fixed before anything else, and hopefully Weaver is the answer.

10. Ingram or Celek? - Obviously, the job is currently Celek's to lose, but Ingram has been impressing coaches early, even with his blocking, which was thought to be suspect at best coming out of college.  His speed is expected to create mismatches with linebackers, as has been stated exhaustively.  Will Ingram just push Celek in camp, or will he shine and make that starting spot his?

More Food For Thought:

Will Victor Abiamiri nab a starting spot? 

How much will Kevin Kolb improve?

Does Trevor Laws push Patterson or Bunkley for a starting job?

Chris Clemons: will he live up to his contract?

Macho Harris: diamond in the rough?

More than a month to go now...lot to think about.