PHILADELPHIA — He likely won't play very much, but any action for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford in Saturday night's preseason clash with the Baltimore Ravens would represent progress, so long as he walks away from it without any medical procedures scheduled for the next day. 

Bradford, who is attempting to come back from ruptures of the same anterior cruciate ligament in back-to-back years, was held out of the team's preseason opener against Indianapolis last week just as a precaution, even though he's experienced no health setbacks throughout his recovery and hasn't missed any practice time. 

And although coach Chip Kelly remained non-committal on a plan for his quarterback rotation or whether Bradford would even play at all when last asked about it Wednesday, Bradford is expected to start for the Eagles on his way to being the third different opening-day quarterback for Kelly in the coach's three seasons on the job. 

"I haven't talked to [Kelly] this week, but [based on] our conversation last week, I'm going to play," Bradford said after Thursday's joint practice with the Ravens. " But with Coach you never know.  I'm hoping he hasn't changed his mind." 

"I think it's good for me [to play].  I think it's good for the huddle, I think it's good for everyone for me to get out there.  One of the big deals I noticed on Sunday is getting the play calls from Chip.  We get them from Pat during practice, but they come in a little bit quicker.  Obviously Chip calls things a little bit different, so I think being out on the field, you get that communication with him coming off to the sideline — 'What do we see, what are we getting to?' —  all those small things that sometimes you take for granted." 

Bradford did admit he'd be extremely disappointed if he didn't get to play Saturday, when he'll actually be looking forward to his first real hit. 

"I think it's always good to get that first hit out of the way," he said. " You never like to get hit, but I think sometimes it kind of gets you in the flow of the game.  Hopefully it doesn't happen, hopefully it's not a big shot, but I wouldn't hate going to the ground once, getting up and knowing I'm going to be OK." 

Another one bites the dust

Outside linebacker Marcus Smith, who had been making significant progress toward cracking the Eagles' playing rotation after struggling as a rookie last year, was carted off the field after suffering a hamstring injury early in Thursday's session. 

His injury is the latest in a plague that's hit his position group especially hard.  The Eagles already have lost Travis Long to a season-ending knee injury and recently were forced to release Brandon Hepburn and Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo with injury settlements. 

Smith will undergo an MRI, according to a team source. 

His absence and the general lack of bodies at his position meant more repetitions Thursday for Bryan Braman and Vinny Curry, a defensive end who's been pressed into emergency service this week. 

"I'm having a great time out there," Curry said. " It's just been a long time since I got to set an edge or to be out there with your one hand free.  It just felt good to be doing that and just trying to get back into that type of rhythm.  But once that happens, it's going to be good." 

Curry did play from a two-point stance in college at times but never dropped into coverage. 

"I don't mind it.  I mean, I think I looked good.  There were a couple of drops out there that looked pretty sweet.  Just patting myself on the back there," he said jokingly. " But it ain't like I'm taking a man all the way, 80 yards, like covering [Ravens WR] Steve Smith.  That would be unrealistic." 

Observations

• Andrew Gardner keeps taking most of the first-team reps at right guard, an indication the job is his to lose now.  And really, the sooner they figure out the offensive line, the better — more so than with any other position, including quarterback — because it's really not five positions.  It's one position manned by five men. 

• E.J. Biggers continues to excel.  The versatile defensive back victimized Matt Schaub for an interception he returned for a touchdown. " I've been really happy with what Bigs has done so far," Kelly said the day before.  The fact that the coach used a nickname bodes well for Bigs at this point.  Kelly doesn't use them on just anybody. 

• When it rains, it pours.  Already critically short at linebacker, the Eagles intentionally removed a healthy one, newcomer Diaheem Watkins, from practice after he scuffled with Ravens offensive lineman De'Ondre Wesley.  That's a no-no, especially for a bottom-end player on Kelly's roster. 

• After the surreal year the Eagles special teams enjoyed last season, it might seem unrealistic to imagine or expect a repeat.  But the group they've assembled this year might even be better.  Perhaps their weakest link this summer is a Pro Bowl player: kicker Cody Parkey.  But Parkey was perfect on this day.