Out of limelight, Watkins finds comfort zone

Danny Watkins is out of the spotlight. And thats just the way he likes it.

All eyes were on Watkins last season when the Eagles used their first-round pick (23rd overall) to draft the 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman from Baylor.

But Watkins was drafted during an off-season with a lockout, which prevented mini camps and OTAs. And he got an even later start in training camp after holding out because of a contract dispute.

By the time he showed up to camp he was already behind, but was put with the first unit at right guard anyway. Then, just four days before the season began, Watkins was benched for waiver-wire pickup Kyle DeVan.

Watkins struggled. He had to make three significant transitions: from the left to right side, from college to pro and from tackle to guard. But those things were just the beginning. Watkins is a low-key guy from West Kelowna, British Columbia, and he wasnt ready for Philadelphia fans or media coverage.

Ive never really liked being in the limelight, so to speak, Watkins said on Thursday, the final day of the first set of Eagles OTAs. So its kind of nice that theyre looking elsewhere.

There are a couple reasons the focus is now off Watkins. First, after he regained the starting job in the fifth game of the season, he played well. He started the remaining 12 games of the season and went unnoticedthe ultimate compliment for an offensive lineman.

The second reason is that theres a new guy with all the pressure on his shoulders. That guy, of course, is this years first-round pick, Fletcher Cox. The Eagles traded up and selected Cox with the 12th pick in Aprils draft. Now, its Cox, not Watkins, with all of that first-round pressure.

Its nice because Fletchers taking all the heat now, Watkins said. And hes a cool guy. I gave him a ride the other day and we were talking. Hes from the south and he has that southern mentality. Hes going to be a heckuva player. He kind of reminds me of Jay Ratliff from the Cowboys. I think Fletchers gonna be a stud.

And the strange thing is, from the moment Cox stepped on the field May 12 for Eagles rookie camp, he already had more of a structured off-season than Watkins had last summer. Watkins spent some time working out with his teammates last off-season but the lockout wiped out mini camps and OTAs, things that could have immensely helped a then-26-year-old lineman who didnt start playing football until he was in his early 20s.

This would have been nice to have last year, Watkins said just off the field at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday. Without a doubt.

The Eagles first-rounder from two seasons ago, Brandon Graham was particularly critical of himselfeven if he was being slightly sarcasticwhen he recently said he was a bust.

And I dont think thats fair that he did that, Watkins said. Thats a serious injury (microfracture knee surgery) that he had. I think just coming back from that is something pretty difficult, mentally and physically. I think that was pretty harsh.

Watkins wrapped up his first-ever OTAs on Thursday and it didnt take him long to fully realize how important these organized team activities truly are and how much theyll help him prepare for his sophomore season.

I knew it before we even put the cleats on, Watkins said. Anything to do when youre learning a new scheme and new techniques on the line is going to help. This definitely would have been nice last year, to help learn a new position on a new side, a new technique. This definitely would have been pretty crucial, but whats done is done.

Cox actually has it easy in some respects. He has the chance to workout with all of his teammates under the supervision of the Eagles coaches during the off-season. And Cox might see a delay in criticism from fans. He was the pick fans wanted to see. Watkins? Not so much. The Eagles drafted Watkins with the understanding he would be ready to start the season. When he wasnt, the backlash from fans was harsh and media scrutiny became greater.

That led to Watkins saying he was overwhelmed. After he regained his starting role, Watkins clarified that he wasnt overwhelmed by the football aspect of the NFL, it was transitioning to a new city with media and fan attention.

I dont think you ever really get used to it, Watkins said on Thursday about being a player in Philadelphia. But you learn how to deal and cope with it.

The way Watkins has coped is to play better. The Eagles offensive line was thought to be a potential liability before the seasonthey rotated players in and out of the lineup and eventually had to move Todd Herremans to RT and insert Evan Mathis at LGbut eventually became a bright spot of an otherwise dismal season.

I think Watkins is going to be a great player, tight end Clay Harbor said. A lot of the times in drills, they would critique him and you would hear them talking to Danny and telling Danny what to fix but you dont hear that anymore. Hes really fit into the technique. Hes a really athletic player, anybody can see that.

"Thats why hes a No. 1 draft pick, hes big and quick and he can move. Now, he looks and fundamentally sound as some of the other guys, as the veteran guys.

E-mail Dave Zangaro at dzangaro@comcastsportsnet.com