DASHING DOWN the aisle on his way to his first news conference as an Eagle, Donte' Stallworth apologized for his appearance, but the new wide receiver had come directly from the practice field to the auditorium at the NovaCare Complex.

No worries there. On a team starving for help at wide receiver, Stallworth could have been wearing a tutu and smelling like a sewer and he would have been embraced.

Coming off a breakout season with New Orleans, it might seem strange that Stallworth needed a change in venue. But he and the Saints' brass, most notably new coach Sean Payton, were at odds. Payton sent Stallworth home from minicamp earlier this summer for being late, and the two butted heads over Stallworth's offseason conditioning work. Payton wasn't too pleased when Stallworth missed a preseason game because of a balky hamstring injury, either.

The 25-year-old Stallworth, a first-round draft choice in 2002, said yesterday that the Saints misinterpreted a slow recovery from shoulder surgery as immaturity and lack of commitment.

Eagles fans, of course, have been down this road before. Two years ago, the Eagles brought in an even bigger catch at wide receiver, a player who ironically wore No. 81 to Stallworth's No. 18 and who had his own share of baggage and issues.

Able to participate in practice once the formalities of physicals were done, Stallworth said he thinks he'll be more than ready to play when the season opens Sept. 10 in Houston.

Unlike a lot of new players who claim to be overwhelmed by Reid's complex offense, Stallworth was fairly nonchalant about the supersized playbook.

Having played until this season under former Green Bay assistant Mike McCarthy, Stallworth is familiar with the West Coast offense. He said he comes to town familiar with about "60 percent'' of the offense.

"I don't think it will be too difficult,'' he said. "The West Coast is pretty much the same. Every coach who runs the West Coast offense or West Coast-based offense has the same base.

Though not as famous as the initialed receiver who last came to town, Stallworth is exactly what the Eagles need right now. Along with bringing experience to a receiving corps whose other starter (Reggie Brown) is entering his second year, Stallworth gives the offense a downfield threat. That duty used to fall to Todd Pinkston, but with his health status uncertain at best, the Eagles lacked a pure speed receiver who could stretch an offense.

Considered by some to be a disappointment in New Orleans because of nagging hamstring injuries and the shadow cast by Horn, Stallworth proved his draft worth last season. With Horn shelved because of injury, Stallworth stepped to the forefront, hauling in 70 catches for 945 yards and seven touchdowns.

Defensive coordinator said he expects his hardest cuts will come in the secondary, where and are battling for the fourth cornerback spot. "You're going to see them play a lot Friday night [at the Jets] and that's still going to be one of the decisions we have to make''... Sunday's Carnival and Auction raised close to $1 million for the Eagles Youth Partnership.

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