PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Jeff Garcia is settling into an unfamiliar role with another new team.

A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback during five seasons in San Francisco, Garcia now is with the Philadelphia Eagles after unsuccessful one-year stints in Cleveland and Detroit.

Unless five-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb gets hurt, Garcia will spend most of his time carrying a clipboard on the sidelines. For now, Garcia is mentoring younger players and learning Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense during minicamp.

``I know what it's like being a young guy, being in a new place, having so much thrown at you in a short period of time and how much you have to try to absorb and soak in,'' Garcia said. ``Mentally it's not an easy thing to do. I understand what they're going through. If I can be helpful, I'm going to do that.''

Garcia, 36, has seen players on other teams hesitate to help rookies and inexperienced guys. Some veterans fear losing their jobs. Others simply aren't nice people. Garcia is eager to share his knowledge.

``I don't want to be that guy that separates himself and says, 'You're on your own,''' Garcia said. ``I feel like I'm a step ahead of where these guys are and if I can lend some help and guidance, I'm going to do that.''

Though he's playing for his fourth team in four years, Garcia isn't entering a foreign offense. He had his best season in 2000, when Marty Mornhinweg was the 49ers' offensive coordinator. Mornhinweg now has that role with the Eagles.

Garcia completed 63.3 percent of his passes (355-for-561) for 4,278 yards, 31 TDs and only 10 interceptions in 2000. He averaged 3,720 yards and 28 TDs between 2000-02.

``There are some differences, but there's a lot of familiarity,'' he said. ``Marty is a very aggressive coach and I think that's going to work in favor of this team. I'm just learning a few new wrinkles as far as terminology goes, but the offense is the same.''

In seven seasons in the NFL, Garcia has completed 60.9 percent of his passes (1,695 for 2,785) for 19,076 yards, 126 TDs, 71 interceptions and has a passer rating of 85.8. An outstanding scrambler, Garcia also has run for 1,791 yards and 24 TDs.

Garcia's numbers declined dramatically after he left San Francisco. He threw for 1,731 yards and 10 TDs in 10 starts for Cleveland in 2004, and had 937 yards passing and three TDs in five starts for the Lions last year.

But the Eagles, looking for an upgrade over Mike McMahon and Koy Detmer, gave Garcia a one-year contract in March to be their backup. McNabb is coming off the worst season in his seven-year career and missed the final seven games with a sports hernia.

``I feel somewhat young, even though I'm getting up in age,'' Garcia said. ``The main thing for me is to be ready to go mentally. I believe I still have the ability to be a No. 1 quarterback. It just wasn't in the cards this offseason and it wasn't the situation here, but I think I can be good for Donovan in the sense that I can help him grow and continue to get better on the field.''

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