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The Philadelphia Eagles learned Wednesday after further medical tests that star safety Brian Dawkins will miss 2-6 weeks with a sprained foot.

The good news for the team's battered defense: The injury is not as bad as feared.

Dawkins hurt his foot in Monday's regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Bucs, the Eagles said. An MRI taken Tuesday indicated the mid-foot injury Dawkins suffered is not a Lisfranc fracture, which could have sidelined the eight-year veteran for the rest of the season.

A Lisfranc injury, the same fracture that sidelined Eagles tailback Duce Staley for 13 games in 2000, would have required surgery.

Dawkins is expected to be in a walking boot for a while and then begin rehabilitation. He played much of Monday's loss to Tampa Bay with the injury, but it was obvious after the game in the locker room that Dawkins was in considerable discomfort.

His absence, and the likelihood that neither cornerback Bobby Taylor (sprained foot) nor defensive end Brandon Whiting (hamstring) will be able to play Sunday against the New England Patriots, will force a shakeup in the defensive lineup. Whiting's injured hamstring is the one that bothered him during training camp when he missed time.

The plan for now is to start Clinton Hart, a first-year player, at Dawkins' free safety spot. But there is also a possibility that cornerback Troy Vincent could move inside to safety. Veteran defensive end Marco Coleman, signed just last week after end Derrick Burgess tore his Achilles tendon, may be forced into the starting lineup on the left side. In the past three weeks the Eagles have lost four defensive ends to injuries. Defensive tackle Darwin Walker also is expected to get some snaps at end.

If Taylor is unable to play, second-year veteran and 2002 first-round draft choice Lito Sheppard will replace him. Sheppard, who was to serve as the "nickel" defender Monday night, logged plenty of snaps after Taylor limped to the sideline in the second quarter.

This story was reported by ESPN.com senior writers Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton.