Category: Eagles Minicamp

Eagles Zach Ertz lands in the top-3 ahead of Rob Gronkowski in a ranking of TE’s by Execs, players, coaches

Philadelphia Eagles star Zach Ertz is No. 3 in a ranking the NFL’s best tight ends in 2020

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The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best tight end duos in the NFL, and for a time, they had the guy recognized as the best in Zach Ertz.

Ertz is a supreme talent, but George Kittles and Travis Kelce appear to be on another level when it comes to their run after the catch prowess. Ertz is still a ‘made man’ amongst his peers and the respect was shown during a recent ranking of NFL tight ends by ESPN.com and several league executives, players, and coaches.

Kittles and Kelce landed the top spot, but Ertz got the not over Rob Gronkowski at No. 3.

“There’s a drop-off after Kittle and Kelce, but this guy is a championship-level player,” one AFC exec said. “He smokes us almost every time we play them. He doesn’t beat you deep, but he doesn’t need to because he’s so good with the intermediate stuff. I’d take him above almost everybody.”

Ertz has the most targets in the NFL over the past two seasons and his demise has been greatly exaggerated despite some suggesting the Eagles move on.

Ertz running mate, Dallas Goedert landed on the list as a player to watch, with some suggesting that he’s a better option at times.

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Eagles WR DeSean Jackson apologizes for “offensive, harmful” anti-Semitic quotes

DeSean Jackson apologizes for “offensive, harmful” anti-Semitic quotes

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Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson took to his Instagram to apologize for “offensive” anti-Semitic quotes that were attributed to Hitler over the weekend.

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Jackson wrote a statement and recorded a video, in which he said he “didn’t intend any harm or hatred,” and specifically addressed the Hitler quote that has now been deemed a fake.

The Eagles released a statement, condemning Jackson’s post while continuing to do due diligence on the matter.

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Eagles’ quarterbacks, rookies set to report early for 2020 training camp

Eagles quarterbacks, rookies to report for training camp on July 22

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to start their 2020 training camp on July 28 with the rest of the league, but according to Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Birds franchise star will likely arrive a week earlier.

On July 22, rookies, quarterbacks, and select veterans will report for training camp. The rest of the 90-member roster is due to return on July 28. “Select” veterans are mostly those returning from injury.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, his staff, and other essential personnel are set to return to the area by July 10 to begin a two-week quarantine and Covid-19 test before the team arrives for camp.

The Eagles plan to make use of both the NovaCare Complex and Lincoln Financial Field, holding meetings at the Linc but practicing at NovaCare, which has several fields.

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Eagles CB Darius Slay morphing into the ultimate mentor for the younger generation of NFL cornerbacks

Eagles CB Darius Slay morphing into the ultimate mentor for the younger generation of defensive backs

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The 2020 NFL offseason saw the Philadelphia Eagles finally acquire a top-notch cornerback when the franchise traded picks for disgruntled Lions star Darius Slay. Slay will likely shadow the Eagles opponent’s top pass catcher while affording defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz options and versatility for his scheme that he’s never had while in Philadelphia.

Slay has garnered accolades this summer for his precise footwork but he’s also quickly morphed into one of the go-to guys in the NFL for mentorship from younger defensive backs around the league.

Slay has been mentoring and tutoring younger defensive backs in Michigan this summer and made it point to invite young athletes from Philadelphia out as well when he arrived in the city.

For Slay, it’s all about returning the love.

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Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff to quarantine, take COVID-19 test prior to training camp

Eagles coaching staff to quarantine, take COVID-19 test prior to camp

The Philadelphia Eagles are less than a month away from training camp and according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, the teams coaching staff and essential personnel will undergo a quarantine prior to the start of training camp.

The Eagles rookies will report for training camp July 22 according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer, with the team’s veterans returning July 28.

The NFL has expressed protocols that require “meetings to be conducted virtually to the extent possible,” and when in-person meetings are necessary, “the Eagles must make efforts to hold [them] outdoors with participants sitting apart from one another and wearing masks.” In-person meetings that do not permit physical distancing are prohibited.

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Philadelphia Eagles could be among NFL teams expected to bring fewer than 90 players to training camp

Philadelphia Eagles could be among NFL teams expected to bring fewer than 90 players to training camp

The coronavirus pandemic has caused all the major sports leagues to reassess how they’ll go about completing their seasons.

With NFL training camps set to start in less than a month, some teams around the league are reportedly exploring carrying fewer players as a way to avoid a rash of the positive tests.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com is reporting that teams around the league are considering carrying fewer than the 90 men allowed on training camp rosters.

Such a move would mean that teams around the league could start making pre-training camp cuts before a lot of guys even get the chance to compete for a job. It could be made easier by the increase in practice squad players.

There have been discussions about teams quarantining players that play important positions while other suggestions have included former a bubble for the NFL season.

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T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

The biggest criticism of the Eagles front office stems from Howie Roseman not making the linebacker position a yearly priority for the roster.

When you have Roseman’s ability to land undrafted free agent talent on the cheap, big free agent signings or high profile draft picks sometimes aren’t that necessary. Roseman landed former Wisconsin star T.J. Edwards as an undrafted free agent last spring and it paid big dividends on special teams and late in the season.

Now according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Edwards could be preparing to take the next step as a player, thus forcing himself into Jim Schwartz’s starting lineup.

A 2019 undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Edwards fought his way onto the team and ended up starting four games his rookie season, finishing with 30 tackles.

The Eagles came away impressed with his instincts, his thump and his awareness in coverage. They believe he’s ready for an increased role and think he can be an impact player for them. They better be right. Philadelphia let Nigel Bradham and Kamu Grugier-Hill walk in free agency, and while they signed Jatavis Brown and spent a third-round draft pick on Davion Taylor, the amount of proven talent in this group is scarce. The opportunity is there for Edwards to grab.

Nate Gerry has been a consistent player for the Birds and should definitely find significant reps on the outside, but Edwards has the prowess and work ethic to definitely separate himself at middle linebacker.

Edwards will face competition from Jataivs Brown and Davion Taylor inside.

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T.J. Edwards named a surprise starter who could emerge for the Eagles in 2020

T.J. Edwards named a surprise starter who could emerge for the Eagles this season

The Philadelphia Eagles linebacker corps is either extremely underrated or a serious problem for a talented defense based on which analysts or NFL expert you choose to listen to.

The Eagles got extremely faster and athletic at the position after they signed Jatavis Brown in free agency and then drafted Davion Taylor and Shaun Bradley.

Even with the new moving parts, one name continues to emerge as a breakout candidate and that’s second-year linebacker T.J. Edwards who made the Eagles roster last season as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin.

Bleacher Report recently highlighted a surprise starter who could emerge in 2020 and Edwards was named the Eagles candidate.

Philadelphia Eagles: LB T.J. Edwards

The Philadelphia Eagles’ linebacker corps is concerning. A projected starting group of Nathan Gerry, Jatavis Brown, and possibly Alex Singleton doesn’t inspire much hope.

The younger options on the roster present some upside, though. The Eagles may be better off moving forward with T.J. Edwards, Duke Riley, and this year’s third-round pick, Davion Taylor.

Of the previously mentioned linebackers, Brown has the most starting experience. The 2016 fifth-round pick has also battled injuries throughout his four-year career. As such, Edwards could easily find himself running the Eagles defense as its “Mike” linebacker.

“He’s the kind of player that nobody in our scouting department gets excited about because he’s not fast or splashy, but he knows how to play,” an NFC linebackers coach told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein before the 2019 NFL draft.

With the Eagles sometimes utilizing five or six defensive backs, Edwards’s savvy ability to sniff out the run and make stops at the point of attack could give him the upper hand in a position battle that will highlight the early portion of training camp.

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Former Eagles great Tra Thomas weighs-in on whether Jason Peters could replace Brandon Brooks at RG

Tra Thomas unsure Jason Peters could replace Brandon Brooks at RG

The Philadelphia Eagles seem prepared to move forward with Matt Pryor in place of the injured Brandon Brooks, but that hasn’t stopped fans and some analysts from clamoring for the return of Jason Peters.

Peters has openly discussed playing guard if it would extend his career and with Brooks lost for the season due to a torn Achilles, the question has been asked about Peters possibly switching positions.

Former Eagles great and Pro Bowl left tackle gave his opinion on the matter recently and told 97.3 ESPN, that Peters would have a hard time making the adjustment.

“The skill isn’t the problem, it’s the wear and tear on the body,” Thomas explained. “If you are getting beat up out there playing defensive ends, you’re definitely going to get beat up playing offensive guard when you’re dealing with defensive tackles.”

“Everyone just thinks you can mix-and-match and just move around – it’s not that easy, to just move to different positions like that,” Thomas stressed. “Especially when you have been in a left-handed stance for so long, its takes a long-time to get that muscle memory to change.”

Pryor, the likely choice to replace Brooks, has experience from the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Seahawks last January and his physically similar to the All-Pro in size.

Thomas liked what he saw from the former TCU star.

“I thought Matt Pryor came in and held his own,” Thomas said. I thought he was really good at protection, to me I don’t feel there was a major drop-off.”

The third-year guard has the chance to make himself a lot of money this season and could put himself in-line for a big deal on the open market or for potentially replacing Brooks if the Eagles decide to move on.

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NFL considering expanding practice squads from 12 to as many as 16 players

NFL considering increasing practice squads from 12 to 16 players

In a move that could allow the Philadelphia Eagles to add more depth and versatility, Mike Garafalo of NFL Media is reporting that the league and NFLPA are in discussions on an expansion of the practice squads.

Back in March, NFL players voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with the league’s owners that runs through at least 2030. The new CBA expands the NFL’s playoff field by two teams starting with this upcoming season and we’ll see the regular season expand from 16 games to 17 games as early as 2021.

Such a move would allow the Eagles to keep up to six extra players on the practice squad during the 2020 season as the league attempts to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

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