Category: Eagles Minicamp

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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Philadelphia Eagles conclude virtual offseason program as training camp looms

Philadelphia Eagles conclude virtual offseason program

It’s been a difficult offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles but the next time this group gets together in an official capacity will mark the start of training camp.

The Eagles quietly wrapped-up their virtual offseason program, making the announcement on the team’s official website.

“I just really feel like we’re in a good place right now as a football team,” Pederson said during an interview with Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro on Monday. The entire interview can be heard on the Eagles Insider Podcast, presented by Lincoln Financial Group. “With the uncertainty of when Training Camp is about to start, I still wanted to have these guys fresh and ready and prepared mentally that way. By shutting things down, it gives them time to kind of catch their breath a little – coaches and players.”

The Eagles had the option to continue meeting up until June 26, but with nearly 60 days of video meetings and home workouts, Pederson fills the Eagles are ready to embark on the 2020 NFL season.

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Quez Watkins is the Eagles rookie that may benefit the most from “crucial” workouts with Carson Wentz

Eagles rookie wideout Quez Watkins calls workouts with Carson Wentz crucial to his development

The Philadelphia Eagles added three rookie wide receivers during the 2020 NFL Draft, but any momentum towards getting them acclimated to the offense was stunted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Quez Watkins put up decent numbers at Southern Miss and his Alshon Jeffery-esque size has some analysts believing he has a bright future with the Eagles.

the last of the Eagles draft picks, Watkins isn’t guaranteed to make the Birds roster and after missing out on OTAs and minicamps, the talented wideout had the chance to get some work in with Carson Wentz down in Houston recently.

With Watkins and other Eagles rookies needing to get caught up to speed fast, the wide receiver called his time with Wentz last week “crucial” to his development during a sitdown with NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Watkins has been in Houston this week working out with his new quarterback and a few other receivers, including first-round pick Jalen Reagor. It’s the first time the rookies have been able to catch passes from the Eagles’ franchise quarterback.

“It’s crucial,” Watkins said. “Especially being a sixth-round draft pick, it’s not every day that somebody that late in the draft can already get with the quarterback and build a relationship and build trust. For me, that’s crucial and that will give me a step ahead.”

Watkins was initially supposed to workout with Eagles rookie Jalen Hurts for a week, but when Wentz, the Eagles starter called, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“Truthfully, I didn’t know he was that big,” Watkins said to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark on Wednesday. “I thought he was maybe 6-3, 6-2. But he was like 6-5 and I was like, man, he’s tall. I see how he can sling it now.”

Wentz has been throwing to Jalen Reagor, Watkins, Greg Ward, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, something that should make Eagles fans and pundits excited.

For Watkins, the reps will go a long way towards the speedy wideout carving out a place on this Eagles team.

“With [Wentz], he’s really just giving me signals and really coaching me up and helping me learn the playbook as we go along,” Watkins said. “And just getting reps, learning the different routes and stuff like that.”

In his final years at Southern Miss, Watkins had 136 catches for 2,067 yards and 15 touchdowns, but it was his 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine that won the Eagles over. Watkins has been working to add muscle and could give the Eagles another dynamic playmaker.

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Jalen Mills named the player on the hottest ‘hot seat’ for the Eagles entering 2020 NFL season

Jalen Mills on the hot seat for the Eagles entering 2020 NFL season

Jalen Mills tested the open market during free agency but eventually returned to the Eagles on a 1-year prove-it style deal.

Upon returning to the Eagles, Mills had his position switched and will now attempt to replace Malcolm Jenkins at the safety position.

During the offseason, the Eagles also acquired Nickell Robey-Coleman and Will Parks via free agency and then drafted former Clemson star, K’Von Wallace, in the fourth round of the NFL draft. With Mills back in the fold and some talented additions, Bleacher Report named the hybrid safety the player on the “hottest, hot seat.”

The Philadelphia Eagles allowed Malcolm Jenkins to walk in free agency. Jalen Mills will transition from cornerback to safety as a potential replacement, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“General manager Howie Roseman didn’t shy from projecting Mills as the starting strong safety opposite free safety Rodney McLeod,” McLane wrote. “But as Jenkins proved, the position could be many things, and the Eagles view Mills as a positionless player.”

Versatile players have multiple seats, which increases their job security. However, Mills could miss out on two starting positions in the secondary.

Mills will likely make himself a lot of money this season or put himself in a position to become a career backup based on needs and value around the league.

Wallace would appear to provide the most immediate threat to Mills’s position with the Eagles while Jim Schwartz could alleviate any controversy by simply playing a third safety and three cornerbacks with one linebacker on most downs.

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Mike Quick provides some insight into how the Eagles will utilize Jalen Hurts

Mike Quick says the Philadelphia Eagles will use Jalen Hurts as a gadget player

When the Philadelphia Eagles used the No. 53 overall pick in the second-round on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, it set off a firestorm of experts and analysts predicting the demise of Carson Wentz.

The truth is that Hurts will likely turn into a high-value trade asset, but while he’s still a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, it’ll be on Doug Pederson and Press Taylor to find creative ways to utilize his skill set.

Former Eagles legend and current radio play by play analyst, Mike Quick told NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano that he sees the rookie quarterback being used as a gadget player during his first NFL season.

“I think that, initially, (Pederson) will use (Hurts) pretty much as a gadget guy,” Quick said. “You look around the NFL, and all of these guys that are smart play-callers and guys who plan plays, they do a lot of things that we haven’t seen in conventional football, and Doug Pederson is one of those guys who likes to come up with things that no one has seen. So, I think Doug uses Jalen Hurts in a number of ways.”

Quick went on to say that he believes Hurts ultimate fit will be as a quarterback in the NFL but he’ll spend his rookie year allowing his versatility to be advantageous.

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Eagles QB Carson Wentz working out with Jalen Reagor, JJ Arcega-Whiteside and others in Houston

Jalen Reagor among Eagles Players working out with Carson Wentz in Houston

With the Philadelphia Eagles unable to have any in-person minicamps or offseason workouts, it’ll be imperative for the players to get in as much team bonding as they possibly can.

Carson Wentz bought a home in Houston a few years ago and he’s used the hot summer weather to help ingratiate his teammates.

Thanks to a video from Jalen Reagor’s Instagram, Wentz, and a few other Eagles are putting in the work at the signal-caller’s offseason home.

Fletcher Cox recently hosted the Eagles defensive line at his Texas home and the Birds appear to be in sync with the virtual team building.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/jalenreagor/2326706269462967860

Second-year wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside is also in attendance.

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Philadelphia Eagles make more changes to sports medicine and performance staff

Philadelphia Eagles hire Eddie Grayer as an assistant strength coach

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to be a younger, faster, and healthier team during the upcoming 2020 NFL season.

Howie Roseman has taken more steps to ensure a healthy and productive season and the Eagles have made changes to their sports medicine/performance staff, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com, by adding Eddie Grayer as an assistant strength coach and parting with assistant athletic trainers Micah Gerhart and Mark Lewis.

Grayer previously worked with the new director of sports performance Ted Rath in L.A. and played a part in the Rams being one of the NFL’s healthiest teams over the past two seasons.

Rath joined the Rams after eight seasons as a Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions assistant.

Rath and Jim Schwartz have history, but most important to the Eagles, his recent stint with the Rams resulted in LA having one of the healthiest teams in the NFL.

Rath is to like utilizing analytics, wellness checks and recovery plans to keep players healthy while using a digital questionnaire — similar to a short quiz — to stay updated on his player’s health.

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Eagles coaching staff returning to NovaCare Complex

Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff can now return to NovaCare Complex

In a move that should make Eagles fans happy, NFL coaches will be allowed to return to team facilities starting Friday, June 5.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport shared a memo sent to teams from Commissioner Roger Goodell that allows the Eagles coaching staff to be among the employees eligible to return to club facilities beginning tomorrow, June 5.

Players not seeking treatment for injuries are still barred from working at team facilities.

According to Rapoport, coaches may return only if the team has “received the necessary permission from state and local governments to reopen its facility.”

Philadelphia and the other surrounding counties are scheduled to enter the yellow phase on June 5.

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Eagles won’t be allowed to hold joint practices during training camp and preseason

NFL announces no joint practices during 2020 training camp, preseason

The NFL is currently full steam ahead with their plans to successfully start the 2020 regular season on time and the league has taken steps to mitigate any potential risk to the coronavirus.

The league announced that teams will have to stay at their team facilities for training camps this summer because of the coronavirus.

Shortly after the league announced further steps to avoid risk, canceling the tradition of joint practices, a staple around the NFL the last few seasons.

Club personnel are taking the steps to return to team facilities and the league has hopes of allowing teams to hold mid-June minicamps.

The Eagles have held joint practices with the Ravens and Patriots in recent years and the work gave a great assessment of how they’d stack up during the regular season.

Even without the minicamps, the NFL is scheduled to start 2020 training camps at the end of July.

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Eagles D-Line looks ready for huge season after gathering for workouts with Fletcher Cox

the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line looks to be in great shape after workouts with Fletcher Cox at Shady Trell Ranch in Texas.

The Philadelphia Eagles hopes of returning to the playoffs four a fourth straight season could hinge on the defense and most importantly, the pass defense.

One way of helping your cornerbacks is to sustain a disruptive and pressure-filled pass rush, one reason for the Eagles spending big money on Javon Hargrave in free agency.

The Birds will return Graham at defensive end, while Derek Barnett will man the other edge in what could be the most important season of his career.

The Eagles defensive line got a head start on the in-person part of the team’s virtual training camp when everyone except Hargrave made the trip to Texas for some bonding and workouts with Fletcher Cox on his ‘Shady Trell Ranch’, a premier hunting destination in Jacksboro, Texas.

Brandon Graham initially broke the news of the Eagles defensive line all gathering for some group activities with Cox.

Here’s a photo of the group courtesy of Cox’s friend and personal trainer, Deon Hodges.

The trip is similar and reminiscent of the gatherings quarterback Carson Wentz organizes in the offseason.

A few summers ago, Wentz took some teammates up to North Dakota to work out and bond together, while last summer they met in Houston.

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