August 19, 2015
Important couple of days coming up at the NovaCare Complex, as the Eagles will get in a few joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens before the teams match up at The Linc on Saturday night in the second preseason game.
Chip Kelly is excited to see his team matched up against a different group of players in practice. Here is a quote from the Eagles coach via Bleeding Green Nation’s Patrick Wall:
"I think any time you get a chance to compete against another team, when you have players like [Ravens WR] Steve Smith out there at receiver and [Ravens QB] Joe Flacco, who is one of the best in the league; that's always the great thing when we got a chance to go against the Patriots, you got to play against [Patriots QB] Tom Brady. We get a chance to go play against Flacco. You’ve got [Ravens OLB Terrell] Suggs and [OLB Elvis] Dumervil and that group on the outside linebackers and defensive line in terms of pass rush. So that will be some good matchups with our offensive line. I think the competition part of it is what we are real excited about."
As two of the Eagles’ divisional rivals have shown this preseason, joint practices also offer the potential of some extracurricular activity. Heading into his last season, Steve Smith Sr. still brings a ton of intensity to the field. Here is what Smith told The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec:
"I think there's a lot of testosterone that's going to be on that field," Smith Sr. said. "There are going to be a lot of guys trying to prove things. You saw what happened with Houston and Washington. I think you have to have a good mindset. Guys have to understand what's going on.
"As wide receivers, we're going to respect them and they're going to respect us. Anything in between, if it's taken the wrong way, we're just going to have to fix it and we're going to have to fix it quick. And words will not be minced."
Even if the two teams don’t get into any fights, the next couple of days in South Philly should be plenty interesting. Ice up, son.
1. Jimmy’s practice notes: With the Ravens coming into town for the rest of the week, the Birds went through a light practice yesterday. Andrew Gardner seems to have the inside track on the starting right guard job, and Matt Barkley is now officially “The Artist Formerly Known as Barks.”
2. Back at one: In the offseason, the Eagles wanted the two-point conversion moved up to the one-yard line. The league didn’t choose to accept their proposal, so Chip Kelly says they’ll continue to kick extra points.
3. Parkey problems? On the subject of extra points, Cody Parkey missed one on Sunday in addition to a 34-yard field goal. Al Morganti is wondering if the kicker is someone to keep an eye on.
4. Camp battles: For all of the starting spots that were up in the air heading into training camp, Jimmy gives you an update on where things stand now. It seems as if most of the questions still yet to be answered are at positions where the Eagles have proven players competing, which is a good thing.
5. Injury update: While Kiko Alonso returned to the field after missing a couple of weeks with a concussion, Earl Wolff can’t seem to seize the opportunity and stay on the field.
NFC East preview: Kelly's genius (or madness?) will decide division race: Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated
Farrar thinks the division is a two-horse race, and he’s pegging the Eagles as the favorites:
The Cowboys' main concern in losing Murray to the Eagles is not replacing his offensive production but replacing his value to their defense, which surprised many in 2014 thanks to favorable time of possession splits, veteran coordinator Rod Marinelli's coaching and a few standout performances. If they suffer any backslide in those categories, the Eagles could easily take the division. Of course, Philadelphia's ability to capitalize on regression in Dallas depends a great deal on the health of aforementioned new arrivals Bradford, Mathews and Alonso.
Here's what the Eagles seem certain to have: an improved secondary that welcomes former Seahawks corner Byron Maxwell, a potentially dominant front seven even if Alonso can't fully recover from the torn ACL that robbed him of his 2014 season, and a rookie pass-catcher in USC's Nelson Agholor who could make Philly's passing attack even more dynamic. Add in the three-headed backfield monster of Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles, and it's definitely the deepest team Kelly has had as an NFL coach.
NFC preseason player grades, Week 1: Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Brooks gave Nelson Agholor a B-minus for his work against the Colts, which seems a little harsh from over here:
Agholor certainly made a strong impression on Philly fans with his 34-yard touchdown on a spectacular catch-and-run maneuver Sunday, but coaches will want to see him consistently come down with balls thrown in his direction. If he eliminates the concentration drops, Chip Kelly will make him a feature player in the Eagles' high-octane offense.
Odds are Tim Tebow, minus mania, will make Eagles roster: Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
Because you can’t go more than 24 hours without your Tebow fix:
Which sounds a better: a mistake-riddled Barkley, or Tebow, who can at least run and throw in a few wrinkles at a defense in the unlikely event that both Bradford and Sanchez go down?
Eagles and Cowboys fans team up to support family of deceased pilot: Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
This was a nice ending to the sad story of the competing banners between Eagles and Cowboys fans:
Despite this, Eagles and Cowboys fans obviously still felt terrible for the pilot who lost his life. So they teamed up and used money from their banner fundraisers to support the family of the deceased pilot.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
