No big whoop that former Bears QB Jay Cutler thinks Alshon Jeffery will perform at a very high level with the Eagles in 2017—health allowing, of course. Still, it’s good to hear the positive thoughts coming our way from “Old Sour Puss”:
“He’ll do well,” Cutler said (in his new role as Fox analyst). “Mike Groh is there, the wide receivers coach. He had Al in Chicago when we were all there. Mike knows him really well, can get the most out of him.
“And I think that Al knows this is a huge year for him. You know, it’s another one-year deal for him. I mean, if he stays healthy and he works hard, I mean, the guy is unbelievable. He’s just had some bad luck with some injuries that have kind of plagued him. You know, one injury will lead to another injury to another injury. It’s hard at that position to battle back and get healthy again and be productive.”
Meanwhile any questions we had about bringing in Jeremy Maclin seem to have been answered by head coach Doug Pederson, but he leaves a door open:
“At this time, no.”
Pederson said Thursday morning that the Eagles “love the guys that we have” and want to see how the young players handle the workload.
At that exact same moment Maclin was in Owings Mills, Maryland visiting with the Baltimore Ravens. He had just spent two days with the Buffalo Bills organization, but somehow the Bills let him get out of town without a contract.
Maybe Maclin is visiting the Ravens to drive up his value to the Bills? For whatever the reason, he’s still a free agent and a player who would seem to be a fine fit for the 2017 Eagles offense assuming they could work out a cap-friendly deal.
Chris McPherson of the Eagles media staff added these notes from Pederson’s latest press conference:
1. Who Has Shined During OTAs?
Pederson was asked who has caught his eye during the three weeks of Organized Team Activities. Here’s who he listed:
- CB Rasul Douglas
has “made some strides.” - RB Donnel Pumphrey‘s ability to be moved around the formation.
- DE Derek Barnett is “going to be a good player for us.”
- WR Alshon Jeffery, specifically Pederson noted, in the red zone.
- OTs Lane Johnson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai “have really stood out.”
2. No Reason To Be Worried About Jernigan, Matthews
Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan
sprained his ankle on Monday, but will return to action today. Wide receiverJordan Matthews is still sidelined with knee tendinitis, but Pederson said that “he’ll be fine heading into Training Camp.” There is a chance that Matthews will participate in next week’s mandatory minicamp.
3. Expect Pederson To Remain Aggressive
Pederson was asked whether or not he will continue to make gutsy coaching decisions, such as going for it on fourth down, like he did in his rookie year as a head coach.
The answer is yes.
“That’s who I am, without sacrificing the team or putting the team in bad situations,” he said.
4. Joint Practices With The Dolphins
Ahead of the third preseason game, the Eagles will host a series of joint practices with the Miami Dolphins.
“Why not?” Pederson said.
Pederson added that he has a good relationship with Miami head coach Adam Gase. He also said that at that point of Training Camp it is good to compete against other players after seeing the same man across from you for weeks.
5. Can Blount Be Used In Passing Situations?
LeGarrette Blount has only 46 career receptions, but Pederson said that he is “very comfortable” putting Blount in passing situations. Pederson spent a good amount of time Thursday explaining the value of having running backs who can be threats both as runners and receivers.
TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE UPDATE:
The Eagles have announced that Training Camp for the 2017 season will officially begin on Monday, July 24 at the NovaCare Complex with quarterbacks, rookies, and selected veterans. The first full-team practice will take place on Thursday, July 27.
The majority of the Training Camp practices will be hosted at the team’s practice facility in South Philadelphia and will be open to a limited number of Eagles Season Ticket Members, charitable organizations, and corporate partners.
This year’s Training Camp will feature two open practices at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, July 29 (Military Appreciation Day presented by Dietz & Watson) and Sunday, August 6 (Youth Day). Both practices are slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will be free of charge to the public. Tickets are not required for entry, and seating at Lincoln Financial Field will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Eagles and Miami Dolphins will conduct joint practices at the NovaCare Complex leading up to their preseason matchup on Thursday, August 24. The Eagles are not scheduled to practice on Monday, July 31, Saturday, August 5 and Friday, August 11. Training Camp officially ends on Tuesday, August 15.
The Eagles kick off their preseason schedule on the road against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 10 at 8 p.m.
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