Inside the Iggles
FanSided

Eagles: 5 Highlights from Doug Pederson’s first press conference of camp

By Geoffrey Knox

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a football prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field on November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a football prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field on November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson met with the media following the first practice of the 2017 training camp, and there was much to discuss.

Before anybody who had worked third shift the night before woke up or anyone working the traditional first shift schedule had a chance to head out for lunch, the Philadelphia Eagles had already completed their first team practice of training camp. That was followed by head coach Doug Pederson taking some time to address the media. There was tons of things to discuss.

Pederson handled the gauntlet of questions that were seemingly thrown at him from all directions pretty well. Everything from middle linebacker Jordan Hicks to second-year starting quarterback Carson Wentz was up for discussion. Interesting doesn’t quite describe this one well enough.

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Pederson believes the most recent off-season has served Wentz well.

“He’s refreshed, he’s rejuvenated, he’s eager. He’s ready to go” said the coach. In his words, Wentz never got a chance to rest between the close of the 2016 college football season and the start of the 2016 NFL season. It’s been a whirlwind, but rest should yield a better version of the signal caller.

More from Inside the Iggles

2. Jordan Hicks will be limited, but there’s no reason for a ton of concern.

This echos a lot of what we’ve already heard. Hicks suffered a broken hand during his honeymoon, but a minor procedure resulted in nothing to be worried about. He’s expected not to miss any preseason games or the start of the regular season.

3. Jordan Matthews seems to be fine despite the knee injury.

Pederson didn’t get into great detail about this one, but he did state he didn’t anticipate Matthews won’t be ready for the start of the 2017 NFL season.

4. Defensive tackle Beau Allen is day-to-day.

As you all are probably aware, Allen, along with cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Sidney Jones, were placed on the non-football injury list. Pederson has said the same thing about all of them (and Matthews). The team will monitor each one daily and individually, and there are also no plans to rush them back to the field of play.

5. As a result of what’s going on at corner, the team is expecting a lot from veteran Ron Brooks.

Brooks will go into camp as a nickel corner. His addition to the team was largely due to his relationship with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The hope is he plays a large role in the team’s success this season.

Other areas of note:

Pederson also discussed his comments about comparing his Eagles team to the great Green Bay Packers teams of the nineties. “Did you read the entire quote?” he asked. Pederson says championship teams aren’t only forged by talent. Chemistry, leadership and coaching play a large part in the outcome as well.

Next: Monday motivation: Updates on Hicks and a rugby star comes to camp

Not much was discussed in terms of roster positioning, but as Pederson stated, there’s only been one practice. There’s a lot that has to be ironed out prior to September 10th.

Home/Eagles News