On a pristine Sunday night in Philadelphia, the Eagles welcomed 25,896 fans back to Lincoln Financial Field for the first of two public practices (Sunday, August 22 as part of Eagles Autism Foundation weekend) ahead of Thursday's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was a sight that was sorely missed last year when there were no public practices at the stadium and only a handful of fans for a couple of games. More fans watched Eagles football at Lincoln Financial Field in person on Sunday night than all of last year.
That is incredible considering what the fans mean to this team.
"I always love going over to the Linc, but it's going to be especially special having some fans out there. We just did a whole season without anybody in that place. The Linc is such a home-field advantage for us. Playing in front of our own fans is second to none," center Jason Kelce said. "To be able to be out there in front of people, out there competing with each other. It always intensifies things a little bit."
Linebacker Alex Singleton noted that the second-year players were almost more excited than the rookies about the fan experience because they were deprived of that in 2020.
"Everybody knows how people talk about the Linc and Philadelphia fans, so they're all just super, super excited to be around them for the first time in their careers," he said.
• Head Coach Nick Sirianni donned another special T-shirt on Sunday evening for his debut performance in front of the denizens of Lincoln Financial Field, but he wasn't alone. The entire coaching staff, front office personnel, and veteran players had shirts to celebrate Harold Carmichael's enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Carmichael was inducted on Saturday evening as part of the Centennial Class of 2020, which was delayed a year due to the pandemic.
• The proceeds from Sunday night's practice benefited the Eagles Autism Foundation. To highlight the organization's commitment to unlocking the autism puzzle, the players wore energy green numbers and letters on their jerseys.
• Before practice, the Eagles announced several official position changes. Some of the notable ones: Genard Avery is now a linebacker, Hakeem Butler is now a wide receiver, Jack Driscoll is a tackle/guard, and Adrian Killins is a wide receiver.
• Sirianni was asked about the challenge of evaluating second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts in these practice sessions. Defenses don't get the full Jalen Hurts experience because of the damage that he can do with his legs. Sirianni knows in the back of his mind what Hurts, who had 272 rushing yards in the final four weeks of the 2020 season which was second to only Baltimore's Lamar Jackson among all NFL quarterbacks in that span, can do as a dual-threat. But overall, Sirianni listed four key elements that he's looking at when evaluating the position – decision-making, accuracy, the ability to create plays, and leadership/intangibles.
"I also understand that some part of his game is to be able to move around and make plays. But, again, a wise man avoids all extremes," Sirianni said. "It can't be all rhythm, and it can't be all scramble. So, it's like, 'Hey, what's the happy medium there?'"
• With Carmichael going in the Hall of Fame, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox has the best credentials of all current Eagles to be the next in line to go to Canton – six straight Pro Bowls, All-Decade Team honors, Super Bowl crown, franchise record for most sacks by a defensive tackle. Entering his 10th season, he wants to be a better player, a better teammate, and a better leader.
"Those are the things that I thought about, to be a better person," he said. "All those things right there come down to knowing who you are, knowing that you got guys in the locker room that are going to lean on you. Look forward to that leadership from me. When things go bad, they'll look to the older guys in the locker room."
On the field, he expects to get some help from ends Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat who are both having strong Training Camps.
"We worked out for a little bit in the offseason and you could just tell that he's motivated more than he's ever been right now and it shows on the practice field," Cox said of Barnett. "He comes every day with a plan in practice. Derek always practiced hard, played hard. The way he's approaching it now, you can tell that he's starting to really just grow up."
"I just think he's been really consistent in camp. I think that's the biggest thing for him," Cox said of Sweat. "This year, he's been consistent and staying on top of his game. I think he knows that this year is very important to him. He's been doing a good job of taking the coaching and just showing his skills."
• Center Jason Kelce wants to be out on the field for every snap of every practice, but he trusts the coaches and the player performance staff to put together a plan that's in the best interest of the team. He'll relish the occasional veteran days, especially going into his 11th season, with an eye for optimal health during the 17-game regular season.
"You have faith in the people that you work with and you trust the people that are experts in their fields and you go with it," Kelce said. "As a football player, you always want to be out there. As a leader, you always want to be out there. I don't enjoy watching practice, but if that's the best thing for the team and the best thing for me, I guess that's what it is."
• Linebacker Alex Singleton had to wait over a week to get on the field during Training Camp after landing on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He's quickly making up for lost time with a near interception on Saturday, followed by a tackle for loss during Sunday's public practice. He kept in shape while away from the team by doing kettlebell workouts and sprinting down an 11-yard hallway in his home. What also helped is he's more confident in his standing with the team than even a year ago. The former Canadian Football League Defensive Player of the Year had a breakthrough 2020 season, leading the team in tackles and special teams snaps.
"You're more confident that you're going to be in Philadelphia for the season. You hear all the time when you're not a 100-percent roster spot guy or on the edge, that all 32 teams are watching and you're just trying to perform for anybody that'll sign you or keep you for the season," Singleton said. "The offseason was more confidence in myself in that other people believe in me besides myself." – Chris McPherson
"8" - Google News
August 09, 2021 at 12:06PM
https://ift.tt/3iyimrr
Training Camp Practice Notes: August 8 - PhiladelphiaEagles.com - PhiladelphiaEagles.com
"8" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2z1PBPz
https://ift.tt/3c1rzCJ
No comments:
Post a Comment