Getting Worms: Your Morning Eagles Training Camp Reader
Quintin Mikell is enjoying his first year in the Eagles’ employ outside of a uniform. NFL Player Engagement:
“This position has been around a while, but it’s changed over the years,’’ Mikell said. “It’s different now in that it used to be a former player who would just kind of be around if you needed something. Now, it’s development, just as it says ‘player development.’ My job is trying to help, not just our young players, but any of our players, develop on and off the field. If it’s a rookie, it’s getting them used to the NFL life, the different stresses and ups and downs you go through; to a guy that’s been in the league for a couple years but still isn’t sure where he is. Maybe he wants to start getting ready for his exit. What should he do? How should he plan? And it goes all the way to the guy who is on the way out and I’m helping them transition to life after the game.’’
Stephen Tulloch is somewhere between depth and a possible starter. Philly.com:
But the addition of Tulloch is potentially at odds with the direction of the team – at least the rebuilding part. The Eagles have, after all, said they want to win now while building for the future, i.e. re-signing quarterback Sam Bradford while drafting Carson Wentz. It’s fair to question where Schwartz stands on the dichotomy. Tulloch is the fourth free agent the Eagles have signed who previously played for the defensive coordinator. The first three have prominent roles. Cornerback Leodis McKelvin, strong-side linebacker Nigel Bradham, and slot cornerback Ron Brooks are all penciled into first-team spots.
And his veteran presence is welcome. CSN:
“I knew something was coming,” Jordan Hicks said Monday. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand what’s about to happen. “I’m excited. I want this team to be as good as we possibly can, and I think adding another veteran presence and another linebacker to our corps and having that type of depth and being able to move around and have another aspect to it will help a lot…It’ll be fun. It’ll be really fun,” Hicks said. “He knows what to expect. And like you said, he’s played for so long. He’s probably been around it all. It’ll be exciting and I’m going to enjoy learning from him.”
The two most important scoring pieces on the team are back at work. Philly.com:
Kicker Caleb Sturgis said he would return to practice Monday after being cleared through the NFL concussion protocol, and quarterback Carson Wentz said he will throw for the third day in a row, despite sore ribs. “It’s killing me not to be out there,” Wentz said. “It’s one of those things. It just takes time.” Wentz said his goal is still to play in the final preseason game, Sept. 1 vs. the Jets. Wentz said his ribs will be scanned again in about a week. The team said he suffered a hairline fracture in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay.
Sturgis got bonked on the dome. Philly Voice:
“We were just doing a normal warmup in the end zone, and I don’t know, he was standing on the other side of the 50, probably. Maybe the 40 or 35. I guess I hit a really good one, and it caught him square on the head. I remember looking up and seeing it and then at the last minute – obviously I was like 60 yards away (and couldn’t warn him) and it just hit him square in the head. “He fell, and as soon as he fell, I was like ‘Ah, sh*t,’ and walked down there to see if he was OK. That’s a freak deal, man. In all the years I’ve played, I’ve hit thousands of punts in pregame, and never concussed anyone.” “It didn’t feel good,” said Sturgis.
And Wentz really wants to get back out there. Philly.com:
“I’m not going to back away from anything, but at the same time I’m still learning how to control myself and take care of the body, protect myself a little more,” Wentz said. Wentz wore a flak jacket under his jersey when he suffered the injury, but he was hit “at a funny spot.” He said his ribs would be covered when he plays next. For now, he needs to wait for the discomfort associated with the injury to subside. “I’ve never dealt with this before,” Wentz said. “It’s killing me. I want to be out here. It’s one of those things that takes time.”
DGB expects to play with the first team on Saturday. PhillyMag:
Dorial Green-Beckham, meanwhile, expects not only to play more against the Colts on Saturday, but to also be on the field with the first-team offense at some point. Mychal Kendricks, who will practice fully for the first time today since suffering his hamstring injury, plans to play in Indianapolis. Blake Countess and Caleb Sturgis both cleared concussion protocol, so they will likely be available as well.
More cuts are coming and Josh Huff may be on the bubble. Philly Voice:
As for Huff and Agholor, their futures in South Philly aren’t quite as set. But of the two, Agholor seems like the one most likely to stick with the Eagles this season given where he was taken in the draft (20th overall) and the potential upside he has as a vertical threat on a roster that is in desperate need of one. And with the recent addition of 2015 second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham, the emergence of Paul Turner as a legitimate candidate to make this team, and the presence of veterans Reuben Randle and Chris Givens –not to mention that Huff’s lack of production from his first two seasons* has carried over into the 2016 preseason – it’s beginning to look more and more like he could be among those left off the 53-man roster.