Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz spoke to the media this morning before OTAs got underway. Practice is inside today due to the crappy weather.

Some of the more relevant notes, starting with Doug:

  • Darren Sproles and Michael Bennett are the only two players not present. Pederson says he’s been in communication with both. “Two guys I don’t have a lot of concern as far as their ability to help us. They’re veterans and know how to get themselves going.” Bennett’s absence has nothing to do with legal issues. No concern getting him acclimated to the defense, says he’s been around long enough to understand Jim Schwartz’s system and expects him to be at OTAs eventually.
  • Pederson pointed out that the Eagles have had a month less to recover from the season due to their Super Bowl success
  • Not much of an update on Brandon Graham, who is in a cast  – “hopefully we get him back before too long”
  • Sidney Jones is “definitely in the mix” for a starting job. Dallas game last year boosted his confidence and he now has a full offseason to work.
  • Doesn’t see Wentz as being on the “outside and looking in” due to his injury. Says hes very much involved in the day to day things around NovaCare, just not involved in practices. His throwing, the videos he posts, that’s part of his rehab and conditioning process and not part of anything he’s been cleared to do in a “practice setting.”
  • No “big message” for the assembled team right now, sees OTAs as a time to get back into football. Doesn’t need to see a ton of work out of the veterans, but wants them to be ready for training camp.
  • White House: June 5th is the day, team will go, “excited to go,” it’s a “great honor.” Still working through logistics right now. It’s an individual basis for players who want to go and don’t want to go. “It’s an individual decision.”
  • On bringing back free agent Corey Graham: “If it works out, we’d love to have him.”
  • Wants to a bit more of Nate Sudfeld and Joe Callahan with the offense this summer

Carson Wentz:

  • “Always antsy this time of the year,” has to be careful not to push his rehab now that teammates are out at OTAs and practicing
  • says he’ll be involved in a “handful of things” at OTAs, but hasn’t been cleared for everything yet
  • On Dallas Goedert – an offensive weapon, I got to see him in college beat up on us a couple of times, heck of a player, heck of a talent, will be fun to see him out at OTAs, see where we can mix him into our packages
  • On the White House visit:

Here’s the full video of Pederson and Wentz speaking this morning:

More video/notes as they come out today.

Also, not sure if this got a lot of circulation elsewhere, but the Eagles made some changes to their scouting department and sent out a press release about that yesterday.

Here’s the full release:

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced the following changes to the scouting department:

  • Andy Weidl named Director of Player Personnel
  • Alan Wolking named Assistant Director of College Scouting
  • Shawn Heinlen hired as Southwest Area Scout
  • Patrick Stewart hired as National Scout
  • Ryan Myers named West Coast Area Scout
  • Jim Ward named Northeast Area Scout
  • Casey Weidl named Player Personnel Coordinator
  • Lee DiValerio hired as Scouting Assistant

“Weidl, who originally joined the organization in 2016 as Assistant Director of Player Personnel, enters his 21st season in the NFL and played an integral role in helping construct Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII-winning roster. In his new role as Director of Player Personnel, Weidl will continue to work under Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas. Prior to arriving in Philadelphia, Weidl and Douglas worked together in the Baltimore Ravens front office from 2005-15.

Wolking, who enters his eighth season with the Eagles after working as the club’s Midwest Area Scout (2011-12) and Southeast Area Scout (2013-17), will now serve as the Assistant Director of College Scouting under Ian Cunningham.

The club has also hired Shawn Heinlen as Southwest Area Scout and Patrick Stewart as a National Scout.

Heinlen spent 15 years with the Buffalo Bills (2001-16), including the final 14 as a College Area Scout. He played quarterback at North Central College in Naperville, IL, and went on to earn a master’s degree in Sports Administration from the University of Florida before beginning his career in the NFL.

Stewart joins the Eagles after 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He was originally hired by New England as a Scouting Assistant in 2007 and went on to serve as both an Area Scout (2009, 2013-17) and Pro Scout (2010-12). The Patriots won two Super Bowls (XLIX and LI) during Stewart’s tenure with the team. Prior to beginning his career with the Patriots, Stewart served as the Assistant Director of Football Operations at Temple University in 2006.

The team also announced title changes for Ryan Myers, Jim Ward and Casey Weidl.

Myers, who has been with the Eagles since 2013 in a variety of roles, will now serve as the team’s West Coast Area Scout; Ward, who was hired by the Eagles in 2017 as Midwest Area Scout, will shift to the Northeast in 2018; Weidl has served as the club’s College Scouting Coordinator since 2016 and will now work as Player Personnel Coordinator.

DiValerio was hired by the club as a Scouting Assistant and joins the organization after working as a student assistant for the football team at Villanova University.”

There are some local connections there.

And they also made some promotions within the “football operations” department, sending out another press release with those changes:

Jake Rosenberg named Vice President of Football Administration

Jon Ferrari named Director of Football Operations

Dan Ryan named Director of Team Travel and Football Logistics

“Rosenberg enters his seventh season with the Eagles and will serve as the vice president of football administration. He was named the director of football administration during the 2014 offseason after spending the previous two seasons as the team’s manager of football administration. Rosenberg works directly with executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman and vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas on the development and implementation of the club’s plan for player signings and acquisitions. He also plays a key role in all aspects of the salary cap management, contract negotiations, compliance with the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, as well as the club’s strategic planning.

Ferrari joined the Eagles in May 2016 as the club’s director of football compliance after spending the previous eight years at National Football League headquarters.

Ryan has worked for the organization in a variety of roles since 2013 and has played a key role in team travel for the last two seasons. Ryan will now officially join the football operations department and will oversee all aspects of team travel and logistics.”