Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Wentz not cleared for contact
PHILADELPHIA » Carson Wentz won’t start for a second straight week, which leaves the Eagles in the hands of Nick Foles when they oppose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson followed the Foles’ announcement Wednesday with a nasty, “Are we good? OK?”
The snark is partly because Pederson is weary of weighing in on why Foles and the offense weren’t good in the season-opening 18-12 won over the Atlanta Falcons. Foles wasn’t the only guy who was off.
Which brings us back to the real question — when does Wentz return? It will be nine months on Thursday since Wentz had surgery on his left knee. The buzz is he could be cleared for contact but would need a full week of practice to play. Pederson quickly threw water on that fire.
“He has not been cleared,” Pederson said. “And I’m focusing on today.”
Which brings us back to the Foles-driven offense. He completed two of three attempts for 10 yards with two sacks and a bobbled shotgun snap on the first two series of the opener, the Eagles netting zero yards.
The Eagles were booed as they exited at the intermission with 68 yards and just three points.
Just the mention of “starting quarterback” opens old wounds in Pederson, whose distaste for questions about how he manages the position diverts attention from the lack of production he’s getting there.
The Eagles beat the Falcons without Alshon Jeffery, their best wide receiver, who’s still not all the way back from rotator cuff surgery. While he participated in individual drills Thursday, Shelton Gibson (knee) was limited.
Lately there’s been considerable upheaval at the wide receiver position. The Eagles signed Kamar Aiken to the active roster, bumping Markus Wheaton. Aiken (6-2, 216) is bigger and more special teamsready than Wheaton, who played two offensive snaps and one defensive snap in the first game. Aiken also spent three years in Baltimore, where Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas worked.
Earlier in the week the Eagles signed wide receivers Reggie Davis (5-11, 170), Braxton Miller (6-1, 205) and Dorren Miller (6-0, 196) to the practice squad. Davis and Miller are rookies.
“Our personnel department, they do a great job each week of bringing in guys whether they’re practice squad candidates or potential 53-man roster candidates to always constantly, I don’t want to say upgrade but provide more depth maybe at a position,” Pederson said. “And so, this week it was Kamar. Kamar gives us depth, he gives us experience, he gives us some special teams availability and it’s a good fit. And then some of the other young players that we work out, if they can transition on the practice squad, it gives us the ability as a coaching staff to work with a new face and really see what these guys can do.”
••• Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was named NFC offensive player of the week after throwing for 417 yards and four touchdowns and scoring a touchdown in a 4840 win over the Saints.
Fitzpatrick, 36, had a 156.2 passer rating.
Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter had a little fun when asked if he figured Fitzpatrick and the Bucs for 48 points in the opener.
“I saw 51 — we missed a field goal,” Koetter said. “We’re going against an extremely tough defense this week in Philly and we understand it’s a week-to-week game but our guys, they’re confident, too.”
••• The Bucs signed former Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen and defensive end Vinny Curry, the latter of whom recorded a sack of Drew Brees last week.
The veteran duo helped set the tempo during training camp, and now at practice with the Bucs.
“They come to work every day and they’re serious about football,” Koetter said. “They’re just great guys. I mean, they’re the kind of guys you’d like to go have a beer with if you weren’t playing football.”
Curry played 48 snaps in the opener, Allen 34.
••• NOTES » Linebacker Nigel Bradham is back at practice after serving a one-game suspension for violating the leagues’ personal conduct policy. Bradham (6-2, 241) dodged reporters after practice … The weather forecast for the 1 p.m. kickoff Sunday is close to 91 degrees, with scattered thunderstorms later in the day … Alex Kemp will referee the EaglesBucs game at Raymond James Stadium. It’s the first year in that role for Kemp, the son of former NFL ref Stan Kemp.