Thousands flock to Linc for open Eagles practice
Pederson raves about video of new Eagles running back Blount
PHILADELPHIA » LeGarrette Blount rushed for an NFL-high 18 touchdowns last season, all of which his new head coach studied on tape not once, not twice but three times.
“I watched it a couple times this spring,” Doug Pederson said Sunday. “Actually went back and watched it the other day. Just knowing and kind of watching him last year, what he did with New England on their Super Bowl run — the impact that he had in the red zone — I constantly find myself going back and watching those touchdown runs that he had.”
Pederson didn’t mention whether he checked out Blount’s fumble in the Super Bowl that led to a Falcons touchdown and severely limited his availability the rest of that game. To Pederson, the 250-pound Blount is the short yardage red zone battering ram the Eagles lacked last year when Ryan Mathews was unable to stay healthy.
Blount couldn’t help but grin when told about Pederson’s fixation on all of those scoring runs or which ones stuck out most.
“A touchdown is a touchdown,” Blount said. “I don’t think he should pay attention to any one more than the others.
“From one yard, 40 yards, however many yards, a touchdown is a touchdown and you need them to win.”
Don’t expect Blount to rack up 299 carries, as he did with the Patriots last season in an offense where the Eagles want to spread the ball around to Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and possibly even rookie Donnel Pumphrey. The short passing game is here to stay. They think Blount’s physical style can help the play action game that vanished when Mathews got hurt and right tackle Lane Johnson was suspended.
“He’s a big, physical, downhill runner,” Pederson said of Blount. “I saw that yesterday in some of that inside run period, the explosiveness. He’s got great vision to make the jump cuts and read defensive linemen. But just that big body in the backfield I think can, for a defender, present a big problem, from a one-on-one tackling standpoint.”
The crucial phase of Eagles training camp begins Tuesday, as it’s the first of three days of live tackling. The emphasis that day will be on goal line and short yardage.
Other than who does or doesn’t know the assignments, there isn’t much to glean about players and performances such as the Sunday practice open to the public at Lincoln Financial Field.
Blount looked smooth, not fast, running the ball Sunday. Standing next to Blount, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like trying to bring him down after taking on a block from the big, physical offensive line.
The live tackling should answer that question.
“In the live periods you’ve got to man up and either put up or shut up,” Blount said. “And that’s something where you gain confidence from the coaches, you gain confidence from your teammates when you go out there in a live period and you show them that you’re more physical than the other guy or that you’re ready to go and do whatever it takes to get it done.”
Blount feels he’s more than a two-down or short yardage back. He feels more comfortable fitting into the short passing game. He wouldn’t guess how many carries he might get or how the Eagles would work him into the offense. But it sure sounds like they’ll give him the opportunity to be a three-down back.
“They’re open to everything,” Blount said. “They’re not just going to specifically put me in the role of short yardage, goal line back. That’s not what they brought me here for. They have an open mind. They’re going to put me in other situations. So I’m excited about every part of the game.”
*** Pederson said the Eagles lost cornerback Randall Goforth, the undrafted rookie out of UCLA, to a season-ending torn ACL. While Goforth wasn’t expected to make the 53man roster, he competed hard enough to merit a spot on the training camp roster.
“It’s unfortunate but it is a knee, it is an ACL injury,” Pederson said Sunday. “It’s a disappointing injury for him as a young player.”
The good news is the Eagles ran backup quarterback Nick Foles through enough tests to exhale over his swollen throwing elbow. Pederson termed the issue “Not serious at all.
“Just soreness in his elbow,” he said. “He’ll be fine. We’ll just monitor that day by day.”
Foles suspects the injury is the result of overdoing it. But he’s comfortable it won’t be an issue going into the season.
“It will take a week or so to get it out,” Foles said of the swelling. “It’s just one of those things that lingers. Everything is good in it. We’ve just got to follow protocol, get it back and it will be 100 percent, ready to roll.”
Elsewhere on the injury roll, rookie sixth-round defensive tackle Elijah Qualls is nursing a groin strain. Pass rusher Alex McCalister has a hamstring strain. Neither practiced Sunday.
*** NOTES » The Eagles honored servicemen and servicewomen before and after the practice. Foles and Carson Wentz, among other Eagles, autographed jerseys and photos and posed for photos with the troops. Being with the fans, the military, the servicemen and women I mean it really puts life in perspective,” Foles said. “We wouldn’t have freedom without them and they’re out here and it’s an opportunity to get to know each other. They’re fans of us. I know we’re fans of them. They’re America’s heroes. So to be out here is really special . ... The Eagles estimated attendance at 23,000 Sunday . ... The team is off Monday, then practices four straight days. The second and final open practice at Lincoln Financial Field is Aug. 6.