Pederson left to explain Brown cut
PHILADELPHIA >> Rookie offensive tackle Andre Dillard wasn’t available during the Eagles’ open locker room availability Wednesday.
Hopefully the first-round pick out of Washington State was double-checking his blocking assignments as the Eagles need him to show up when they take on Robert Quinn and the Dallas Cowboys in a critical NFC East game Sunday night at AT&T Stadium.
With left tackle Jason Peters week to week with a knee issue, the Eagles are preparing Dillard for his first career start. Take it from right offensive tackle Lane Johnson, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure lining up against Dallas defensive end Quinn, who has a team-leading five sacks, and Demarcus Lawrence (2.5), who almost certainly will switch sides strategically.
Quinn (6-4, 257) plays like the three-time state heavyweight wrestling champion he was at Fort Dorchester High in North Charleston.
“Slinky man,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy that can bend the edge really well. Probably one of the best in the league.”
While Dillard wasn’t around for comment Wednesday, he has a big fan in Johnson, a proponent of not overloading his teammate with too much information before the game.
“He’s athletic, he can really do everything you want,” Johnson said. “As he grows and matures, he’ll get stronger and he’ll get better. The thing with tackles is you’ve just got to go play. The more he plays the better he’s going to be. On the road you’ve got to get off the ball, you’ve got to get off the snap count and really just work on staying low and being good with your hands.”
Dillard was run over by Everson Griffen, who hammered Carson Wentz, on the first play Dillard stepped in for Peters last Sunday. The Eagles later gave Dillard strategic help putting a tight end on the edge.
“We have total confidence in Andre,” Doug Pederson said. “I go back and think about what Big V (Halapoulivaati Vaitai) did his first start. Wasn’t perfect. I think about what Andre did last week in Minneapolis. It wasn’t perfect. He’ll learn from it and get better.”
Vaitai gave up sacks to Ryan Kerrigan in three of the four quarters of the Eagles’ 27-20 loss to the Redskins in the 2016 season. Wentz was put on his back five times at FedEx Field.
• • • Pederson said Wednesday that wide receiver DeSean Jackson (abdomen) is “close, dayto-day, right on track to being healthy.”
DJax was among seven Eagles held out of practice Wednesday, the others being linebacker Nigel Bradham (ankle), defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (illness), cornerback Avonte Maddox (neck), offensive tackle Peters (knee) and running back Darren Sproles (quad).
Cornerback Ronald Darby (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis. Cornerback Jalen Mills (foot) was a full participant and pronounced himself ready to play a full game, if needed.
Mills hasn’t played in almost a year.
• • •
The inability to land cornerback Jalen Ramsey, acquired Tuesday night by the Rams, essentially for two first-round draft picks, was “no disappointment” to Pederson.
“Listen, we’re getting guys back, too, on our team,” Pederson said. “And I’m excited about the guys we’ve got coming back.”
• • • Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett listed seven key players as day-to-day, a list composed of starting offensive tackles Tryon Smith (ankle) and La’El Collins (knee), receivers Amari Cooper (quad, ankle) and Randall Cobb (back), and defensive backs Byron Jones (hamstring), Anthony Brown (hamstring) and Dorance Armstrong (stinger).
Additionally, center Travis Fredrick was excused from practice for personal reasons.