Villanova LB lands with Eagles in push to save career
PHILADELPHIA >> Bears minicamp was over and Don Cherry was on his way out of the training complex secure in the knowledge he belonged in the NFL. And then his phone rang. Thanks for everything but we’ve got one linebacker too many. The Villanova tackling machine was going to be waived.
Cherry landed on his feet with the Eagles, the perennial all-conference defender who notched 331 tackles, including 46 for loss and 14 sacks, formally signing with the club Sunday. He practiced Monday,
“I thought everything was good,” Cherry said. “I thought I had a pretty good minicamp and OTAs. I thought I was progressing nicely, and then I got the call from Coach Fox’s office as I was walking off the last day. They just said it’s a numbers game. ‘It’s tough right now because we have a lot of linebackers. We might call you
back if we need you.’”
Cherry thanked the Bears and the linebackers’ coach for the opportunity, kept working out and aced a tryout with the Eagles.
Cherry (6-1, 236) is willing to take on any role thrown at him by a coaching staff evaluating a lot of unknowns after starting linebackers Jordan Hicks, Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham, and veteran Najee Goode. Cherry know what’s expected having spoken with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and veteran linebackers coach Ken Flajole.
“Special teams, MIKE, WILL, SAM, whatever they need me at I’m willing to play,” Cherry said. “I pride myself on being a hard worker and a quick learner. I’m just going to learn all the positions and be a utility guy anywhere they need me.”
Through the Chicago letdown, Cherry kept in touch with Andy Talley and the Villanova coaching staff. The support was a difference-maker.
“Coach Talley has been a great mentor to me,” Cherry said. “Just going through this process he just told me to act like I belong, because I do. Just keep confidence and motivation. When I was cut from the Bears it was hard. But I had a lot of support from the Villanova coaching staff.” • With shoulders and biceps better defined, Sam Bradford looks like the guy who says he’s gained five pounds of muscle.
Bradford checked into training camp at 219 pounds, five or six more than the 213, 214 weight he played at last season. The bulk came largely because he’s been healthy enough to work out this offseason. “I feel great,” he said. Bradford also felt he benefitted from the trip to San Diego along with rookie Carson Wentz, Chase Daniel, wide receiver Jordan Matthews and tight end Zach Ertz, among others.
Bradford and Wentz got to know each other in … a paddleboat?
“He’s a good dude,” Bradford said of Wentz. “We had a good time. We went paddle boarding one day and it was a lot of fun. I guess he’s more used to cold water and I wasn’t a big fan of the Pacific Ocean. But just going out there and spending time with all the guys, I that’s great.” • Pederson couldn’t wait to start his first training camp as a head coach.
The veteran assistant and former NFL quarterback stayed up a chunk of the night waiting for the inaugural 8:30 a.m. practice.
“I had a hard time sleeping last night,” Pederson said. “I was just anxious to get here. I’m excited to be here and wanted to be here extremely early. It’s one of those things, too, where you’ve just got to pace yourself. It’s a long camp. You take it day to day. I was excited to pull into work this morning and know this was going to be the first one.
I was really, really excited.” • Wentz still can’t believe the way sundry and various media outlets ran with the story about his being locked in a South Jersey gas station restroom.
Talk about a slow news day …
“I thought it was funny,” Wentz said. “I’m not even going to mention what happened. I like you guys making up your own stories. It kind of cracked me up. But no, I didn’t think it would blow up like that. But I thought it was funny. It is what it is.” • Eagles quarterbacks, select veterans and rookies will practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
The veterans join them for the Thursday practice.
The first contact practice with shoulder pads is Saturday.
Pederson still intends to practice three straight days in pads which means fans attending the free and open 10 a.m. practice at Lincoln Financial Field get to watch the Birds get physical.