Eagles are Super-confident entering training camp
PHILADELPHIA » For the first time, the Eagles will report to training camp as defending Super Bowl champions.
The Eagles check into headquarters Wednesday with the swagger they developed during a four-game stretch taking them through last November, and the grit that made them world champions in February in a win over Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Pederson knew the Eagles were good midway through last season. He realized they could be great when they averaged 38 points and gave up an average of just 11.3 points on the way to blowouts of the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.
“I kept hearing comments in the community about, ‘Oh, it’s too easy for the Eagles, there’s no challenge,’” Pederson said of that statement stretch of football. “Every time they stepped out on the field, in their mind, they were going to win the game. That’s how they felt. Even late in the season — the Rams game, the Giants games and even after Carson (Wentz) went down in the Rams game — they still had that belief that they were better than their opponent last year. … It’s a snowball effect.”
The Eagles still think they’re better than their opposition. And it’s tough to argue with them.
Franchise quarterback Carson Wentz is healthy enough to split snaps in training camp with Nick Foles, the Super Bowl MVP who threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in a showdown with Brady.
The entire offensive line is back, including veteran Jason Peters, who the Eagles still think is one of the best tackles in the current game. The wide receiver corps has been upgraded with Mike Wallace and Markus Wheaton, not to mention the progress of Mack Hollins.
Tight end Zach Ertz has a red zone running mate in rookie Dallas Goedert (6-5, 256), who has 10-inch hands and arms almost as long as the goal post.
Reliable veteran running back LeGarrette Blount exited in free agency, but Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, who had 100 receiving yards in the Super Bowl and Darren Sproles are back.
A chunk of those weapons enabled the Eagles to drop 538 yards on the Patriots in a 41-33 victory in Minneapolis. And, lest we forget, 38 points and 456 yards on the Vikings in the NFC title game.
“It’s not just Doug who is confident,” center Jason Kelce said. “Everybody is more confident. We have a full year where really, for the most part we lost three games. And one of them really was an end-of-the-year kind of thing. We all feel we have unbelievable players here, unbelievable coaches and a great front office that put this whole thing together.”
Pederson has been adamant about not exposing Wentz and the surgically repaired left knee to danger until it’s 100 percent. But Wentz showed enough progress over the offseason, including the mandatory minicamp, for Pederson to concede that the rehab was far enough along for Wentz and Foles to split the firstteam snaps at training camp.
More and more, the mere inference that Foles might start the season against the Atlanta Falcons seems a longshot, barring a setback for Wentz, who hasn’t had one throughout the rehab.
Foles or Wentz, it won’t negatively impact the offense. Foles took the run-pass option to new heights in the Super Bowl. Wentz set the franchise record with 33 touchdown passes, in just 13 games, last season.
“I think there’s subtle nuances that are going to be a little bit different,” Kelce said. “But I think that we’re fortunate that we’ve had a lot of time working with both of them already. I played with Nick before. This is my third year with Carson. For everybody up front we’ve had a lot of familiarity with them. That’s the good side of it. Everybody feels comfortable with either one of them. Now it’s just trying to make sure that Carson is getting reps, getting the feeling of being able to take hits, run and do all the things necessary to play the game. We want to make sure that when he’s in there he’s comfortable and ready to go . ... ”