Pederson likes trend away from preseason games

PHILADELPHIA >> Even when some movements are clear, they can be boosted when acknowledged by those they affect.

So it was Tuesday when Doug Pederson publicly acknowledged that the NFL is drifting away from preseason games and more likely to embrace joint practices.

“I think that’s the trend,” the Eagles’ coach said before a second day of joint workouts with the Baltimore Ravens at the NovaCare Complex. “I think that’s where we’re going. That’s the way the league is heading. I like it. The players like it. It does break up hitting your same teammates for so long.”

While preseason games are played at full force, inviting a higher risk of injury, controlled scrimmages can be both rugged and civil. As in practice, quarterbacks wear red, hands-off jerseys. And tackling of any kind is of a more controlled nature, if it is permitted at all.

“The thing is about practice and joint practices is that, as coaches, we get to set the situations,” Pederson said. “We get to see the environment. And sometimes you don’t get that in games. This way, we can control that and work on specific things and get some really good work done with your starters.”

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As long as Carson Wentz is earning his $154,000,000, he is going to have at least influence over who is permitted in the quarterback room. With that Tuesday, he gave new teammate Josh McCown a quick thumbs-up.

“He’s been great,” Wentz reported. “He’s an awesome guy. Everybody knows all about him. He’s a veteran, obviously. He’s run a new offense almost every year now. You just see him quickly picking up things and being kind of a veteran voice in there. He’s an awesome guy and we get along great already. So I am excited for him to be here.”

After a couple of hot workouts, the feeling is mutual.

“I just want to add value to the team, and this team has had a lot of success,” McCown said after practice. “It’s fun to watch successful guys work and how they approach their job. So I really enjoyed the last two days seeing that.”

McCown has been impressed by the Eagles’ receivers.

“It’s a good group,” he said. “I played with Alshon (Jeffery) in Chicago. And to have a guy like DeSean Jackson, who can still run, holy cow, he can still roll man, and Nelly (Nelson Agholor) and Mack (Hollins) and Zach Ertz, it’s a talented, talented group.

“As a quarterback, I have been around a lot of different groups. And this is a well-rounded group. You have weapons in every area. Guys can come out of the backfield and make plays. And I’d be remiss to not mention the offensive line, because those guys are so talented too.

“They are everything I thought and then some.”