Blonde Ertz isn’t blind to his downgraded status

PHILADELPHIA » The hair was different. Zach Ertz, the Eagles’ single-season leader in receptions, is rolling as a blonde these days.

But the pain is still there. For Ertz, the price of swallowing his pride after the Eagles decided not to trade him following a blowup over a contract extension was playing with the second team, except in select formations during the first practice of Eagles training camp Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex.

Ertz later would hear how general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni spun his status. Ertz was unfortunately unavailable for comment.

While Roseman agreed it was possible Ertz would be around for the season opener, he didn’t exactly commit to the 30-yearold veteran who last season played a career-low 11 games, matched a career-low with 36 receptions and had just one touchdown grab.

“I think when you talk about the guys that are here and the kind of player that he is, and you think about our young skill position group, and having a Pro Bowl player like that on your roster who players can learn from, it’s huge for us,” Roseman said. “Again, just really excited to have him here, and being out there today is huge for our football team as we get started.”

Ertz didn’t participate in the offseason program, a mutual agreement as the Eagles attempted to trade him. Now, head coach Nick Sirianni is trying to figure out what he can do with Ertz should he stick.

At the least, Sirianni is hopeful Ertz can impact the young receivers.

“It’s hard to get Jerry Rice on the phone,” Sirianni said. “You can go to Zach Ertz and ask him the question and (veteran cornerback) Steve Nelson, ask him the question like, ‘Why did you do this here? I saw the tape there, I’m going to make my footwork go this way, I’m going to do what you did right there when you attacked that DB like that, Zach. Why did you do it?’”

Roseman cited Ertz as a “role model” who could help the younger players. And not because Ertz is still around after a public blowup with the GM in front of players, and a ton of trade rumors afterward.

“When you’re trying to build and continue to have a winning culture, it’s not so easy to just draft players and say we want you to do this, and we want to see it from you,” Roseman said. “They need role models, they need to see people who have succeeded at a high level to be able to go in and not just ask their coaches, which are a great resource, but also to see players, watch their work ethic, watch what they’ve done on the field, ask them the questions they’re more comfortable from.

“It’s hard to set a culture if you don’t have the examples. It’s hard to do it with guys who are all going through the same thing for the first time. That’s why we add some of these guys who have some of that experience. We try to have guys in each room that blend in with that.

That’s why some of our draft decisions are based on that, too. Guys who have had success, who know what it feels like to have the confetti fall on their head. We think that’s important.”

••• Roseman said 90 percent of Eagles players either were vaccinated for COVID or had started the process.

The list includes quarterback Jalen Hurts.

While the NFL contends that players can choose not to get the vaccine, they’ve put so many restrictions on those who don’t get the shots that a refusal is basically career suicide.

Unvaccinated players are outcasts who must wear masks in the building, including workouts, unless it interferes with the activity. More recently they face stiffer fines than last year should they violate the protocol.

The Eagles on Wednesday put safety Andrew Adams, defensive end Matt Leo and linebacker Alex Singleton on their COVID-19 reserve list.

•••

The Eagles placed veteran safety Rodney McLeod (knee) and offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark (Achilles’ tendon) on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Rookie offensive lineman Landon Dickerson (knee) is on the non-football injury list as he’s rehabbing an injury from his career at Alabama.

Veteran guard Isaac Seumalo sat out practice with a hamstring injury.

“Not going to give a timetable on any injury,” Sirianni said. “I think that puts unfair pressure on everybody involved there. Again, they just have to attack that rehab like we’re attacking the practice field right now. They’re getting the mental reps. Mentally, there’s no doubt they’ll be ready. We will just see how their bodies react.”