PHILADELPHIA — After a day off the Eagles take on the Indianapolis Colts Tuesday in a joint practice, the prelude to their preseason finale Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Those are the Colts coached by Shane Steichen, formerly the offensive coordinator of the Eagles.
Steichen is up to his armpits in quarterback drama as he shocked even rookie first round pick Anthony Richardson by naming him the starter over Gardner Minshew, who played for the Eagles the past two seasons.
“It’s going to be good to see Shane back,” Eagles receiver A.J. Brown said after practice Sunday. “I’m excited for him. I don’t really have to worry about him, but I’m excited for him and his journey.”
Brown and the Eagles’ veterans also are happy about the joint practices in lieu of preseason game participation. The team’s main starters haven’t played a down in the preseason, and it could stay that way. That, despite the approach of other teams, including the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who played their starters in extended snaps in a 38-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Chiefs’ first team also played in the preseason opener.
If you would think it would be great for the Eagles starters, particularly the offensive line breaking in converted center Cam Jurgens at right guard, it would be beneficial to get a series or two.
“I feel like we do a good job here at practice, like situational football,” guard Landon Dickerson said. “Same thing with joint practices. I feel like we do a great job with that. The preseason games, the starters, you can rest guys and get them ready for the season. It’s a long season. We’ve got 17 regular season games. So, really just keeping guys healthy is the most important part rather than trying to get guys three, five, 10 plays in a game.”
Dickerson, by the way, has seen enough of Jurgens to say, “I think he’s going to have a great year.”
Until then, we can only take his word for it because as Dickerson himself says, what the Eagles did last season “doesn’t mean anything.
“This is a new year, a new team, a new coaching staff, everything,” Dickerson said. “All we can do is look back to last year to see what things we can improve on, what worked and kind of go from there.”
The joint practices actually do give the starters extended reps, and that’s helpful for the veterans.
“It’s always good to go against someone else, good competition, just to see someone else,” Brown said. “Slay and Bradberry, they know the stems, they know the routes, they know what’s coming. You get to test it against somebody else to see where your level is at. There’s going to be competition on both sides and that’s what you need.”
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Left guard Dickerson worked back in at practice after taking time off with a sore foot. That is good news because the big guy is a vital component in the offensive line.
“I’m good,” Dickerson said. “These cleats are kind of sharp, and with some big guys out there you get your foot stepped on, it hurts for a second. But you just walk it off.
Wide receivers Britain Covey (hamstring), Greg Ward (ankle) and Quez Watkins (hamstring) did not practice Sunday.
The same with defensive tackle Moro Oromo (concussion), running back Trey Sermon (ankle) and pass rusher Haason Reddick (thumb) and rookie edge Nolan Smith (shoulder).
Linebacker Kyron Johnson is out indefinitely after undergoing an appendectomy.
Limited were defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (knee soreness) and cornerback Mekhi Garner (ankle).
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Veteran linebacker Myles Jack told the Eagles he’s retiring, according to the NFL Network.
Before signing with the Eagles, the 27-year-old Jack contemplated going to electricians or plumber school. Those options still are on the table.
Eagles fans are going to miss what he could have brought to the quote table. For example, philosophizing about how quickly life can change he said of his signing with the Eagles, “One week you’re on the couch playing “Call of Duty,” the next week you’re playing with the Super Bowl (runners-up). Time waits for nobody.”
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Quarterback Marcus Mariota, running back Boston Scott, guard Cam Jurgens and safety Justin Evans all participated in a field goal kicking contest at the end of the morning practice.
All of them made their first kicks, from 37 yards, with the exception of Mariota who hooked his to the left. That was with just a holder. Jurgens blasted his through the uprights with a toe kick.
The second round of kicks came in traditional field goal rotation. All of the guys missed, Jurgens hitting the right upright.
Evans, who was wide on his second attempt, said he once made a 50-yarder.
Source: Berkshire mont
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