PHILADELPHIA — For the Eagles and their diehard fans, the Sunday night practice at Lincoln Financial Field marked the triumphant return to the scene of the biggest victory last season.
At times the stadium buzzed like it did in late January in the runaway 31-7 romp over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game. That was the game that Haason Reddick’s elbow-ripping sack putting Brock Purdy out of commission in the first quarter, crippling the 49ers and leaving Deebo Samuel delusional.
The Eagles limited Samuel to minus-9 yards on six carries and 33 yards on three receptions, yet he somehow found the strength to say straight-faced that there was “no question” the 49ers were the better team and would have won had Purdy stayed healthy. It was football’s equivalent of post-traumatic stress syndrome.
“It’s good,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said, “to be back.”
On this picture-perfect August evening, a lot of it came back for Eagles Nation. Close your eyes and you could almost hear the booming voice of Merrill Reese and his on-air speech after the win over the Niners: “Attention air traffic control … A flock of Eagles is heading to Arizona!”
That’s what the Linc means to the Eagles, their followers and of course quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was greeted with chants of “MVP” Sunday almost before he got all the way out of the tunnel.
“It’s always fun to get the fans in there and see them,” Hurts said in the days leading up to the practice. “To get the stadium back rocking and to be back in the stadium, it’s something to look forward to. It will be a fun one.”
Except for the warmups there was plenty to cheer. There was Hurts, first-round draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, veterans Fletcher Cox and Lane Johnson and especially center Jason Kelce. The vets played to the crowd, having done this for 11 years. Kenny Gainwell, the unofficial leader in the running back clubhouse, revved up the patrons by cupping a hand to his ear.
It’s early but Carter (6-3, 313), the defensive tackle out of Georgia, has hit the ground running. He is Jerome Brown-disruptive, and it’s only a matter of time before he takes over Cox’s starting job.
Smith (6-3, 235), also from Georgia, is skinnier than his specs but has enough flat-out speed around the edge to project as a fourth-quarter pass rusher. Picture a sprinter matched up with tired big bodies up front.
Rookie offensive lineman Tyler Steen, the second-round pick out of Alabama, got a warm welcome during introductions and worked in at right guard.
Steen, Carter and Smith are the low-cost upgrades the Eagles are counting on, along with bargain basement running back additions D’Andre Swift and Rashad Penny, since it took so much capital to lock Hurts into a $255 million contract with a no-trade clause.
It hasn’t been easy moving on from some of the players who helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will be missed as he exited in free agency when the 49ers, of all teams, gift-wrapped him an $84 million contract, almost half of it guaranteed. Right guard Isaac Seumalo was the unsung hero of an offensive line that, with Hurts, remains the heart and soul of the team.
The Eagles aren’t even close to replacing Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, their best defensive back last season. The same with less heralded defenders like T.J. Edwards (linebacker), Marcus Epps (safety) and Kyzir White (linebacker). On Sunday, they signed veterans Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham to one-year contracts to aid that process.
“It’s always fun to get the prep before the real stuff happens, like the crowd, the noise, and get some of the guys used to just being in the stadium,” veteran defensive end Brandon Graham said. “I think you just get that adrenaline going when you get in that stadium. What stood out to me the most is when you used to have the Salute to Service and would do the jerseys in the stadium, but now they do it a practice. Those used to be cool nights.”
No one was more pumped than Sirianni, who in just a few years has become part of the professional sports fabric of Philly.
“I was coming over here tonight and they told me 50,000, what is it 50,000 people here?” Sirianni said. “I know the guys that have been here know tonight is special. We feel like the fans here are just fighting with us through the ups and downs of the season. We love their support and the homefield advantage.”
It’s early but the Eagles have a lot going on in their defense of the NFC pennant. The fans, many draped in the new Kelly Green jerseys, packed the Linc to get them started on that journey.
To contact Bob Grotz, email rgrotz@delcotimes or follow him on Twitter @BobGrotz.
Source: Berkshire mont
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