It's time for the Eagles to hit the practice field for the first time in the Doug Pederson era. And while it won't be in pads, and while there won't be any contact, there will be 11-on-11, offense-vs.-defense work and the Eagles are going to take the X's and O's learned in Phase 1 of the offseason and apply them in a voluntary team minicamp which begins Monday when players report to the NovaCare Complex.
The on-field portion of the camp runs Tuesday through Thursday. No one-on-one drills are permitted during the week.
Head coach Doug Pederson was pleased with what he saw during Phase 1, which lasted two weeks and consisted of conditioning work and classroom meetings for the players.
"I saw a lot of workouts. I saw a lot of guys excited about being here, about being back," he said. "The offseason is long now with the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), but guys were energetic, guys were into it. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks."
Following this week's voluntary camp, the Eagles move into Phase 2 of the offseason.
Phase 2 lasts up to three weeks and gives coaches and players a chance to get on the field and execute, albeit at a slower pace and without contact, the schemes and concepts taught through the first two weeks of the offseason program.
Players are still limited in the amount of time they are able to spend at the NovaCare Complex on Mondays through Thursdays with coaches' supervision and instruction. In their daily routine of conditioning, meeting time and now the on-field work, players are permitted to be at the NovaCare Complex for four days of the week.
Once Phase 2 is complete, the Eagles move into the final offseason block, called Organized Team Activities. During that four-week period of time, the Eagles can line up in 11-on-11, offense-vs.-defense drills, still without contact and minus pads (the players wear helmets, shells instead of shoulder pads and shorts) but the tempo is faster and more competitive.
Before all of that is the voluntary minicamp and a chance to see the players on the field.
"The objectives, No. 1, is just learning the offensive and defensive schemes and then mixing in a little special teams and then really getting a chance, coaching-wise, of seeing our players out on the football field going through the drills, seeing who understands the playbook that we've installed the first two weeks and just get a feel for our football team," Pederson said.
