Good morning, Eagles fans! Congratulations, you made it through the work week! The team will its final full practice at 12:30 p.m. today before the season opener. The Eagles will host the NFC East rival Washington Redskins at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Our live coverage begins with the Kickoff Show presented by Axalta at 12:30 p.m. on PhiladelphiaEagles.com and our social media channels. Before practice, head coach Doug Pederson will speak with the media. His press conference will be livestreamed here and on our social media platforms a 10:30 a.m. In this edition of the Morning Roundup presented by Microsoft, let's get right to the big news ahead of Sunday's showdown!
1. Who really knows how good anyone is early in the regular season?
The way the NFL is now, with rosters changing annually and with preseason used more to evaluate the young, "bubble-type" roster players rather than the veterans, the opening of a regular season isn't what it used to be. Back in the "old" days of flip phones and fax machines, teams had a pretty good sense of what they had going into a regular season. That isn't necessarily the case now. Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro evaluates how a team can truly evaluate its players early in the season here.
"I think every team, they might say they know what they have and I'm just speaking for the Philadelphia Eagles, you spend the first couple of weeks possibly figuring out who you are," head coach Doug Pederson said. "I've heard Tom Brady talk about that. I've heard Drew Brees talk about that. I've heard other coaches talk about just trying to see what the identity is going to be. In Training Camp, even if starters play (in preseason games), they don't play long enough to really find an identity.
2. Zach Brown focused on starting Eagles career the right way
The former Redskins and current Eagles linebacker will play his first game in the midnight green against Washington on Sunday. Zach Brown is confident he can contribute to Jim Schwartz's defense in a positive way and views the first game as a chance to make his mark. Check out the full story from Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro about Brown.
"It's not like (the Redskins) are the team that drafted me or anything," Brown said. "They're the team I picked (in free agency) after (playing in) Buffalo. This is just another game. It's better because I know them a lot. It kind of, you know, made it easier. As I watch film I'm saying, 'I know this. I remember how this goes. I remember when Jordan (Reed, tight end) is here. And it helps to know who is their main receiver.' They have a new quarterback in their system so they'll probably have more RPOs (run-pass options), try to run the ball. Really run the ball now because they have (Derrius) Guice (running back) back. It's going to be interesting to see what happens because they've got three good backs."
3. Philadelphia Eagles, Entercom raise over $363,000 toward autism research
The Philadelphia Eagles and Entercom announce that the 2019 Eagles Radiothon, presented by Santander Bank, raised $363,746 for Eagles Autism Challenge Inc., the most ever raised through Radiothon. From Monday, Aug. 26 to Wednesday, Sept. 4, Eagles fans and SportsRadio 94WIP (WIP-FM) listeners had the opportunity to bid on exclusive experiences involving their favorite Eagles players and SportsRadio 94WIP radio personalities. All proceeds will benefit Eagles Autism Challenge Inc., the team's public organization, whose goal is to assist those currently affected by autism as well as future generations by providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions. Read more here.
4. Positive signs on injury front for Eagles
Only three players did not practice for the Eagles on Thursday: linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (knee), tackle Jordan Mailata (back), and quarterback Nate Sudfeld (wrist). No surprises there. Center Jason Kelce (not injury related - rest) and safety Rudy Ford (Achilles) were full participants after being limited on Wednesday. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (biceps) was added to the injury report as a limited participant.
No change for Washington's injury report from Wednesday to Thursday. Tight end Jordan Reed (concussion) was limited as he is in concussion protocol. Cornerback Fabian Moreau (ankle) did not participate and appears to be a long shot to play.
5. Didinger looks at an old-school QB who brought new-school flair
The recent announcement that Sonny Jurgensen is retiring from Washington's radio broadcasts after 39 years in the booth brought back memories of Sonny's time in Philadelphia, wrote Ray Didinger. One of Didinger's favorites was his performance in the 1961 College All-Star Game.
The what? Read more about the classic as well as the play that had the entire country talking.
6. A preview of Washington from an All-22 perspective
Fran Duffy offers a thorough breakdown of Washington's top players on defense in his Eagle Eye in the Sky column.
"Watching this Washington defense, two things stand out most to me. First, the defensive front is absolutely the strength of that entire roster. Second, Washington has some new faces in the secondary that will give the back end of that unit a new look in 2019," wrote Duffy.
"Let's start this breakdown up front with a defensive line that is chock full of talent. Washington employs one of the top defensive line coaches in the NFL in Jim Tomsula, and while it plays a traditional 3-4 scheme, those players all have the versatility to play in the subpackages. The three-man front in the base defense features two former first-round picks in Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, as well as a very productive player in Matt Ioannidis."
