Good morning, Eagles fans! The team is back in action bright and early Monday morning at 9:15 a.m. Head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz will speak with the media after practice at 11:15 a.m. Both press conferences will be livestreamed here and on our social media platforms. This Morning Roundup, presented by Microsoft, will focus on the what happened at the first full-padded practice of Training Camp as well as pay homage to one of the greatest coaches in franchise history. Let's get to the stories!
1. Peter King: Carson Wentz physically, mentally ready for 2019
Award-winning writer Peter King from NBC Sports visited Eagles Training Camp on Saturday for the first-padded practice and spent time afterward with head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz, among others.
King's first observation is that Wentz is in a much better place – both physically and mentally – than at this time a year ago.
King spent time going through whether or not the Eagles made the right call in giving Wentz a contract extension through 2024. There have been no qualms from the Eagles' point of view. Never has been. The Eagles expect a healthy Wentz to regain the form in 2017 that made him one of the league's elite players.
Some of the more interesting aspects of the column were actually about Pederson. First, expect Pederson to be more aggressive as a coach in 2019. He admitted that he got away from being him last season. Second, Pederson still loves his ice cream.
"We have those little pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and I haven't had one in a long time, and I just ate it," Pederson said. "Straight vanilla."
2. A tribute to Jim Johnson
Sunday marked the 10-year anniversary of the passing of Eagles Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Jim Johnson after a bout with melanoma.
Tommy Lawlor called Johnson the greatest defensive coordinator in franchise history. And there have been some great ones. Not only did Johnson have an impressive scheme, but he was able to be creative and maximize the talents of players like Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter, and many others.
Fran Duffy analyzed one of Johnson's masterpieces, a 15-6 win over Pittsburgh in 2008. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times in the game and all of Johnson's innovative tactics were on full display. There are not too many coaches who truly change the landscape of the sport. Johnson was one of them.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning is quoted in the piece, so it's worth bringing up his first NFL game which was a blowout loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in 2004.
3. Why did the Eagles sign Orlando Scandrick?
Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro offered some background insight into why the Eagles added cornerback Orlando Scandrick, who played for the Cowboys for 10 seasons before suiting up for Kansas City this past year.
"His real strength could be in the slot in this defense. He's a good football player who didn't find a fit in free agency after playing for Kansas City last season," Spadaro wrote. "Scandrick impressed in his workout, enough for the Eagles to sign him to a no-risk, one-year contract to come in and compete in a cornerback room that has Jalen Mills on the Physically Unable to Perform list, with Ronald Darby making great progress but still not on the field in a full-time manner as he rehabs from his knee injury, and with Cre'Von LeBlanc missing the last two days with an injury."
4. Who delivered the first big hit of Training Camp?
With the pads on, the physicality increased and guys are making hits that will get them noticed. Fran Duffy, Ben Fennell, and Chris McPherson offered 21 observations from intense environment. In Saturday's edition of Practice Notes, they break down the 11-on-11 period, individual position group drills, and more.
"The first big hit of camp came from ... linebacker Alex Singleton. The former Canadian Football League star sprinted into the backfield and thumped second-year back Josh Adams a few plays into the period. That got the defense excited. A few plays later, Andrew Sendejo and defensive tackle Treyvon Hester arrived in the backfield simultaneous to wrangle up Adams on an outside run. A couple of periods later, Singleton thumped Boston Scott along the sideline to the delight of the rest of the defense." – Fran Duffy
5. 'We can be unselfish and do really great things together'
The Eagles' offense is stacked with weapons in every position group. Dave Spadaro goes into the depth the team has with a focus on the tight ends and how Dallas Goedert can be utilized.
"The guy is explosive, gets down the field in a hurry, he's a big target. He has soft hands. He's easy to spot down the field. Had a really explosive play, a really good-looking play there to Dallas," offensive coordinator Mike Groh said.
6. Sidney Jones working on and off the field to reach his full potential
As he enters his third season in the NFL, Sidney Jones is confident that this year he will make his presence known. After a rough start to his professional career due to injuries, his development on and off the field has prepared him for this year. In practice on Saturday, his interception stole the show and gave the crowd a little taste of what he can bring to the table. For more information on why this season is different check out the full piece on Sidney Jones.
"All I can do is come out here and get one percent better every day," Jones said. "Make sure I'm trying to reach perfection in terms of every day on the field. Being assignment sound and having the coach basically have the trust in me going forward. Whether it's me contributing on special teams or on the field with defense or whatever it is, I'm just trying to contribute to this team."
