Good morning, Eagles fans! Welcome to Week 1 of the regular season. The players are off today and will return to the turf tomorrow. Head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz will speak to the media on Wednesday as well. Both press conferences will be livestreamed here and on our social media platforms before practice. In this edition of Morning Roundup presented by Microsoft, there is a lot to cover from this weekend's roster moves as well as awards predictions for the upcoming season. Let's get into the most notable stories.
1. Carson Wentz 'excited' to kick off 2019 season
With the first game only days away, franchise quarterback Carson Wentz talks about everything Eagles in preparation for the season. Wentz talks about his health, the offense as a whole, and his goals for the 2019 season. Check out everything he says here!
"I think we're all excited. You know, I think it's been a long offseason as it always is," Wentz said. "And you know, not fully having all the ones (starters) out there in the preseason, I think we're all just really chomping at the bit to get out there Week 1 at the Linc. And I think everyone's really excited because we know we have a lot of talent, we know we have the ability to do something special, but it's going to take us executing, putting it together on the field. So that's really the word I for me personally, and for this whole thing."
2. Eagles fans, welcome back from summer vacation
As the summer comes to a close, the regular football season is upon us. Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro provides a comprehensive guide for Eagles fans who want to be caught up with all the action that's happened over the past few months. Click here to get your Eagles fix!
"Jackson is the perfect fit for an offense that already had pieces, weapons, firepower. The Eagles are loaded with their pass-catching group – wide receivers and tight ends – and they bolstered the running game by trading for Jordan Howard from Chicago and drafted Miles Sanders from Penn State and re-signed Darren Sproles (yes, he's back for another season!), and had Corey Clement get back to 100 percent health."
3. Eagle Eye: The preseason mattered for these veterans
In this edition of Eagle Eye, Fran Duffy dissects veterans who had an effective preseason. He covers everything from experienced guys who are bouncing back from injuries to veterans trying to find a spot on this team. Check out his full analysis and film on veterans in the preseason here!
"The preseason can serve as a good way for players coming back from injury to get their "sea legs" back under them. They've been cleared for contact, are taking part in Training Camp, but obviously haven't been exposed to a ton of live contact in practice. These preseason games offer them that opportunity to get a few hits on their body before the regular season gets underway. The Eagles have several players who fit into this category this summer."
4. News, notes, this, and that with Washington in sight
As the Eagles prepare for the regular season home opener, Dave Spadaro offers his things to watch before the game on Sunday. He gives a list of players to keep track of as they are coming off injury as well as the tight end situation. Read the whole article here!
"Who is the team's third tight end on gamedays? The Eagles have two tights on the active roster, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, and they have two on the practice squad, Alex Ellis and Joshua Perkins. So, yeah, a move could be made late in the week to promote one of the tight ends. Or the Eagles could prepare an offensive lineman to be an emergency third tight end in 'heavy' blocking packages. Understand this: The Eagles won't be caught short. They're thinking of every scenario."
5. Lane Johnson prepares for Ryan Kerrigan challenge
The season opener will feature an intense one-on-one battle between Lane Johnson and Ryan Kerrigan at the line. Both players have multiple Pro Bowl appearances and enter their sixth season matching-up against each other. Check out the full story here.
"He's one of the best out there, and maybe the best. At least, that's the way I see it," Johnson said on Monday as the team returned to the NovaCare Complex after a weekend off and took part in a short practice as they began their week of preparation for Sunday's first game of the regular season. "The guy is relentless and has all the tools. I love playing against him. If I'm not at my best, he's going to get the better of me."
6. Undrafted rookie Nate Herbig takes advantage of his opportunity
The Stanford product met with the media on Monday afternoon for his first series of interviews after making the Eagles roster. Herbig is a 6-4, 334-pound guard turned center who is one of only two undrafted rookies on of the roster, along with T.J. Edwards. He was able to jump in the center role when Jason Kelce had an off day. Ever since then, he has made the most of this new position which helped him show his versatility. Check out what Herbig said about playing center.
"I just looked at it as an opportunity," Herbig said. "All I asked for was an opportunity and they brought me here. In my mind there was nothing that was going to stop me from making this team. I was going to do whatever I had to do. I have to keep getting better. I just love football. I'm starting to get a lot more comfortable at it, getting the look for the one's defense today. Some of the best guys in the NFL: Fletcher (Cox) and Malik (Jackson). So it's good for my development and however I can help them get ready for their game against the Redskins."
7. Eagles put 'finishing' touches on power-packed 53-player roster
The Eagles cut down their roster from 90 to 53 guys Saturday afternoon. While the roster was pretty much set, there were still some positions that needed to be filled. Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro analyzes all the moves made and how the team has secured a skillful 53 players here.
"More than anything, the striking aspect of this roster is the depth at each position. When the Eagles, for example, signed Josh McCown a couple of weeks ago, the quarterback position became an enviable three-deep room with a franchise player leading the way (Carson Wentz), a 17-year NFL veteran on hand (McCown), and a young quarterback still developing whom the Eagles believe can win games if he plays (Nate Sudfeld)."
8. Howie Roseman explains Eagles' roster moves
Howie Roseman spoke with the media Saturday evening after the roster was cut down to 53 players. After expressing his appreciation to his staff and the entire organization for a successful Training Camp, he explained the decisions that resulted in the initial roster. Check out what he said here!
"I think we have a lot of talent. The question is how we come together as a football team," Roseman said. "We started here and we had an opportunity to talk to the team first day of Training Camp and we talked about that there was talent in this room, but we need to come together as a team and that comes through experiences through the course of the season. That comes from dealing with adversity through the course of the season. We think that we have the right character and right leadership on this team, on the coaching staff, and on the field to do that. But now we have to go show that."
