Eagles Wake-Up Call: Training Camp Is Here
Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of Birds 24/7. Amazing how much has changed since we launched.
Here is an excerpt from our first post:
The Eagles are coming off a devastatingly disappointing season and the head coach, ring-less for 13 years and counting, is in full fight-out-of-the-corner mode. Joe Banner has been exiled, the organization is potentially on the verge of a significant restructuring but no worries, says the quarterback, the Eagles have what it takes to create a dynasty. You get the feeling, one way or another, something big is about to go down.
We all know how it played out. The Eagles went 4-12, Andy Reid was fired after 14 years of service, and Chip Kelly got the gig following a roller-coaster coaching search. Now, a lot about the team is unrecognizable. The roster, the staff, the philosophy, practices, even the training camp location has changed. The old guard has been replaced by the new school.
Is the new school legit? That question will keep the Eagles in the national spotlight for the foreseeable future. That, and a quarterback competition/controversy that could ultimately involve three different players.
It is an amazing time to follow this team. There are endless story lines and so many questions to be answered. And it all starts now. We’re excited to get it going.
Here is a breakdown of what to expect in the coming days and weeks:
Today
Rookies and selected vets report. Media availability runs from 12-4, so expect your Twitter feed to be filled with action shots of large men walking into buildings around lunchtime. Thirty players in all are scheduled to show, including the newly-signed Lane Johnson. Michael Vick, Nick Foles and tight end James Casey are among the veterans slated to check into NovaCare Monday.You can find the full list here.
Camp schedule
Monday, July 22 Rookies report
Tuesday, July 23 12:30 Rookies practice NovaCare
Wednesday, July 24 12:30 Rookies practice NovaCare
Thursday, July 25 Full team reports
Friday, July 26 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Saturday, July 27 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Sunday, July 28 12:30 Full practice The Linc
Monday, July 29 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Tuesday, July 30 Day off
Wednesday, July 31 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Thursday, Aug. 1 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Friday, Aug. 2 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Saturday, Aug. 3 Day off
Sunday, Aug. 4 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Monday, Aug. 5 12:30 Full practice The Linc
Tuesday, Aug. 6 12:30 Full practice with the Patriots NovaCare
Wednesday, Aug. 7 12:30 Full practice with the Patriots NovaCare
Thursday, Aug. 8 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Friday, Aug. 9 7:30 Preseason game vs. Patriots The Linc
Saturday, Aug. 10 Day off
Sunday, Aug. 11 12:30 Full practice The Linc
Monday, Aug. 12 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Tuesday, Aug. 13 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Wednesday, Aug. 14 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Thursday, Aug. 15 7:30 Preseason game vs. Panthers The Linc
Friday, Aug. 16 Day off.
Saturday, Aug. 17 12:30 Full practice The Linc
Sunday, Aug. 18 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Monday, Aug. 19 Day off
Tuesday, Aug. 20 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Wednesday, Aug. 21 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Thursday, Aug. 22 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Friday, Aug. 23 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Saturday, Aug. 24 7:30 Preseason game at Jags EverBank Field
Sunday, Aug. 25 Day off
Monday, Aug. 26 12:30 Full practice The Linc
Tuesday, Aug. 27 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Wednesday, Aug. 28 12:30 Full practice NovaCare
Thursday, Aug. 29 7:00 Preseason game at Jets MetLife Stadium
Practices at the Linc
Sunday, July 28 – Alumni Day (Donovan McNabb and Chuck Bednarik have committed to be in attendance, according to Sal Paolantonio. Some of the players will begin signing autographs for fans in the HeadHouse Plaza at 10:30 am.)
Monday, August 5 – Military Appreciation Day
Sunday, August 11 – Bobblehead Giveaways (The first 10,000 kids entering Lincoln Financial Field, ages 12-and-under, will receive a LeSean McCoy mini-bobblehead doll.)
Saturday, August 17 – Health and Safety Day
Monday, August 26
More than 200,000 tickets (which are free) have been reserved, according to team president Don Smolenski. Go to PhiladelphiaEagles.com if you would like to attend one of the practices at Lincoln Financial Field. Practices at NovaCare are by invite only.
Camp battles
A list of Sheil’s position previews can be found here. Plus, where the 2013 picks stand going into camp.
Upgrades
The NovaCare practice fields received a $200 thousand facelift, and the Eagles have invested more than $1 million in technology upgrades.
Camp Details
If you’re wondering how much hitting there will be or need more on the camp’s structure under Kelly, here’s a full primer.
WHAT YOU MISSED
There will be no holdouts this season, as the Eagles and Lane Johnson came to terms over the weekend.
All the latest buzz on the Birds heading into training camp.
On Kelly, math and “response after turnover.”
Sheil rounds out his position previews with a look at the safeties.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
The No. 1 question Don Banks has entering training camp: Can the Eagles master Chip Kelly’s up-tempo, fast-break offense and exit the preseason looking like an NFL version of the Oregon Ducks?
…OTAs are an entirely different game compared to the preseason, when the shoulder pads go on, the hitting commences and the intensity gets ramped up a notch or three. That’s when we’ll start to see the full effect of Kelly’s break-neck style of offense, and whether or not it can be sustained by his NFL-sized roster.
Complicating the situation, of course, is the quarterback competition that will rage in the coming weeks, with Michael Vick, Nick Foles and maybe even rookie Matt Barkley vying to prove their skill set is the best fit for Kelly’s aggressive and attacking approach. The sooner the Eagles’ offense identifies its trigger man, the better. Starting next week, all seat belts should be fastened for a full-speed takeoff in Philly.
The Delco Times caught up with former Oregon LB/DE Brandon Hanna to find out more about Kelly.
DT: Do you think Kelly’s training methods will translate to the NFL?
Hanna: “In terms of structure, coaching and knowledge, I think the Eagles are going to be very well-off. Along with Chip, (defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro) is the best coach I have ever played for. They both do everything they can to get the most out of players. Whether it’s athletically, nutritionally, personally or spiritually, they take everything into account.”
DT: What type of player will thrive under Coach Kelly?
Hanna: “The players who push themselves and sacrifice for the team. That’s the mind set you have to have with Chip. He say, ‘We’re going to win with the right people doing the right things.’ If you weren’t a team player and couldn’t abide by the rules set forth, you were gone.
COMING UP
Football season. Congratulations, you’ve made it.
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