Eagles News: NFL scout says “people forget just how special Carson Wentz is”

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Carson Wentz Is Ready to Put His Stamp on Philadelphia—and the NFL - B/R
“I think people forget just how special Carson is,” one longtime NFL scout says. “It’s not crazy to expect him to be on the level of Patrick Mahomes as the future of the position. Tom Brady and Drew Brees are nearing the end. The next 15 years, we could be talking about Pat and Carson. ”He’s that good.” And the skill set is that rare. This isn’t some up-and-down quarterback or prospect who’s shown a few signs that people are hoping point to a breakout. This is a future-of-the-league type of talent, ready to take over. When scouts look at Wentz, they see a special blend of size, athleticism, accuracy and quick decision-making skills, which is why the Eagles traded up to steal him out from under the rest of the NFL after the Rams selected Jared Goff with the first pick in 2016.

Eagles Practice Notes: Injury updates on Brandon Brooks, Ronald Darby, Nigel Bradham, and others - BGN
CARSON WENTZ UPDATE: Wentz didn’t get a ton of work today but he did look pretty good in limited action. Wentz, who has sometimes struggled with his accuracy on touch passes, did a nice job of floating the ball to his intended targets to hit them in stride. Wentz specifically did this with Josh Adams (!) along the sideline, DeSean Jackson along the other sideline, and Mack Hollins deep down the field.

Eagles training camp practice notes, Day 16: Josh McCown’s first day on the job - PhillyVoice
Also after the Jags game, on Snapchat (h/t Eagles reddit), Dillard bristled at the notion that he was at fault for the hit that knocked Kessler out of the game. In his post-game press conference, Pederson — as well as several current and former offensive linemen on Twitter — placed the blame on a bad read by Kessler, and absolved Dillard of any blame. Dillard has had a very good camp, and has looked good in each of his first two preseason games. His play has largely been well reviewed. I’m curious how he might react if he has a bad showing and real criticism comes his way. One of Nick Foles’ strengths was tuning out what people were saying about him when he wasn’t playing well, and simply going about his business. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, and the Eagles would be smart to tutor Dillard on how to handle what can often be a harshly critical environment here in Philly.

Updates and Changes - Iggles Blitz
Doug Pederson made it sound like Brett Toth would focus on OT for now. It makes sense to have him focus on one position at the moment. He’s got to learn the playbook, the scheme and adjust to pro football. You can mix in other positions in the future (if there is a future here for him). Toth has the right attitude about how to attack this situation and also wanting to know multiple positions.

An encouraging 2019 debut: WR Mack Hollins is back - PE.com
Everything felt the same, as odd as that sounds for someone who hadn’t suited up for an NFL game since February 4, 2018 in Super Bowl LII, the most significant game in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles. Wide receiver Mack Hollins went through his normal pre-game paces, loosened up the way he always did through his career at the University of North Carolina and his rookie season with the Eagles. And then it was game time. And there was Hollins making a catch for a 5-yard gain and running down in punt coverage and dominating. Just like old times, but in a new time that between games felt like a lifetime of recovery and rehabilitation. “It means a lot. It was a long journey,” Hollins said after Thursday night’s preseason game in Jacksonville. “Unfortunately, it’s been a little while since I’ve been out here, but it was awesome being out there with my teammates, running around, feeling good.”

25 fantasy numbers you need to know before your draft - The Athletic
173 — The most carries by an Eagles running back during the three years since Doug Pederson’s been the head coach. Rookie Miles Sanders is the most talented back on the roster, but the team traded for Jordan Howard and brought back Darren Sproles. In the past, even when one back was playing better than the others, they still rotated. Sanders has the most upside, and in 2020, he has a great chance to be the clear lead back. But this season, the Eagles will likely take a running back by committee approach that will frustrate fantasy owners. Do not reach for any of these guys.

Why 40-year-old QB Josh McCown was willing to cut short his retirement and sign with the Eagles - Inquirer
It remains to be seen whether he’ll play in Thursday’s preseason game against the Ravens. “We’ll see where he is,’’ Pederson said. “Obviously, he has a lot to learn and to catch up on. So we’ll see. We’ll see on that.’’ McCown said he’s in pretty good shape. “I was coaching high school ball and playing hoops and running and staying pretty active,’’ he said. “I’m not someone who likes to sit still. Obviously, playing professional football is different. I wasn’t necessarily training for that. But at the same time, I was pretty active.’’

Alshon Jeffery on Josh McCown: ‘A guy you love being around’ - NBCSP
“They’re getting a great player but a great human being, a great leader, an all-around great guy,” Jeffery said. “Josh is awesome. I don’t know one person that I know that could say one thing bad about him. He’s a great father, he’s a great human being. He’s just a guy you love being around. He comes in the room, everyone just gravitates to him.”

How they got here: Joe Flacco, other NFL stars reflect on their beginnings - ESPN
CAN YOU RECALL ANY SACRIFICES YOUR FAMILY MADE FOR YOU TO PLAY SPORTS AS A KID? Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB, Eagles: “I’m pretty sure my mom made a lot of sacrifices. We kind of grew up, didn’t really have money, but she made sure we were able to do all the sports and stuff. It’s really a credit to her, just being an amazing mother and working her butt off to make sure we never felt like we didn’t have money, even though we didn’t. I don’t know how she did it. It still blows my mind to this day.”

Honoring Lew Hannah, an Eagles fan to the end: Weinberg - Press of Atlantic City
Lew Hannah and Clarence Phillips were best friends. Except during football season. Hannah, from Vineland, was a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan. Phillips, who grew up in New York but lives in Bridgeton, roots for the Dallas Cowboys. The two spent many an autumn Sunday afternoon arguing about their favorite teams. “That was always our biggest fight,” Phillips said with a laugh. “He loved the Eagles, and I’ve been a Cowboys fan all my life.”

Marquise Brown to participate in joint practices this week, may suit up on Thursday - Baltimore Beatdown
We’re getting closer and closer to seeing Ravens first-round pick Marquise Brown take the field, and it appears that day may actually be just around the corner. Brown is set to participate in joint practices against the Eagles on Monday and Tuesday and if all goes well, “Hollywood” could be in-line to play against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Jay Gruden Redskins Presser: Colt McCoy could miss first few weeks of regular season - Hogs Haven
Jay Gruden talked to the media after today’s practice. Colt McCoy’s leg is still not right, and this could linger into the regular season. This puts the starting QB race between veteran Case Keenum and rookie Dwayne Haskins. The starters will likely play most of the first half next week against the Falcons. Gruden wants to have the starting QB locked down after this week’s game. [BLG Note: The Eagles play Washington in Week 1.]

Antonio Brown not practicing again over helmet issue, Raiders give ultimatum ‘it’s time for him to be all in or all out’ - Silver And Black Pride
“You all know that AB is not here today,” said Mike Mayock. “So, here is the bottom line; he’s upset about the helmet issue. We have supported that, we appreciate that. But we’ve at this point we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief. So, from our perspective, it’s time for him to be all in or all out. So, we’re hoping he’s back soon. We’ve got 89 guys busting their tails. We’re really excited about where this franchise is going and we hope AB is going to be a big part of it starting week one against Denver. End of story.”

Fantasy Football Sleeper-Bot Assistant - SB Nation
The key to a fantasy football championship is finding sleepers in your league’s draft. Answer four questions using our Sleeper-Bot Assistant and it’ll do the analysis to give you a list of the best sleeper candidates for the four major positions.

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