June 03, 2019
The veterans skipping OTAs — like Malcolm Jenkins, Jason Peters, Lane Johnson and others — aren't the only ones whose absence has been noted at Eagles practice. There are also several key players sidelined by injury, and head coach Doug Pederson was asked about a few of them on Monday.
Here's what he had to say about a trio of skill-position players on offense...
After having sports hernia surgery following his rookie year, Hollins was lost to an unrelated groin injury last year, and hasn't been seen on the field since, leading some to wonder if Hollins had suffered a setback or another injury during his rehab. Hollins had a productive rookie season in 2017, but after missing all of the 2018 season, this summer was poised to be a big one for the former fourth-round pick.
But he hasn't been able to practice yet. Here's the back-and-forth between Pederson and Reporters on Monday:
What's up with Mack Hollins?
PEDERSON: "He's continuing his rehab; he's progressing. I'm not going to get into a lot of the specifics with him, but he's doing well."
Is it still the groin?
PEDERSON: "Yeah, it's still the same previous injury."
Have there been setbacks? I mean, it's been a long time...
PEDERSON: "No, not really. I mean, you know, this is — I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to get into all that. I don't necessarily understand it, but he's progressing well."
So, do you anticipate seeing him at all during the summer?
PEDERSON: "Well, hopefully in the summer I won't see him, because I won't be here."
Training camp starts in early August...
PEDERSON: "Yeah, training camp, I mean, we're optimistic with him that he'll be there for the start of training camp."
That may not clear up what's been keeping Hollins out, but it's a good sign for the young wideout heading into training camp.
UPDATE [12:35 p.m.] — Hollins and Josh Adams, who we'll get to in a minute, were both at practice on Monday, and even took part in a light workout.
Mack Hollins did a series of sprints with Josh Adams on a side field today, which is a good sign. First we've seen him in uniform since last summer. pic.twitter.com/5wVsthv9xT
— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) June 3, 2019
The Eagles' second-round pick out of Penn State, Sanders has been sidelined by a lower-body injury. But, according to Pederson, there's no cause for major concern. He's the first running back the Eagles have taken in the second round since LeSean McCoy, and is expected to be this team's feature back of the future, so they're likely just being extra careful.
"He'll be at practice, but I'm going to hold him out again today," Pederson said. "I just want to be careful with him and, you know, we're not playing for a while. He's engaged in meetings, he's engaged out at practice, watching and a part of all that. But right now, we just want to be cautious with him."
Adams, like Hollins, will need to get healthy in order to compete for a spot on this roster. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been a problem for the local, undrafted running back out of Notre Dame.
And the way Pederson answered a question about Adams, who had offseason shoulder surgery, is both encouraging and concerning at the same time. Here's the exchange:
What exactly happened to Josh Adams?
PEDERSON: "Josh?"
PEDERSON [turns to a member of Eagles media relations]: "What do they know about Josh?"
EAGLES STAFFER [off camera]: "Shoulder."
PEDERSON: "Just the shoulder, right?"
PEDERSON [turns back to reporters]: "I mean, he's progressing. He's another one, we're just being cautious with him. Don't want any setbacks at this point."
Not only is that decidedly not an answer to the question he was asked, but it begs several more questions, the most important being, "What the hell else don't we know about Josh Adams?"
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