August 10, 2017
Over at The MMQB, Tim Rohan has a piece about the changing relationship between Eagles fans and the team throughout the years, viewed through the prism of WIP. The radio station doesn’t quite get the same access at training camp that it once did at Lehigh, when sessions were all mostly open to fans.
Rohan came to the conclusion that Eagles fans are embracing Carson Wentz and starting to shed the impatient label:
You can see why Chip Kelly, in 2013, decided to move the team’s training camp to its practice facility in Philadelphia and close the majority of practices to the public. That didn’t stop WIP from pilling on Kelly, as the team kept losing, until he was fired late in 2015. After that, though, the mood on the WIP airwaves seemed to shift, to a more mellow tone. By that time, the Sixers were fully committed to The Process and a long rebuild, and irascible Philly fans had grown more patient. When the Eagles drafted another quarterback, Carson Wentz, with the second overall pick in 2016, he wasn’t booed the same way McNabb had been. He was roundly cheered.
In general, my feel is that the state of the Eagles fan is tad more complicated even if the days of the “Dirty 30” are behind us. Any comparison to the Sixers seems like a stretch, as The Process feels like more of a one-time thing that would be hard to replicate.
Fans still want the Eagles to win right now. For example, when Nelson Agholor basically threw away the Seahawks game last season, my Twitter timeline wasn’t exactly mild-mannered. And as far as Carson Wentz is concerned, the second-year QB has definitely received the benefit of the doubt in a way that Donovan McNabb largely didn’t. But you can still bet that Wentz will hear about it if he doesn’t build on his rookie season.
1. Things to watch: Among Jimmy’s talking points, I’m most curious to see if Derek Barnett does “The Move,” which he has shied away from in training camp.
2. Over-unders: Where else can you get value on “times the Eagles secondary makes you cringe?”
3. Roster projection: There would be nobody more fired up that the Eagles kept SEVEN receivers than the guy who was (close to) first on the Greg Ward bandwagon.
4. Eagles chat: Jimmy discusses what he would (and wouldn’t) deal for Jordan Matthews.
Rating the job security of every NFL head coach: Tim McManus, ESPN
McManus pegged Doug Pederson’s job security right in the middle among NFL coaches:
Pederson went 7-9 in his first season as head coach, but he gets a bit of a pass, considering he was breaking in a rookie quarterback and a new system in 2016. He's now on the clock. Owner Jeffrey Lurie believes he has something special in Carson Wentz, and he spent some money this offseason upgrading the talent around him. He's looking for progress in Year 2. Pederson needs to deliver it.
Eagles Preseason Rookie Watch: Ben Natan, Bleeding Green Nation
Natan writes about what to watch for from Derek Barnett:
If he is under wraps for most of the game, that could be an indicator that the team is already comfortable with a big role for him. However, if he does see action, it will likely be with the second stringers. If this is the case, keep an eye on how he has adjusted to the speed and physicality of NFL offensive linemen. Going up against one of the best tackle tandems in the league in camp should be bringing out the best in him and now is his first chance to show what he's got.
Scramble for the Ball: 2017 East Over/Unders: Bryan Knowles and Andrew Potter, Football Outsiders
These two writers aren’t particularly bullish on either Carson Wentz or the 2017 Eagles’ chances:
Things will get better in Philly; Wentz will go from replacement-level to average (maybe even good?) and the damage from the previous administrations will begin to be undone. Wait a few more years before getting your hopes up though, Philly fans, and don't @ me.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
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