Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
At the conclusion of the Eagles' Academy for Men Sunday, at the indoor NovaCare field, participants' parting gifts included a posterized version of that amazing, reach-back onehanded catch Jason Avant made on the sideline Dec. 9 at Tampa Bay in the Birds' only post-September win.
Interesting choice, in that new coach Chip Kelly has had Avant practicing some in the defensive backfield, which could be a signal that the surehanded 30-year-old slot receiver's spot could be in jeopardy. We know that Avant has been a good solider for 7 years, tough, smart, dedicated; if everyone on last year's Eagles had approached his job with Jason Avant's selfless professionalism, Andy Reid probably would still be the coach.
But Andy Reid is not the coach, and we're still trying to figure out exactly what the new coach values, at wide receiver and elsewhere.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Felix Jones might not play a huge role for the Eagles this season, but his signing today to a one-year contract reflects how Chip Kelly's offensive focus is different from Andy Reid's.
As LeSean McCoy has noted a couple of times, the frenetic pace of Kelly's attack is going to be draining, especially for skill-position players. Plus, the read-option elements promise to make running much more prominent than it was under Reid. There will be more snaps, and more carries. Kelly has an ideal No. 1 in McCoy, and an intrguing young backup in Bryce Brown. There's also Chris Polk, a rookie who looked good in training camp last year but got no regular-seaason carries. That isn't enough, in this system.
Maybe if Brown sets the world on fire this summer and Polk continues to improve, or somebody like undrafted rookie Miguel Maysonet proves to be a diamond in the rough, Jones won't even make the team. But Kelly can't count on any of that.
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Andy Reid will be returning to Philadelphia on September 19 when his Kansas City Chiefs face the Eagles in a nationally-televised Thursday night game.
Another prominent former member of the organization will be in the house that night as well.
Donovan McNabb.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The Eagles definitely were working on a read-option for much of Monday's organized team activity, the first such session reporters have been allowed to watch during the Chip Kelly era. The pace was frenetic; seldom did 10 seconds pass between plays. An eclectic mix of music, much of it loosely fitting under the dance music umbrella, blasted from huge speakers, except during "teach" periods when the music was muted. (A disembodied, robotic voice announced each period over a loudspeaker. There were 20 of them, in an hour and 40 minutes.)
It was hard to know where to focus, with so much going on, so many of us focused on the simplest, most important component -- the five guys in red jerseys who got quarterbacking reps.
Dennis Dixon, formerly of Oregon, more recently of the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad, seemed very much at ease getting his charges lined up and interpreting the barrage of sign language from the sideline. That edge presumably will melt away over the next few months. There were so many plays run, every QB got reps; Nick Foles got almost as many as Michael Vick. Fourth-round rookie Matt Barkley, who declared last week that he was here to compete for a starting job, seemed to be picking it up pretty well, putting passes on receivers' hands. I couldn't really tell you much about ex-Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne, except that he was wearing Kevin Kolb's old No. 4.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Rookie quarterback Matt Barkley said he enjoyed his first day of rookie minicamp Friday, which provided Barkley an onfield introduction to new coach Chip Kelly's offense.
"I love it. It's a new challenge," said Barkley, the ex-USC QB the Eagles traded up to make the first player chosen in the fourth round. "It's a unique terminology; it's like learning a new language in a short time period."
Barkley, who arrived in Philadelphia Thursday, said he hasn't met Michael Vick. None of the vets were around Friday for rookie camp (except nonroster tryout guys), but Barkley said he knows Nick Foles from their Pac 12 college days.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Eagles starting left guard Evan Mathis confirmed to the Daily News Monday that he has undergone an ankle "cleanout," which Mathis said would sideline him through the remaining spring workouts. Mathis said he expects to be fine by training camp.
The procedure was first reported by CSNPhilly's Reuben Frank..
This would barely be worth noting, except when the Eagles drafted offensive tackle Lane Johnson fourth overall last month, the selection seemed likely to end Danny Watkins' chances of going to camp as a starter; the obvious move would be to start Johnson at right tackle and move Todd Herremans back to guard. Watkins, the 2011 first-round pick who was benched down the stretch last season, would seem unlikely to start ahead of Herremans. Or Johnson.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Interesting, albeit puzzling news to those of us who watched Michael Vick run down from behind by defensive linemen on more than one occasion last season. Today at the Eagles' offseason workouts, Vick raced LeSean McCoy in the 40, apparently after repeated challenges from the 24-year-old running back.
Vick, who turns 33 next month, won handily, according to various Twitter accounts of the race, the first provided by safety Colt Anderson. Those accounts were contested by McCoy, who tweeted in response to a Pro Football Talk post on the race, "u serious don't believe it he jumped early...rematch.'
Vick, who looked sculpted last month at minicamp, really seems to be taking to new coach Chip Kelly's emphasis on fitness. If the result was on the level, it might be mildly alarming, though, in that McCoy, who exclaimed excitedly that minicamp practices were "like a freakin' track meet" perhaps is not in as good a shape as his QB.
Daily News Staff
Eagles single-game tickets for all 10 home games will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 9.
Tickets can be purchased at www.philadelphiaeagles.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000.
Prices range from $75 to $105 per ticket. There is a four-ticket limit per household.
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
On PhillyDailyNews.com: Rate the Eagles' draft and pick who you think will be in the starting lineup come Week 1.
As I do every year, I sought out an NFL player personnel executive and asked him for his thoughts on the Eagles’ draft. He was largely complimentary of the first Howie Roseman-Chip Kelly collaboration. His opinions of their eight selections:
Round 1
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Chip Kelly likes smart players, which probably isn’t a good omen for LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard Jr.
Shepard is one of nine undrafted free agents the Eagles will be bringing to the NovaCare Complex for their rookie camp next week.
There is some controversy, though, over when exactly the Eagles came to terms with Shepard.
