Pederson: no reason to think Cox, Sproles won't be here next week

The voluntary part of Eagles' spring work ends Friday. The team gathers again Monday for a three-day minicamp that ends Thursday, the last sessions before training camp, and the only part of the offseason setup that is mandatory. Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Friday that he expects defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and running back Darren Sproles, who have skipped the optional practices, to be on hand.

"All indications" are that Cox will attend, Pederson said. "We'd love to have him here. Don't know for sure. He hasn't made that official yet, but we expect him fully to be here ... I fully expect Darren to be here as well."

Pederson said he still has not spoken with Cox, who is trying to negotiate a longterm deal to replace the fifth-year option in his rookie contract, scheduled to pay him $7.799 million this season. He said de facto general manager Howie Roseman remains in contact with Cox's agent, Todd France. Pederson said running backs coach Duce Staley is in contact with Sproles.

It isn't entirely clear why Sproles hasn't been at NovaCare. One report indicated he was unsettled when his name came up in potential trade talks around the time of the draft, and was waiting to see if he might be traded, something the Eagles have said won't happen. But Pederson has said he is OK with Sproles, who turns 33 on June 20, limiting wear and tear on his legs.

"There's no indication" from either player's camp that Cox or Sproles will risk being fined by not attending mandatory work, Pederson said. "It's a mandatory situation ... I expect both of those guys to be back and be part of their team, part of the locker room. I think it's important for both of them."

Asked the consequences if either didn't show, Pederson said it was a "team issue" he would not address with the media.

A player missing the entire three-day minicamp can be fined a maximum of $76,580. In contract-related situations, such fines often are waived if a deal ultimately is reached. Cox, the Eagles' first-round pick in 2012 and one of the league's premier interior linemen, might command as much as a $60 million guarantee on a longterm contract.