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Pederson says his Eagles camp routine is 'time-tested'

The Eagles won't practice in the shadows of Lehigh's South Mountain - or in the shadow of Andy Reid - next week, but Doug Pederson's training camp is likely to ignite flashbacks to training camps under Reid in Bethlehem.

The Eagles won't practice in the shadows of Lehigh's South Mountain - or in the shadow of Andy Reid - next week, but Doug Pederson's training camp is likely to ignite flashbacks to training camps under Reid in Bethlehem.

The differences between Pederson and his predecessor, Chip Kelly, will be apparent during the next three weeks. Kelly's unique practices appeared revolutionary compared to 14 years of the traditional Reid, and Pederson's practices might show that a new revolution is complete, and the Eagles are back where they were before Kelly took over.

Practices will commence before morning rush hour finishes and the sun is at its peak, unlike the midday sessions under Kelly. Players will wear pads and tackle to the ground, a departure from Kelly's belief that tackling should be reserved for the four preseason games. And the structure of practice will look closer to Reid's version than Kelly's.

"It's been successful, and it's time-tested," Pederson said of Reid's camp routine. "I think you have to put the pads on. You've got to hit. It's a physical game. . . . Get [practices] done. . . . Do your meetings at nights when they can rest and hydrate and get ready to go for the next day. Do your walk-throughs in the afternoon."

The hitting is one of the biggest differences between Pederson and Kelly. Other than a practice in 2013 after a poor preseason performance, the Eagles didn't tackle to the ground in practice under Kelly. They instead focused on tackling techniques.

"I think the only way you can properly fit offensively and defensively, you have to put the pads on, and you have to hit," Pederson said. "I'm not saying you have to go live every period. You don't have to. . . . From your offensive and defensive lines, this is where games are won and lost."

Pederson said linemen on both sides of the ball as well as fullback require live periods to be properly evaluated. The Eagles are re-introducing a fullback to some packages after the position was limited under Kelly. Pederson added that players will practice without pads and contact every few days to allow their bodies to recover.

"The majority of the practices are 'thud' practices," Pederson said. "They're big-bump up high. 'Thud.' We're not taking anybody to the ground. Defense, you're in position, you'll tap off. Let the ball carriers run."

The days won't be as demanding as they were under Reid, though. The collective bargaining agreement in 2011 eliminated two-a-days and reduced the amount of hitting in practice. The Eagles under Pederson will do as much as they're allowed, and it will happen early in the morning like Reid favors.

Another throwback to the Reid era is three practices with rookies, quarterbacks and selected veterans before the entire team arrives. Kelly tried it in his first year but not the last two. Kelly said they did it in 2013 when they had a rookie quarterback on their roster. They didn't have rookie quarterbacks in 2014 and 2015, but there also weren't enough players to run the tempo and style that Kelly preferred.

Pederson sees value in the smaller Monday through Wednesday sessions before the full 87-man roster practices on Thursday.

"The benefit, particularly for the quarterbacks, it gets them lathered up for three days going into camp," Pederson said. "For us as coaches, the benefit is we're back into football mode. You're off for six weeks, and your mind kind of gets away from football, and this really gives us as coaches a chance to kind of dive back into the Xs and Os of it, and our minds and bodies are fresh when the vets report.

"And then it's a chance to really focus one-on-one with the young players, give them another three days to learn the offense and to coach them specifically. . . . Once the vets get here, their reps decrease just a little bit."

The physical change from Reid's camps with the Eagles is location. Reid preferred taking the team to Lehigh, but Pederson stuck with the NovaCare Complex when presented with the option. Keeping camp local makes more logistical sense for the Eagles because they do not need to transport their equipment or create makeshift facilities.

Of course, The Democratic National Convention will create road closures and enhanced security measures around the sports complex during the first week of camp.

"It's time-tested," Pederson said of his camp schedule. "It's worked, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Krause released

The Eagles released wide receiver Jonathan Krause on Friday, reducing the roster to 87 players before training camp begins. Krause, 24, joined the Eagles practice squad last September and was promoted to the active roster in November. He finished with two catches for 11 yards in two games.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm www.philly.com/eaglesblog