Eagles take good feelings into six-week break

The Eagles reported for the offseason program on April 20. That was before the Marcus Mariota fantasies faded, before LeSean McCoy finished airing his grievances, and before Chip Kelly released Evan Mathis.

Their final practice of the spring came Thursday. Ninety players trained in a drizzle, sat through a final team meeting, and went their separate ways for summer vacation. They won't return for another six weeks, with the first training camp practice on Aug. 2.

"Our biggest strength is that we have six weeks before training camp, and our biggest weakness is that we have six weeks before training camp," Kelly said. "Offseason program, we don't put a lot of stock in terms of making real solid evaluation in terms of where they are. It's about them working, getting better, getting smarter, and understanding schemes. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses comes when you put your pads on."

Games are not won in June, which explains why any evaluations of practice must be tempered and any conclusions are premature.

But team chemistry can be strengthened in June, which is why players were critical of Mathis' missing the voluntary part of the offseason program and why Kelly's takeaway from this spring was the way the team worked.

"I think their capacity to work is the biggest thing our staff has been impressed with, in terms of the amount we've gotten in since April 20," Kelly said. "It's an extremely thirsty group - they always want something more, they want something new."

Kelly used Thursday as an example. Other teams gave their players an early day off as a reward. The New England Patriots, who won the Super Bowl, were one. Kelly said the players on the Eagles were eager for one more day of situational work before the summer.

"A lot of people kind of mail in this last day, but these guys are fired up about getting out there one more time," Kelly said before practice.

Quarterback Sam Bradford will work with the team's strength and training staffs to finish rehabbing his left knee. Kelly and the coaching staff cannot work with him, but Bradford said he'd do position-specific drills.

Tight end Zach Ertz will travel to Edmonton, where he will root for the U.S. women's soccer team in the World Cup match against Colombia on Monday. U.S. defender Julie Johnston is Ertz's girlfriend. He will not stay in Canada if the United States wins; Ertz is going to San Diego to train with Darren Sproles.

Sproles leads the sessions with Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and a select group of other players also join. Eagles running back Ryan Mathews will be among them.

Linebacker Connor Barwin is planning a benefit concert at Union Transfer on Saturday to raise money to revitalize a South Philadelphia park - and then will have "the best month of training all year" to prepare for training camp.

"For the young guys, they need to rely on the coaching staff, and the strength staff gives us a good plan for how to come in at peak level," Barwin said. "For the old guys, obviously, we lean on the coaches, too, but we should know how to come back ready to go."

Kelly gives his coaching staff time off to "recharge their batteries" and spend time with their families. The offices get quiet during July, which is the rare dead period in the NFL. Come Aug. 2, the Eagles will be back on the practice field and starting Kelly's much-anticipated third season.

@ZBerm