Eagles close one of Andy Reid’s toughest camps
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) – They sprinted off the field, howling and hollering as if it were the last day of school, jumped into their SUVs and headed home. The Philadelphia Eagles ended one of their longer and more physical training camps under head coach Andy Reid Wednesday morning at Lehigh University. Players returned to Philadelphia, where they will board a plane to Cincinnati today for their second preseason game Friday night.
“We ran 200 more plays here than we did a year ago,” Reid said. “And that’s good for a young team.”
The Eagles are a young team, a very young team.
The average age of the projected starters on both offense and defense is around 25. The only non-kicker on the team over 31 years old is 32-year old defensive end Juqua Parker.
“We’re a deep, young team,” wide receiver Jason Avant said. “Are we too young? I don’t think so. I mean we’re young in terms of age, but in terms of football we have guys who have played a lot of games. I think we’re young, but with experience.”
The Eagles added 13 draft picks to the roster this year plus another 14 first-year or rookie free agents. So the extra days of practice – the Eagles under Reid have always broken camp after the first preseason game – was helpful for all of the new faces, as was the extra hitting.
“I think the game is still about blocking and tackling, so we practiced those things,” Reid said about running one of the more physical camps in the league. “It’s about that simple. I think it’s just one of the major parts of the game.
“It builds a good foundation, particularly with a young group. They need to be introduced to what the National Football League is all about. It’s faster. There’s more pressure put on you physically and mentally here than what you face at the college level. And there’s no better place to figure it out than here at training camp.”
The Eagles opened camp at Lehigh for rookies and selected veterans, which included first-year starting quarterback Kevin Kolb, on July 26. The rest of the team reported July 29. They went twice a day, except for the day before and the day after the first preseason game against Jacksonville.
“It was long; too long,” veteran fullback Leonard Weaver said. “That’s why I can’t wait to get out of here and get back to Philly.”
NOTES: Reid ruled the following injured players out of Friday night’s game against Cincinnati, centers Jamaal Jackson (knee) and Nick Cole (knee), guard Todd Herremans (foot), cornerback David Pender (leg) and defensive end Victor Abiamiri, who is on the physically unable to perform list. Cornerback Asante Samuel (hamstring) and running back Mike Bell (calf) will be game-time decisions.