Sports Talk Philly: Philadelphia Sports News and Rumors

Report: NFL Created 2019 Eagles Schedule Around Potential Phillies Postseason

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By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Oddsmakers and optimistic fans are not the only ones with "high hopes" for the 2019 Philadelphia Phillies with Bryce Harper and a slew of other All-Star-caliber players.

Count in the NFL, too.

Wednesday evening, the league released its 2019 regular season schedule for all 32 teams, the Super Bowl 52 champion Philadelphia Eagles included.

The Eagles will begin the season Sunday, Sept. 8, at home against the Washington Redskins. Then, the team will alternate being away and home over the next four games, leading up to weeks 6 through 8. For three straight weeks in October, the Eagles will not play at home (Oct. 13, 20 and 27) until Sunday Nov. 3, against the Chicago Bears.

According to NFL "schedule czar" Howard Katz, Senior VP of Broadcasting and Media Operations, in conversation with NBC Sports' Peter King, the reasoning behind the Eagles' peculiar road stretch is simple: Red October.

Eagles 2019 Schedule Released

By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Just over one week ago, the Eagles preseason schedule became official. With a trip to Florida to play against Eagles great Nick Foles on the docket, the 2019 season had already begun to gather hype in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday night, that excitement took another leap forward as the team's 2019 regular season schedule was released.

Eagles Press Conference Notes: Wentz's Health, Ertz Improving and Team Culture

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

When Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce and Zach Ertz met with the media on Monday, certainly the most important news to come out of the session was the emergence of the slew of injuries that Kelce suffered during the 2018 season.

While the second-most important piece of news, about Josh Adams having surgery for his own injury, did not come from the session, there was a lot to take away from the session.

Carson Wentz is Still Healing

Asked about the stress fracture in his spine, quarterback Carson Wentz told reporters that he feels good, but that his spine is not fully healed. He told reporters that, “it’s still getting there”, but was unable to give any other specifics.

The good news is that Wentz said repeatedly that he was feeling good and said he has been able to get in some running and throwing. On the concerning side, Wentz was non-committal about being ready for OTAs.

While he did mention that OTA’s are the goal, he said there was no official timetable. Getting some reps in will be critical for Wentz prior to the start of the regular season. He’ll be playing with a new receiver in DeSean Jackson and a new power back in Jordan Howard. It will be critical for Wentz to develop chemistry with the two in order to properly utilize both the long ball and the short yardage situations.

Report: Josh Adams Had Shoulder Surgery Following End of Season

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

It was during the Eagles press conference on Monday that we learned of the slew of major injuries that ailed Jason Kelce throughout another season of being the top center in the league in 2018.

Getting much less attention is another injury that was suffered during the 2018 campaign, but just came to light today.

Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports that Eagles undrafted rookie and leading rusher Josh Adams underwent labrum surgery following the conclusion of the Eagles season.

Jason Kelce Suffered MCL Tear, Broken Foot Among Other Injuries in 2018

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

If there is one thing that spoke to the toughness and depth of the Eagles roster in 2018, it was how the team fought through injuries.

Following the season, I wrote a piece examining the injuries that I considered to be major in 2018 and concluded that over half (nearly 53%) suffered from such an injury.

In his meeting with the press Monday, center Jason Kelce remarked that everyone suffers bruises and dings during the season. Then it was revealed that his “dings” included a broken foot, a Grade-Two MCL sprain and an elbow injury bad enough to force him to wear a brace.

Jalen Mills Cited Following Fight With Washington Wizards Player Devin Robinson

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Sometimes there is just some news that fans do not like to hear, but this may be something that fits that description.

Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills, who was the top corner on the roster for half of the Eagles Super Bowl winning season, reportedly got into a fight with Washington Wizards basketball player Devin Robinson, according to a report from Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

Ian Rapoport of ESPN noted that the Eagles are aware of the issue and will continue to gather information on the incident.

Zach Ertz Restructures Deal

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Aside from adding a quarterback and two receivers from the recently suspended AAF, Howie Roseman and the Eagles have been pretty quiet and focused on bringing in players who will be available in the draft later this month for visits.

On Friday night, Howie Roseman made another move, though not necessarily a flashy one.

Field Yates of ESPN reports that the team and tight end Zach Ertz have agreed to a restructured deal.

Brian Dawkins, Wawa to Debut "The Dawk" Hoagie

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Fans in the Philadelphia Area know well just how important Wawa is to the area’s culture and identity.

While the franchise started out as one that served the Tri-State Area, it continues to expand.

Florida is one of the states that has begun to see more and more locations crop up. It may seem like a random jump, but part of the move so far south can be attributed to the Phillies. With the Phillies’ Spring Training facility in Clearwater, Florida, fans from the Greater Philadelphia Region flocking to the city each spring, Wawa opened a location in town.

Eagles 2019 Preseason Opponents Revealed

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles announced their 2019 preseason opponents on Tuesday afternoon.

The Eagles’ preseason will feature one team that made the playoffs in 2018 and two that made the playoffs in 2017.

The Eagles will host their first game against the Titans at Lincoln Financial Field. The Titans were in competition for the final wild card spot in the AFC last season, but lost their final game to the Indianapolis Colts, who earned the spot by virtue of the win.

The team will then travel to Florida and play the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars were one of the top teams in 2017, but their defense was unable to carry an offense that was impotent and prone to turnovers in 2018. The offense’s failure lead to the hiring of former Eagles QB John DeFilippo as the offensive coordinator and Nick Foles as the starting quarterback. Fans will get to see a short while of Wentz play against Foles in the game.

Eagles Add Two Former AAF Receivers

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

On Monday night, news broke that the Eagles were signing former AAF quarterback Luis Perez.

As it turns out, Perez will not be the only AAF player to get a chance to earn a spot with the Eagles as the team signed two wide receivers from the league on Tuesday.

Roster Move: #Eagles have signed QB Luis Perez, WR Greg Ward, and WR Charles Johnson to one-year contracts.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZPh5A8CABc

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 9, 2019