Sports Talk Philly: Philadelphia Sports News and Rumors

Lane Johnson Donates $500,000 for New Sports Complex at Kilgore College

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles may have lost the Walter Payton Man of the Year this weekend, but the team has plenty of players doing good.

Between Zach Ertz winning the Steinberg-DeNicola Humanitarian Award, Malcolm Jenkins running the Players' Coalition and campaigning for criminal justice reform, Carson Wentz running the AO1 Foundation and more, the team still has plenty of leaders to continue the ideals that Chris Long so obviously exhibited.

Today, Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson added his name to the list of Eagles giving back.

John Clark of NBC Sports Philly reports that Johnson is making a $500,000 donation to Kilgore College for a new sports complex. The building will be named after him.

Eagles Fill Out Roster With Offensive Tackle Casey Tucker

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

On Sunday night, Chris Long ended his NFL playing career.

Despite the signs all pointing toward this scenario, the move was somewhat of a surprise to people and it is certainly disappointing to hear that the Walter Payton Man of the Year will not take the field in 2019.

Still, his retirement gave the front office a bit of business to do.

Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Eagles have filled the vacated roster spot by signing offensive tackle Casey Tucker.

Carson Wentz to Have "No Limitations" For Start of OTAs

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The NFC East was not getting good news on Monday.

The Cowboys had video leak of their franchise running back Ezekiel Elliot being handcuffed at a festival following his knocking someone to the ground just hours after a story was released about how "mature" he had grown and how he has become a better person.

Meanwhile the Redskins suffered an injury to linebacker Reuben Foster, the controversial pickup that the team made after Foster was charged with domestic abuse. Foster was carted off the field and may miss the entire season, taking one of Washington's best players away on the first day of OTA's.

Eagles fans received news in the opposite realm when Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that franchise quarterback Carson Wentz should have "no limitations" to start OTA's and has progressed incredibly well.

Chris Long Retires from NFL

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles will oficicially not have a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year take the field to start the 2019 season.

On Saturday night, veteran defensive end Chris Long announced his retirement on Twitter.

Cheers. Been a hell of a journey. Eleven years and I can honestly say I put my soul into every minute of it. Highs and lows. I’ve seen them both and I appreciate the perspective. Gratitude and love to those who lifted me up. pic.twitter.com/Ap8zi73Ifl

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) May 19, 2019

Jets Firing Their GM Could Be Bad News For Eagles

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

You could ask any Eagles fan who Howie Roseman is and they will almost certainly know the Eagles General Manager.

Roseman gets a lot of credit. He is the man making the calls. The one on the phones who completes all the trades the Eagles make and agreeing to contracts with the players. He also manages the salary cap and makes the Eagles selections during the draft.

There is another major player in the Eagles front office, however. One who played a key role in the way that the team makes player acquisitions to ensure a cohesive locker room culture: Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas.

Stefen Wisniewski Re-Signs With Eagles

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

While players like Nick Foles, Jordan Hicks, Golden Tate and Jordan Matthews quickly signed deals with new teams, the Eagles had four potentially impact players waiting for the wave to come following the draft. That list included offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, receiver Mike Wallace and running back Jay Ajayi. To a much lesser extent, guard Chance Warmack could be included in that group.

Still guys like corner Chandon Sullivan and special teams ace LaRoy Reynolds found a new team prior to all four of those guys.

On Monday at 7 a.m., one of those players made a decision.

Veteran offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski became the first of those players to officially sign a contract for 2019. He will not be with a new team, however.

The Penn State product took to Twitter to announce his return to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Report: Eagles to Sign Quarterback Cody Kessler

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The most controversial pick that the Eagles made in the 2019 NFL Draft was the selection of a quarterback in the fifth round.

The Eagles selected Clayton Thorson out of Northwestern. Thorson was not a universally accepted pick by the Philadelphia fan base, but the team loves him and he has the same skill sets as Nick Foles, meaning the Eagles could develop him into a cost controlled backup for the foreseeable future.

The move seemed to solidify the quarterback position with starter Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld, who was extended a second-round tender, filling the other two quarterback positions. At the same time, it seemed to leave AAF starter Luis Perez without a chance at a spot.

Eagles, Lincoln Financial Extend Relationship Through 2032

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

On Tuesday, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Philadelphia Eagles would be hosting a press conference "with owner Jeffrey Lurie and team president Dom Smolenski on Thursday at 1pm to make a 'major community announcement.'"

This announcement took place in the middle of Lincoln Financial Field, however, instead of the usual press room. There was a good reason for that.

On Thursday, the duo of Lurie and Smolenski announced that the team and Lincoln Financial have reached an agreement that will take the partnership through 2032.

That means the name Lincoln Financial Field will stick with no name change in site.

Lincoln Financial first bought the naming rights in 2002 after it was decided Veterans Stadium would be demolished and the Eagles would have their own stadium.

2019 will be the 17th season for the Eagles playing in The Linc. By the time this new deal is set to run out, the Eagles will have been playing in the stadium for 30 seasons.

Since the Eagles began playing at Lincoln Financial, they have a record of 82-55 at home. They posted a less than stellar run at The Linc from 2010-2013 (13-21) in the downfall of Andy Reid in Philadelphia and hiring of Chip Kelly took effect. Remove that period and the team is 69-34 at the building they will now call home through 2032.

Eagles, Blake Countess Restructure Deal, Make Andrew Sendejo Expendable

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

While this might not seem like big news on the surface, the affects of the move could have significant impact on the make-up of the Eagles 53-man roster in 2019.

Just a few days ago, the Eagles claimed Blake Countess off waivers.

It was a solid move that the Eagles made to create competition for the third and fourth safety positions. While many thought that Andrew Sendejo's roster spot was safe following the move, a lot has changed since then.

LaRoy Reynolds Signs with San Francisco 49ers

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Early on Monday, it was announced that cornerback Chandon Sullivan had found a new team just five days after his release.

Now another former Eagle has found a new team, and it still isn't one of the trio of Mike Wallace, Stefen Wisniewski and Jay Ajayi, who should all probably have a new contract by now.

Instead, LaRoy Reynolds, who was signed primarily to play special teams, is the next Eagle to find a home, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.