Eagles football blog

Kolb amd Cole day to day

Two more Eagles have gone down during an injury-filled training camp.

Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb sprained his left knee and former Pro Bowl defensive end Trent Cole sprained his left shoulder in practice today. Kolb was injured early in the morning session. He walked to the sideline and was taken by cart to the locker room. Cole got hurt later in the session. (AP)

Rookie TE Ingram tears ACL, out for season

The biggest injury concern for the Eagles after yesterday morning's practice was wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

By the end of the afternoon, the really bad news was that tight end Cornelius Ingram's rookie season had ended before it started.

For the second straight year on almost the same day, Ingram tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The extent of the injury, which will require season-ending surgery, was revealed during an MRI examination yesterday.

Ingram was injured Tuesday, one day before the one-year anniversary of the same injury that cost him his senior season at the University of Florida. Continue

WR Maclin agrees to 5-year deal

Nobody on either side was willing to explain why this negotiation took so long, after the Eagles confirmed late last night that Jeremy Maclin finally has agreed to a contract.

A source close to the situation said Maclin will get $15.5 million over 5 years, $9.5 million guaranteed. Continue

Bradley out for season with torn acl

Just because Andy Reid refused to talk about it doesn't mean the reality is any less grim.

Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley's season is over because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, but Reid refused to lead off his news conference after practice yesterday with his trademark injury report, choosing instead to cite a rules violation by the local media.

"I made a pact with you guys when I first got here that I would disclose to you the injuries - just stay away from the players and stay away from other personnel in the organization and I would take care of you with that," Reid said. "That part was breached and so we'll get on with the Flight Night part of things. Flight Night was a good experience for the players, the fans, the coaches." Continue

Westbrook watches camp

Brian Westbrook probably still is a couple of weeks away from putting on pads and practicing with his teammates. But he still managed to serve a valuable purpose yesterday as the Eagles conducted their first full-gear workout of training camp.

Westbrook watched the practice from the sideline and spent a lot of time offering advice to rookie running back LeSean McCoy between reps. McCoy listened intently to everything the veteran told him.

Coach Andy Reid said earlier this week that he was hopeful Westbrook would be cleared to practice by mid-August. That still seems a likely return timetable. Continue

R.I.P. Jim Johnson

Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has died from cancer. He was 68.

 “For ten years, Jim Johnson was an exceptional coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but more importantly, he was an outstanding human being,” Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “As an integral part of the Eagles family, Jim epitomized the traits of what a great coach should be – a teacher, a leader, and a winner. He positively touched the lives of so many people in and out of the Eagles organization. It was easy to feel close to him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Vicky and his wonderful family. We will miss him greatly.”

Johnson, who overcame melanoma in 2001, experienced back problems late last season and went for tests that revealed the metastasized tumor on his spine, just after the Birds' second-round playoff victory at the Giants. The MRI results were confirmed just after the 32-25 loss to Arizona in the NFC Championship Game. The Eagles announced Johnson had cancer during Super Bowl week.

Johnson returned for some of the Eagles' spring minicamps and was riding a motorized scooter on the practice field.

The Eagles announced May 18 that Johnson would take a leave of absence and did not announce a return date. The team named Sean McDermott the defensive coordinator on Saturday. Continue

Reid says Donovan is still the man

Andy Reid didn't want to start a quarterback controversy.

Two days before the Eagles were to announce the restructuring of quarterback Donovan McNabb's contract, the head coach - in a one-on-one interview with The Inquirer - was asked to compare backup Kevin Kolb with McNabb.

Reid, as one would expect, was complimentary of the quarterbacks, both of whom he had drafted. However, perhaps sensing that he had presumably awarded the position someday to Kolb, Reid - after a pause - added a caveat.

"You could take that little conversation we just had a couple different ways," said Reid, always careful with his words. "Donovan's the quarterback. I don't want to start a quarterback controversy here." Continue

McDermott replacing Jim Johnson

 The Eagles officially passed the title of defensive coordinator from Jim Johnson to Sean McDermott yesterday.

With Johnson still battling the metastatic melanoma that was discovered by doctors during the Eagles' playoff run in January, the decision was mutually agreed upon that it was time for McDermott to take control of the defense. McDermott, a 35-year-old graduate of La Salle High School and a member of the Eagles' organization since 1998, will speak about his new role for the first time today at a 1 p.m. news conference. Continue

DB acquitted

Eagles cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu has been acquitted of burglary charges in Illinois.

A DeKalb County judge acquitted Ikegwuonu yesterday of residential burglary and criminal trespassing.

"I'm happy for our client Jack Ikegwuonu, who was acquitted of all charges filed against him," said Drew Rosenhaus, Ikegwuonu's agent, in statement via Twitter. "Justice prevailed as Jack was found not guilty."

Ikegwuonu and his twin brother, Bill, were arrested in November 2006. They were accused of trying to steal a video game system from an apartment in the city of DeKalb. Continue

Camp McNabb opeing soon

DeSean Jackson was a no-show last summer at Donovan McNabb's annual pre-training camp get-together with his receivers in the Arizona desert, yet still managed to catch a team-high 62 passes as a rookie.

Moral of the story: If you're good enough to get open, the Eagles quarterback still will throw you the ball, even if you didn't bother stopping by Casa McNabb on the way to Lehigh. Then again, if he had gone to Arizona, maybe Jackson would have caught 80 passes last year.

Jeremy Maclin isn't the risk-taker that Jackson is. When McNabb takes roll Sunday at his 6-day sweatfest and passing camp, the Eagles' first-round pick will be present and accounted for. Continue