The NFL Draft was two weeks ago, and the NFL schedule release was this week. Most of the focus on the Eagles for the last two weeks has centered on their drafting of quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round and their addition of four wide receivers (three draft picks and the trade for Marquise Goodwin) during the course of the draft. But that doesn’t mean other news has stopped. Below is a quick Eagles news roundup, complete with links.
Could Jason Peters be returning to the Eagles?
A Jason Peters reunion with the Eagles remains a possibility and will remain a possibility as long as the veteran left tackle remains a free agent. Even when the team awkwardly announced that they were parting ways with Peters, many remained skeptical. And now, according to multiple reports, a reunion might be more likely than not.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Derrick Gunn recently appeared on 94.1 WIP:
Jason Peters returning to the Eagles is starting to look more and more likely.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Derrick Gunn, Peters has turned down offers from other teams in hopes of remaining with the Eagles.
“There’s no rush on Jason Peters’ part and there’s no rush on the Eagles’ part because nobody basically can do anything,” Gunn told Jon Marks and Ike Reese on the 94WIP Marks & Reese Show on Thursday afternoon.
“Jason Peters, they know what he is, what he’s capable of doing. From what I’ve been told, Peters turned down offers from elsewhere because he wants to stay with the Eagles. The Eagles want him. You can look at it on the surface and say, well he’s 38 years old. But I will say this, he is that rarity of a guy who is still, at 38 years old, is still one of the best technicians at his position and is still I would argue one of the top 10 players, I think you guys would agree at his position as well.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed that Peters has spoken with the Eagles, and he posted this video on Twitter of the left tackle working out in preparation for the 2020 season:
Is the Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery relationship repaired?
Much has been written about Alshon Jeffery, his tenure with the Eagles, his alleged controversial remarks about Carson Wentz, and whether or not Jeffery will be on the team in 2020. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman even mentioned Jeffery as the “elephant in the room” back in March. For his part, Wentz has repeatedly claimed that he has a good relationship with Jeffery and that he expects the veteran wideout to be a big part of the team this season.
Aside from the 30-year-old’s decline in production, bloated contract and recovery from a Lisfranc surgery, there’s the perception of a strained relationship with franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.
At every turn, Wentz has rejected that perception.
That didn’t change on Thursday afternoon during an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark to promote the AO1 Foundation’s Day of Relief fundraiser on Friday. Wentz said he has been in contact with Jeffery this offseason.
“Yeah, I’ve talked with Alshon. Alshon’s doing well, obviously coming back from that injury. Hoping he can be himself and just keep on rehabbing. But I’m confident that he will. And he’s doing well. He’s in a good place and I feel confident in his ability to be back out there helping the team. I’m excited for that. Yeah, I’m excited for Alshon.”
Rasul Douglas restructures his contract
The Eagles traded for cornerback Darius Slay this offseason. He is locked in as the team’s top cornerback, at least for 2020. As for the other outside starting cornerback in Philadelphia, it remains a mystery. Avonte Maddox and Sidney Jones are the two incumbent favorites for the job. Jalen Mills was-resigned but is reportedly, maybe, possibly moving to safety. Rasul Douglas is the forgotten man, but he just agreed to a restructured contract with the Eagles. From Mike Kaye over at NJ.com:
Rasul Douglas might have increased his chances of making the Eagles’ regular-season roster with an adjustment to his contract.
The Eagles and Douglas recently reached an agreement on a contract restructure, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. However, the exact details of the restructure have not been confirmed.
Jalen Hurts was not drafted to be a starter in Philadelphia
On the most recent episode of Inside the Birds TV, NFL insider Adam Caplan shared (as always) a number of interesting nuggets. Among them was this take on Jalen Hurts, Carson Wentz, and the Eagles’ future plans at the quarterback position:
If you aren’t already, I highly suggest subscribing to Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan’s Inside the Birds series. They do regular podcasts and YouTube videos and drop regular insider news items in addition to their takes on the news that is already out there. Here is a link to the episode quoted above:
