Paul Domowitch covers the Eagles and the NFL for the Inquirer, where he has worked since 1982. He has covered more than 30 Super Bowls and has been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the last 18 years.
Nine years ago, DeSean Jackson had the most famous punt return in Eagles history when he beat the Giants with a walkoff TD. With Darren Sproles gone, the Eagles hope Jackson can give their punt return game a much-needed shot in the arm this season.
As Carson Wentz already was guaranteed $31.3 million over the next two seasons on his rookie deal, it’s basically only costing the Eagles another $35 million to keep him in Philadelphia for the next four years.
After spending his first three NFL seasons at tackle, Halapoulivaati Vaitai is spending the spring learning how to play guard. His roster survival probably depends on how well he makes the transition.
Brown, who has never played for a winning NFL team, is happy to be out of Washington and playing for the talent-rich Eagles. "It's a perfect place to play," he said.
Donnel Pumphrey is facing an uphill battle to make the Eagles this summer. He knows that. But he feels that if he can avoid the hamstring issues that sidetracked him the last two years, "the rest will take care of itself."
With the additions of Malik Jackson and Vinny Curry and the return to health of Derek Barnett and Tim Jernigan, the Eagles' defensive coordinator expects good things.
Zach Ertz caught 116 passes last season, which was the most ever by an NFL tight end. Now, he's got DeSean Jackson back on his team to put the fear of God into opposing safeties and open up the middle of the field. What can he do for an encore?
