Wentz, Bradford will practice together for first time
Carson Wentz became the Eagles' biggest name before taking his first NFL snap - or even practicing with his new teammates. The first snap must wait, but the first full-team practice comes Tuesday.
Carson Wentz became the Eagles' biggest name before taking his first NFL snap - or even practicing with his new teammates. The first snap must wait, but the first full-team practice comes Tuesday.
The quarterback completed rookie minicamp over the weekend, a setting in which he clearly had the biggest presence. But when the Eagles begin their first organized team activity Tuesday, Wentz will be joined by teammates with years of experience who know him only as the rookie the team surrendered five draft picks to acquire.
And it's up to Wentz, 23 years old and most recently of North Dakota State, to fit in with the veterans of an NFL locker room.
"Just be myself and hard work and earn the respect of the guys by being around them, showing that you care about them, and working your tail off," Wentz said. "You've got to earn it. You've got to earn it with hard work, with building relationships, being around the guys. It doesn't happen overnight."
Wentz will walk a line between asserting himself and being a deferential rookie. He said he won't "take a backseat," but he'll be smart with how he tries to take a leadership role in the locker room.
The relationship that will be most scrutinized is the one with quarterback Sam Bradford, whom Wentz had not met before this week. Bradford wanted to be traded after the Eagles traded up to draft Wentz, but he returned last week and will practice with his likely eventual replacement for the first time Tuesday.
"The relationship with him and the other quarterbacks in the room, it'll be great," Wentz said. "It will be a really competitive atmosphere. Hopefully we'll all learn together and grow together and push each other. And hopefully it will lead to benefiting the team and win a lot of ball games.
"Personally, I don't think there will be a lot of tension. I think people might make it out to be [that way], but I think the coaches and everyone will be on the same page and I think it'll be a really good working relationship, for sure."
Tuesday's practice will be more than a Wentz watch. It also will be coach Doug Pederson's first post-draft practice with the team. The Eagles had a three-day minicamp before the draft, but the roster has swelled since then and the players who will make the 53-man roster in September will be there.
It is also the first full-team practice open to reporters, who will get to see how Pederson's practices compare with Chip Kelly's, and early depth-chart hints at positions with notable competitions such as cornerback and left guard.
If one drives down South Broad Street during Eagles practice, music will still be heard, but not as frequently as during Kelly's three years.
"There's not going to be a ton of music at practice," Pederson said last month. "I do like the music. It's going to be in the more competitive parts of practice. It won't be all practice long. But just subtle things like that - nothing too drastic."
Bradford will address reporters after practice for the first time since his two-week absence. When Bradford was last interviewed, the Eagles had not yet traded up to get Wentz. He will hold a news conference in the afternoon. The Eagles practice at 10:50 a.m.
Extra points
The Eagles will put single-game tickets for all 10 home games on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased at www.philadelphiaeagles.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. There is a four-ticket limit per household, and tickets range from $37.50 to $156, with standing room-only tickets from $27.50 to $66.
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