The Philadelphia Eagles have begun their organized team activities and that should kick things into gear as they get ready for the 2016 NFL season. The Eagles workouts will all be voluntary during OTA's and will last around nine weeks, according to the CBA.
The first two weeks, also known as phase one, will begin the strength and conditioning portion of the offseason where players begin to get in shape and rebuild some of their muscle mass. This portion of the offseason also includes physical rehab, so for players who have been dealing with a nagging injury, or for players who suffered a major injury and are still recovering, this is the time to do so.
The big thing that is allowed during phase one is that coaches can finally talk to their players specifically about football, so they can begin to build schemes and figure out what exactly someone knows.
In a situation where you have a new coach such as Doug Pederson it is absolutely vital to both the players and the coaching staff to be able to discuss various football situations and what exactly the Eagles will be trying to do on both sides of the ball.
Players will be required to be on the field for 90 minutes, which includes conditioning time. This is done for four hours a day during a two week period. In that time quarterbacks can work on routes with the wide receivers or tight ends allowing them to develop some chemistry before the hard work really begins.
Currently there seems to be a positional battle going on for who will be the Eagles top wide receiver in 2016. With the draft coming up that could all change but, currently the Eagles number one wide receiver last season Jordan Matthews was not that consistent of an option.He seems to be more of a number two or three wide receiver, however it is possible Doug Pederson pulls some magic out of this passing game.
The big question will be - do the Eagles talk to Sam Bradford about the possibility of backing up Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, as it is rumored they are attempting to select one of the top overall quarterbacks in the 2016 draft class. The Eagles offseason truly begins now as the roster begins to take shape.
