Get ready for the new breed of NFL official.

Green telling Bill Belichick to chill.

Veteran referees Mike Carey, Scott Green and Ron Winter have been finessed out the door. They're replaced by Brad Allen, Ronald Torbert and Craig Wrol.

Additionally the league has hired 13 graduates of the NFL Officiating Development program, which trains college officials for work in the bigs.

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The Eagles are slated to hold one of three practices open to the public at Franklin Field.

That session is on Friday, July 25. Tickets to that event are free and available starting Wednesday, July 16 at 10 a.m.  by logging onto PennAthletics.com/Eagles. The limit is six per order. Call 215-898-6151 for more information. Or try emailingtickets@pobox.upenn.edu.

Lincoln Financial Field

The open practices at Lincoln Financial Field are Monday, July 28 and Sunday, Aug. 3. Admission is free and tickets aren't necessary.

Training camp begins at the NovaCare Comple Friday, July 25. The Eagles will practice with the Patriots in Foxboro for three days leading up to their Aug. 15 preseason game. Last year the Patriots worked with the Eagles at the NovaCare Complex the week of their exhibition game. 

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Former Eagles running back Ricky Watters has become a high school head coach.

 

Click here for the link to the piece about Watters' new career. Look for him to lean on coaches and teammates from the past as he finds his way in the new venture.

Watters already has a proven story of a life less he learned with the Eagles. It's the 'for who, for what' drama.

Watters led the Eagles in rushing from 1995-97 after winning a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

Chip Kelly put a date on the start of Eagles training camp.

Kelly said he wouldn't see his players for 35 days. That would take them to July 25, a Friday.

“I think the important thing for them is it's not getaway day," Kelly said Thursday before the final minicamp practice. "We have another day to improve and get out there and get better as a football team, and I think that's their approach right now. They've had a good session so far this morning and we'll go out and wrap it up. I think the real message is it isn't getaway day. It's let’s finish up strong, it's our last opportunity to get some real good quality work in before we come back here on the 25th, and I think they feel the same way."

After a respite, the coaches will get back to work. The same with the players albeit on an individual basis.

"I don't look at this as any break from what we've just done," Kelly said. "This is our life's choice and we enjoy it. This isn't like Fred Flintstone and 'yabba-dabba-do' and we're trying to get out of work. It's another day. And we'll finish with some different things before we get some time off. I don't think anybody in our situation as coaches is like `I can't wait to get out of there.' Most are like `I can't wait to get back in there.' "

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The LeSean McCoy presser was winding down, the Pro Bowl running back obviously weary of answering the same tired questions he'd addressed weeks ago.

So I asked Shady what it was like being part of an offseason almost totally lacking in drama. Alas, a smile.


"We like the quarterback controversies, we like all that type of stuff, man," McCoy said. "So it’s a little different going into this camp."

In all seriousness, the Eagles have slammed the door on the drama that regularly consumed at least a portion of the offseason. Yes, the month of March was hairy as fellow scribe Zach Berman pointed out, but since then it's been a clean sheet on the drama front. And McCoy thinks that's a good thing.

"It gives us more time to focus," McCoy said. "The last couple of years we had so much attention on this team for all the wrong reasons. Now we’re just preparing. We came off a good season last year which ended too early. We want to capitalize on that, win the division again and, hopefully take over where we left off."

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The Eagles brought veteran Nolan Carroll in to play press coverage.

Chip Kelly bristled when it was suggested Carroll II was an under-the-radar signing.

Kelly said Wednesday Carroll (6-1, 205) would push Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher for playing time and contribute on special teams as a gunner.


"We didn't think it was an under-the-radar signing," Kelly said. "Obviously I don't write the articles. And thank goodness we didn't read them because he didn't feel that way to us. We had him targeted very early as a guy we wanted to bring into this organization. I think he's got the requisite length that we're looking forward at the corner spot. Especially as an outside corner. He's an outstanding special teams player.

"I've been really impressed with Nolan in the short time that we've had him here. I think he's stuck out. and I know some of you guys are excited he's stuck out."

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Sports radio princess Rhea Hughes and yours truly discussed the Eagles' defensive line on her CSNPhilly Lunch Break show today.

Bigger isn't always better. But the Eagles think they've accomplished both ends of the equation through the draft and as Miss Hughes points out, Chip Kelly's scientific training program. Defensive tackle Benny Logan says he jumped from 306 to 319 pounds while his body fat decreased 2 percent.



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Eagles head coach Chip Kelly interrupted his news conference with a special bulletin.

Travis Long, a free agent out of Washington State, has a chance to make the Eagles playing special teams and outside linebacker.

Who? Travis Long. He's 6-4, 255 pounds.



Kelly said nothing about the depth chart. Looking at the numbers linebacker Brandon Graham and defensive end Vinny Curry might want to compete a little harder just to insure they hang around.

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It wasn't a revelation.

But Eagles fifth-r0und pick Ed Reynolds on Thursday got a serious taste of how much faster NFL practices are in person than they are on face time.

Face time a drag compared to real thing.

"I left here with the full playbook," Stanford product Reynolds said. "I can watch meetings, go through all the installs. I had time where I face-timed Coach (John) Lovett, my defensive backs coach and the special teams coach once or twice a week just to go over it if I had any questions about anything. But it’s completely different once you step out there on the field and everything is moving a lot faster like when you’re going through the slides. So today was fun, the first time back out there. But definitely a little farther than behind the other guys just with the mental reps of being out there and going through it."

Reynolds had been unable to practice due to NCAA rules.

More on this in the online and print editions of the Daily Times.

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The Dolphins at least are trying to sound like Dion Jordan can be part of their future.

From his Oregon days as a rush linebacker.

In this piece Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Doyle refers to Jordan, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft as a "prime-time player that's going to explode this year."

Jordan says he's gained 15 pounds without losing any speed.

All of that said it's no secret the Dolphins shopped the Oregon product ... And the Eagles were among the suitors.

Jordan, who may be better suited to playing rush linebacker in a 3-4, is looking a lot like a backup defensive end and special teams player for the Fish.

A trade of Jordan still could be a work in progress.


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Reporters got a taste of the Chip Kelly Experience Tuesday.

Near the end of his media availability, Chip Kelly was interrupted by the loud music he has played for Eagles practices.



Instead of ordering the music off (after all, he is the head coach) Kelly answered what football media relations Derek Boyko, moments before the interruption, called the last 'two questions.' Only a small handful of media heard much of the answers, much less the questions. The video is difficult to understand.

At first it seemed funny. It's basically the the type of chaos he wants his players to fight through. Only these aren't his players. He explains why he does things the way he does them, to his players. Is it asking too much for the media to expect the same courtesy?

It's another example of how  Kelly feels about the press. Or doesn't care about the press.

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Lane Johnson touched off a furor tweeting the $17K check of the 'rookie dinner' he treated his line mates to.

It was something he wanted to do, not a situation  he was forced into.


Eagles center Jason Kelce weighs in on Lane Johnson's tweet.

The bill got out of hand, as is typical of almost-anything-goes dinners at high-priced quality establishments. And, yes, the guys had drinks. I get that the Eagles are super-sensitive about their image and drinking. The Riley Cooper outburst isn't a year old.

From what I know, this wasn't a case of guys going nuts and making a scene. There's no read to sanitize.

So let's move on from what was nothing more than a once-in-a-lifetime visual and not take ourselves so seriously.

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DeSean Jackson alleges that former agent Drew Rosenhaus, who he owes $400,000, bribed him into signing with Rosenhaus Sports.

Always some drama surrounding Jackson.

Obviously that would be an issue with the NFL Players Association, which keeps an eye on agents.

Jackson told TMZ a chunk of the loot was jammed into a Luis Vuitton bag.

It's been a strange year for Jackson.

Jackson reported his South Philly place was robbed. Then he was released by the Eagles in late March. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said it was "purely a football decison."

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In the unlikely event anyone has forgotten, former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson "definitely" vows to show Chip Kelly what a mistake he made getting rid of him.

Appearing on the NFL Network after a Redskins practice Tuesday, Jackson called his shocking late March release by the Eagles "humbling" and how he's using it as motivation for the first of two games against them this season.

"I think about that every time I step on the field," Jackson said. "Especially with the legacy I have in Philadelphia and the things I've done for the organization.

"That process I went through was definitely humbling. Week Three, that is highlighted., that is circled on the calendar ... I can't wait to get it on with whoever we play against but for sure that game you know I'm ready to turn it up."

Eagles are always on his mind.

Interesting;ly Jackson didn't mention Nick Foles, the quarterback who factored heavily in his career 2013 season with the Eagles, when talking about teammate Robert Griffin III. Jackson said Griffin is accountable much like Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick were while they were Eagles.

"I see a lot of characteristics in him that I saw in the Michael Vicks and the McNabbs," Jackson said. "To be accountable at a young age ... Holding everybody accountable at the same time."

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LeSean McCoy had fun doing a spot on the NFL Fan Pass What's Up Pro show.

McCoy supplied a pretty good imitation of Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley in this video.

Staley and McCoy and the rest of the Eagles running backs had gathered after McCoy rushed for a franchise record 217 yards to defeat the Lions in the snow game. When the room was clearing Staley spoke to McCoy.

"McCoy, you’ve got to get it done," McCoy said doing the Staley impression. "You’re leaving yards out there. I’m like, what game you watching Coach?

"But he’s a good coach. I like Duce. He always finds ways to get it out of me."

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The second Organized Team Activity open to the media went on without wide receiver Jeff Maehl and offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. 

Chip Kelly.

The duo were observers today.

Rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews was back in action. Ditto linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who missed a portion of the previous practice due to a knee issue.

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