Only for Guild Members » Before the Philadelphia Eagles begin their quest

for a repeat Mike Wallace Jerseys Stitched , they’ll have one more celebration.The first Super Bowl banner in franchise history will be unveiled in front of a sellout crowd that waited seemingly forever to witness the moment.Then it’s on to defending their crown.Coach Doug Pederson and his veteran players have preached throughout the offseason the importance of moving forward and focusing on the present if the Eagles are going to have any chance of becoming the ninth team to repeat as Super Bowl champs.They have a tough opponent Thursday night in the NFL opener. The Atlanta Falcons were 2 yards away from knocking the Eagles out of the playoffs in the divisional round, but Matt Ryan‘s pass to Julio Jones fell incomplete in the right corner of the end zone.“It’s going to be a great night,” Pederson said. “The fans are going to be crazy and they’re going to be excited. It’s going to be great for the banner to be dropped. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. This football team, though, they understand this is a different season. It’s a new team, new year. We’re sitting here 0-0 with a great opportunity against a great opponent. Quite honestly, that’s their focus.”The Falcons understand they were real close to advancing to the NFC championship game. Beating the Eagles this time around won’t make up for the loss in January, but the goal now is to finish the season at home in Atlanta, where the Super Bowl will be played in February.“They had a great team last year,” Ryan said. “I’m certain that the atmosphere will be good, obviously with them celebrating (what) they did last year. Once that settles, it comes down to us, our 11 on the field against their 11.”Nick Foles filled in for Carson Wentz, led the Eagles to their first championship since 1960 and earned Super Bowl MVP honors . Foles again will be under center; Wentz hasn’t been medically cleared following surgery last December to repair two torn knee ligaments.Foles struggled in the preseason, but he was excellent when it mattered in the playoffs. Foles had a 115.7 passer rating Youth Corey Graham Jerseys , completed 72.6 percent of his passes and threw for 971 yards, six TDs and one interception in three playoff wins.“You have to get a rhythm,” Foles said, comparing his quarterbacking to his days playing basketball. “If I go play pickup basketball right now, I’m not going to be very good because I haven’t played in a long time. But if I play for a couple weeks, I’ll be back to who I used to be. I’ll be able to shoot everywhere, I’ll probably be able to dunk again a little bit. It’s the same with football. That’s how I am as an athlete.”21<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Dallas Cowboys: Celebrities who root for the Cowboys from LeBron James to Stone Cold Steve AustinUSA TODAY SportsSome things to know about the Falcons-Eagles rematch:THEY’RE BACK: While the Eagles won’t have Wentz, three key players who also sustained season-ending injuries last year will return. Nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, versatile returner/running back Darren Sproles, and playmaking linebacker Jordan Hicks are healthy and ready to go. Pederson held Peters and Sproles out in preseason but expects them to be sharp.UNHAPPY HOMECOMING: Ryan, who grew up rooting for the Eagles and went to Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School, is 1-4 at Lincoln Financial Field. Even during his MVP season two years ago, he had his worst game in Philly. He was 18 of 33 for 267 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 24-15 loss.TEVIN’S TIME: Devonta Freeman (865, 7) and Tevin Coleman (628, 5) combined for 1 Corey Graham Jerseys Stitched ,493 yards rushing and 12 TDs last season, but the Eagles had the NFL’s stingiest run defense and held the Falcons to 86 yards on the ground in the playoff game. Coleman, however, had 79 yards on 10 carries.THROW IT TO JULIO: Jones, a two-time All-Pro, only had three TD catches last season and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian wants to make sure they find him inside the red zone.“We need to get No. 11 the ball,” Sarkisian said.MISSING MEN: Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins won’t play because of injuries, so the Eagles will rely on veteran Mike Wallace, second-year pro Shelton Gibson, and Nelson Agholor to pick up the slack. Eagles training camp position preview: tight ends." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesBleeding Green Nation homepageHorizontal - WhiteBleeding Green Nationa Philadelphia Eagles communityFollow Bleeding Green Nation online:Follow Bleeding Green Nation on TwitterFollow Bleeding Green Nation on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchBleeding Green Nation main menuFanpostsFanshotsEaglesOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Eagles StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Eagles NewsYahoo Eagles Team PageYahoo Eagles ReportYahoo Eagles Depth ChartYahoo Eagles TransactionsYahoo Eagles PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕The Eagles need to increase Dallas Goedert’s role heading into Year 2New,65commentsEagles training camp position preview: tight ends.EDTPhiladelphia Eagles training camp is almost here. Players report to the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday, July 24. As we count down the days together, Bleeding Green Nation will be previewing every position on the Eagles roster. We continue today by taking a look at the wide receiver position. Previously: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receivers.The playersZACH ERTZDallas Goedert is rightfully getting a lot of hype heading into 2019. But let’s not forget about the 28-year-old who’s coming off a season where he broke the all-time single-season record for tight end receptions. Ertz is a masterful route-runner who’s going to continue to be a big part of the offense. He’s not the flashiest tight end you’ve ever watched but he’s just such a reliable chain-mover. Ideally, Ertz’s volume stats will drop from last year’s gaudy totals because Carson Wentz will have more options when it comes to spreading the ball around. Even so, Ertz projects to finish 2019 as one of the Eagles’ top two targeted pass catchers. ESPN’s Mike Clay projects Ertz to have 92 receptions for 937 yards and eight touchdowns.DALLAS GOEDERTAnd. Here. We. Go(edert).I’ve typed it before and I’ll type it again: the Eagles are actively trying to lose games if they’re not getting Goedert on the field. He’s just too good to not be utilized in this offense. Remember Youth Tommy McDonald Jerseys , 12 personnel (two tight end sets) had a big role in the Eagles salvaging their 2018 season. Goedert followed up an encouraging rookie campaign (44 targets, 33 receptions, 334 yards, four touchdowns) with a stellar spring. The second year tight-end basically caught everything thrown his way. Standing tall at 6-5, 256 pound, Goedert is just so big and strong. He’s incredibly athletic as well, and that really shows up on his runs after the catch. Goedert’s much better than Ertz in this regard; the same goes for his blocking ability. But with Ertz still clearly ahead of Goedert on the depth chart, the question is: how will Goedert get playing time? That dilemma is one that Doug Pederson told reporters he and his coaching staff have been working on in the offseason. For the team’s sake, hopefully he’s not just giving out lip service. There is some evidence to suggest Goedert will be more involved in Year 2. Eagles offensive coordinator referred to Goedert as a “starter” during an OTA press conference. The team also ran a lot of 12 personnel looks during spring drills.Of course, Goedert’s increased playing time could come at the expense of other offensive weapons. A decrease in 11 personnel could mean less playing time for Nelson Agholor as the team’s slot receiver. Again, Ertz is still going to be a big part of the offense, but maybe the Eagles can manage his snap count a little better. However they work it, the bottom line is that it’s time for the Eagles to give Goedert a bigger role. He’s ready to handle it.With all this said, it’s not like Goedert is suddenly going to be a 1,000 yard producer. His volume stats are still going to be capped by the presence of Ertz and other offensive weapons. For perspective Youth Brian Dawkins Jerseys , ESPN projects Goedert to finish with 35 receptions, 371 yards, and four touchdowns in 2019. I think that’s a little on the low side, especially because I expect Goedert to be a big factor in the red zone.Total production shouldn’t be the only way we gauge Goedert’s 2019 campaign, though. He should be a really important player when it comes to key areas: third down and red zone. Including the playoffs, 60% of Goedert’s rookie receptions went for either first downs or touchdowns. He should continue to be an important player in this regard.RICHARD RODGERSRodgers was actually having a good summer last year before suffering a knee injury that limited him to seven games played. He should be a quality third tight end and special teams contributor. As an added bonus, Dick Rod is the team’s emergency long snapper. JOSHUA PERKINSDue to a number of injuries, Perkins was seeing significant snaps last September. Ideally he won’t even be on the team this year. Maybe he makes the practice squad, if anything. WILL TYETye actually has some NFL experience (94 career receptions for 897 yards and four touchdowns) but he’s nothing more than camp fodder for Philly. How will it play out?Ertz is still going to be a primary focus on offense. Wentz loves throwing to him, and for good reason; he’s usually open. Goedert should also see an increased role. It’s just a matter of to what extent. Rodgers offers depth and special teams support. Who could be a surprise cut?No surprise cuts here.