Eagles Could Consider Quarantining Players
The Eagles have done all they can in the virtual world, and the team’s offseason wrapped up earlier this week.
At the end of each week during the offseason program, coach Doug Pederson would bring in guest speakers, welcoming in Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, CC Sabathia, Charles Barkley, and Mike Trout, and each of them spoke for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Pederson wanted his team to hear not only the successes of each speaker’s career but the adversities they faced as well.
“I think the message was resounding to our young players on how to be a professional, how to handle the spotlight, and then what they have overcome in their careers to have success,” said Pederson. “I think that was so important to show it from these guys and have them come in and speak to the team.
“And we just had a great time with them, and the guys, the messages I got from my team after they spoke was very positive and they loved it. The players loved it.”
Now things get even more tricky, as the Eagles and the other 31 teams look to move onto the grass for training camps at the end of July.
Things seem to get gloomier with each passing day as more and more athletes test positive for the coronavirus.
Several Phillies got hit on Friday, along with a member of the 49ers while working out with other players in Tennessee, and a member of the PGA. Some employees of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning tested positive.
We knew there were going to be positive tests for the coronavirus as the sports world slowly wakes from its months-long, pandemic-induced slumber.
That doesn’t make in any easier to remain positive that there will be any sports season any time soon.
The NFL is remaining positive, and Pederson said the organization is reviewing multiple ways to keep their employees, coaches, and staff as safe as possible.
The Eagles are exploring the possibility of dividing up the team in some fashion by utilizing both their training facility, the NovaCare Complex, and home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field.
“We're going to social distance when we are inside the buildings,” said Pederson. “We're going to wear masks. We're going to do all the protocols that we've been asked to do and we're going to make that work.”
Pederson was asked about possibly quarantining a quarterback, an idea brought up by Tampa coach Bruce Arians in case the starter – on the Bucs’ case, Tom Brady – tested positive at some point and need to be quarantined for two weeks.
Perhaps the Eagles keep backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld away from everyone else, or even receivers like DeSean Jackson or J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and/or running back Miles Sanders and Boston Scott.
Just to be safe.
How that would work when it came time to practice and get everyone on the same page, well, nobody knows for sure – yet.
“Obviously, there are a lot of ways to go about things, and that's one way to do it,” said Pederson. “If you do it with the quarterback position, do you do it with a receiver, do you do it with a defensive back, something like that. But these are all things that right now, between now and the time we play are really - or I should say the time we get back to training camp, are the scenarios that we need to as a staff think through and the possibilities.
“But that is definitely something to consider as you move forward to protect the quarterback position, but at the same time, you have to think about the entire roster, as well. A lot of different scenarios and a lot of possibilities we'll think about here in the next few weeks.”
