When the Eagles convene Tuesday for their first organized team activity, they will be just one of two NFL teams to hold as few as six practices and no mandatory minicamp this spring.
The reason is straightforward: The Eagles believe that fewer and less intense practices will keep their players healthier, and point to last year’s dramatic improvement in number of games lost to injury as likely confirmation. The Eagles did more than just cancel practices, shorten their length, and eliminate live tackling drills last training camp. They increased the number of days off for over-30 veterans, and limited the starters’ snaps in preseason games, choosing controlled joint practices with other teams as alternative preparation for the regular season.
But the Eagles were able to decrease the number of lower-body, soft-tissue injuries that had plagued the team during He also declined to be interviewed for this story. Roseman understands as well as anyone in the NFL that there are many factors at play when it comes to contact sports and injuries. Fortune, or a lack thereof, may have as much to do with a team’s wellness as anything.