Roger Goodell chats with Jeff Lurie at Eagles camp.
-- DeSean Jackson is getting better and should be back on the field in a few days, according to head coach Andy Reid. Jackson suffered a back strain a few days ago and hasn't been on the field since as the team is taking a cautious approach.
-- In more injured receivers news, Jeremy Maclin is said to have suffered only a bone bruise according to CSNPhilly.com's Derrick Gunn. It will likely keep him out for a few days, but it could have been a whole lot worse.
-- Eagles' first-round pick Brandon Graham received a five-year deal worth $22 million. Of that, roughly $14 million is guaranteed.
The rookie salary system is definitely broken, but if Graham turns into a full-time starter he'll be well worth it at only a little over $4 million per season.
-- Reid always picks one day of Training Camp to give the "30-plus" guys a day off. Tuesday was that day, but Juqua Parker was the only guy eligible for the day off. David Akers, Sav Rocca, and Michael Vick are also 30 or older, but special teams guys and quarterbacks don't count.
Maybe Parker would have been better off practicing and trying to give the Eagles a reason not to replace him with the already impressive Brandon Graham?
-- Vick has been cleared by Commissioner Goodell, who was in Lehigh on Tuesday.
-- Speaking of Goodell, he continues to push for an 18-game season and tries to swear the move is not motivated by revenue, but expanding the NFL's brand and helping the game.
Who exactly does it help when star players are injured and unable to play when the playoffs finally come rolling around? Or what happens when teams start sitting their star players, as they do in baseball, in the middle of the season because they need them for later?
Guys are already sitting in the final couple weeks because a 16-game season is too long. The season should have stopped expanding after 14, but 16 games has worked. Goodell needs to stop trying to push it and realize it would only hurt the league.
Casual fans might not get this, but anyone who has played football can tell you that 18 games is just far too much for a guy's body to go through.
But, if you're a fan of a watered-down product that includes games that "don't really matter" like they have in the NBA, MLB, and NHL, then the 18-game season is for you!
-- I hate the idea of an 18-game season. Did I articulate that well enough, yet?
-- One last Eagles note: They had better find a way to keep Chad Hall around. There is just way too much to love about this guy. He will play wherever they ask, can contribute in every area of special teams, and would overall be a great teammate.
More NFL rosters need more guys like Hall.
