HEADLINES

Extra Points: Eagles, Staff, Sproles, Hollins, 49ers, Jets, Bowles

November 10th, 2018 at 9:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

After the Eagles won the Super Bowl this past year, they did something unusual. The team completely overhauled their medical staff, and replaced their head athletic trainer. The move was “virtually unprecedented”, according to Jeff McLane of Philly.com, and McLane raises some interesting questions about the decision.

McLane suggests that the decision to overhaul the staff could be contributing to the rash of soft-tissue injuries the Eagles have suffered this year. He also points out there’s been several “embarrassments” for the new staff, such as when they mis-diagnosed Jay Ajayi‘s torn ACL. Several players, including Darren Sproles, have taken much longer than expected to return from their injuries, and McLane thinks the moves could be responsible. It’s hard to tell one way or another, but it’s an interesting theory and it’s definitely curious that Philadelphia opted for a shakeup rather than continuity after a Super Bowl.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Speaking of the Eagles, the team has a couple of tough decisions coming up. The team has three players on injured reserve working toward coming back, receiver Mack Hollins, tight end Richard Rodgers, and receiver Mike Wallace, and the team can only bring back two of them. “Chances are that Hollins is brought back first of the three”, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP. Shorr-Parks writes that “the final decision between Rodgers and Wallace will be a tough one” and “the fact that the team traded for Golden Tate seems to indicate they don’t expect Wallace to contribute this season.” Wallace has expressed a recent desire to return, but it sounds like his 2018 could be over.
  • With Raheem Mostert on injured reserve and Matt Breida seemingly always banged up, the 49ers’ backfield is currently a bit thin. The team is expected to call up a running back from the practice squad ahead of their game on Monday, and it’s likely to be Jeff Wilson Jr., according to Cam Inman of the Mercury News. The team also has ex-Brown Matthew Dayes on the practice squad.
  • If the Jets decide to fire coach Todd Bowles this year, as many expect, “John DeFilippo would fit the bill” for what the Jets would be looking for in their next head coach, according to Matt Stypulkoski of NJ.com. DeFilippo, the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, has been widely praised for his work with Carson Wentz and now Kirk Cousins, so it makes sense why New York would want to pair him with Sam Darnold.
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