The NFL is back in business and the Philadelphia Eagles are winging their way to Lehigh for training camp. NFL players agreed to a new 10-year contract on Monday after owners approved a deal last week. For now, the Eagles' players will show up on Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., and go through a walkthrough practice on Thursday. Fans will probably see some players on the field on Friday, but it certainly won't be the entire team.
One issue is that the Eagles can't start signing rookies and draft picks until Tuesday. The team can also start trading players, like Kevin Kolb, on Tuesday. But NFL teams won't be able to sign veteran free agents until Friday at 6 p.m., so it will be days before a full squad can be assembled at Lehigh.
Fresh off a season in which they won 10 games, captured the NFC East title, and found a new franchise quarterback in Michael Vick, the Eagles were more than pleased with Monday's news that football is back. "In the end, both sides gave enough to get the deal done, and we can all go back to work feeling good about what was accomplished," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "A 10-year contract is unprecedented in professional sports. By the time this contract ends, the NFL and its players will have been able to play 33 uninterrupted seasons of football."
Philadelphia will hold training camp, as planned, at Lehigh University. The players will report on Wednesday. Camp will break at Lehigh on Aug. 17. "I'm happy that the NFL and its players can get back doing what they love to do," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "The coaches can get back to coaching. Players can get back to playing and we're all pleased about that." Philadelphia will play host to Baltimore in the preseason opener on Aug. 11 at Lincoln Financial Field.
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