Eagles And Ravens Kick Off Joint Practices
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles have spent the better part of the past three weeks hitting each other at practice. On Wednesday, they finally got to hit someone else.
With the exception of their first preseason game, the Eagles had yet to go against a different opponent this summer, but the Baltimore Ravens arrived in South Philadelphia for the first of three joint workouts with the Eagles. The Eagles and Ravens will play each other on Saturday in preseason action, and the two teams will spend the rest of the week working together at the NovaCare Complex. Eagles Running Back DeMarco Murray noticed a different tempo in practice with the Ravens in town.
"It's a little bit more enthusiastic," said Murray. "You hit someone else and you go against someone else. You see what they are doing, and obviously, you get they get to see what we are doing. It's a great teaching moment to compete at a high level and show these other guys what you're about."
The Ravens have plenty of connections to the Delaware Valley. Quarterback Joe Flacco is a native of Audubon, New Jersey. Head Coach John Harbaugh worked as an assistant coach for the Eagles earlier in his career. Harbaugh has been impressed with Chip Kelly, who continues to create a buzz in the NFL.
"I see a guy who believes in what he believes," Harbaugh said. "He's a guy that is willing to fight those battles early on. You can't back up from what you believe in as a new head coach in this league."
There have been plenty of joint practices around the NFL which have resulted in full-fledged brawls between players. The Eagles and Ravens coaches both took time to remind their players to keep their tempers in check this week. An altercation nearly took place on Wednesday, but cooler heads prevailed on both sides. Eagles Defensive Lineman Bennie Logan knows fighting would do little to help either side.
"We have leadership and veterans on both ends of the ball," said Logan. "Before something even gets close, we've got guys that step up and break it up. We won't let practice get to altercations or fighting because it takes away what we are trying to get done."
The workouts with the Ravens also allow the Eagles to see a different style on both sides of the ball. For Linebacker Connor Barwin, practicing with the Ravens not only breaks up the monotony of the training camp schedule, but also raises the intensity of their workouts.
"I think I speak for a lot of guys," Barwin said. "We always look forward to these joint practices just because it's fun to go against somebody else."
