Washington Redskin's Ryan Kerrigan. (Getty)
There hasn’t been much trash talking so far between the Redskins and Eagles as they prep for Sunday’s opener. Sure, Wendall Smallwood jokingly said he would “whoop up” on his old teammates. That’s been it.
It seems like the two teams don’t want to stoke the flames. That, or they legitimately like and respect each other. Head coach Doug Pederson went out of his way to call the Redskins a “good football team.” On Thursday, offensive coordinator Mike Groh addressed the media and did the same. He also came up with a pretty interesting — and we think complimentary — name for linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.
“He’s a rolling ball of butcher blades,” Groh said.
The respect for Kerrigan has been a theme in the Eagles’ locker room. Kerrigan has recorded 11.5 sacks and 58 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, in 16 career games against Philadelphia. In addition, he has 20 quarterback hits and six forced fumbles.
OC Mike Groh on Washington LB @RyanKerrigan91: “He’s a rolling ball of butcher blades.” Total respect from #Eagles for Kerrigan, who goes against RT @LaneJohnson65 in a must-see battle on Sunday.
Lane Johnson will draw the one-on-one matchup against Kerrigan, an assignment that “sucks,” according to the talented left guard.
“Anytime I go against him, you gotta be on your A-game,” Johnson said, via NBC Sports. “In this league, you can’t really slack, and if you do, you’ll get exposed. As far as him, he’s a class act, a fearless competitor and really the heartbeat of their team.”
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Eagles Name Five Captains for 2019
The captains for 2019 are the same ones from 2018. The Eagles announced that Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce, Malcolm Jenkins, Fletcher Cox and Kamu Grugier-Hill will wear the coveted “C” on their jerseys. It should be noted that the coaching staff did not select the team captains. No, they were voted on by the Eagles players. Obviously, these five guys are among the most respected on the roster.
“I’m excited for these guys, because this is voted on by the players,” Doug Pederson said, via Dave Spadaro. “This is not hand-selected by me. This is who the team selected. They view these guys, as do I, in high regard.”
Introducing your 2019 #Eagles captains.
Trent Williams Out for Redskins
The Trent Williams’ saga has carried over into the regular season for the Redskins and the starting left tackle will not suit up in Week 1. There had been a report floating around from DeAngelo Hall on his Hail to the Podcast show that Williams would be back for Week 2. Redskins coach Jay Gruden didn’t seem so sure about the likelihood of that happening.
“I have no expectations whatsoever anymore,” Gruden told the Washington Post. “I’m kind of numb to the fact, so we’re just going to coach the guys that we have. That’s all that we can do right now.”
This was the expectation but now official: #Redskins LT Trent Williams did not show up at the team facility today to practice with his team. His holdout continues into the regular season and he won’t play Sunday — at least.
Either way, Williams won’t be on the field Sunday against the Eagles. That is great news for the edge rushers as they look to attack Case Keenum early and often. Veteran Donald Penn is listed as the starting left tackle on the Redskins’ official depth chart.
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Eagles Coach Has Creative Name for Redskins’ Ryan Kerrigan