The anxious weeks before training camp are ripe with hope. For one Eagles starter, the team is primed for their fourth consecutive playoff berth.
Lane Johnson sat down with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football and shared his insights on the 2020 season. He tackled everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to what to expect from franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. It’s all trending in a positive direction, per the three-time Pro Bowl right tackle.
“Speaking for myself and for other guys, if we stay healthy, I believe we’ll be contenders again,” Johnson said, via NFL.com. We’ve got some speed now. Speed kills. So along with DeSean (Jackson), we’ve got a bunch of 4.3 guys that can really separate the field, and really a lot of it is just staying healthy.”
When addressing the expectations for Wentz, Johnson expressed excitement over the new weapons around him. The Eagles used a first-round pick on speedster Jalen Reagor while adding John Hightower and Quez Watkins later in the draft. They also went out and made a team-friendly trade for Marquise Goodwin.
“As far as having the pieces around him this year really ready to click, I think he’s ready for a prime-time season,” Johnson said. “When he’s healthy, man, he’s so dangerous.”
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Johnson Refers to Offensive Line as ‘Mushroom Society’
Johnson also spoke at length about his third annual OL Masterminds Summit held down in Dallas. The weekend-long summit attracts the best offensive linemen in football and allows them to hone their skills while hanging out in a convivial manner. This year, the summit even hosted a fun hot-dog eating contest.
“Every time I leave this place I end up becoming a better player or at least more knowledgeable,” Johnson told USA Today. “The O-line is a brotherhood. We call it the mushroom society because we take a lot of [expletive] and we’re put in the dark.”
Johnson runs the event alongside his marketing agent Brian Bradtke and personal offensive line coach Duke Manyweather. Attendees included the Saints’ Terron Armstead, the Jets’ Mekhi Becton, the Buccaneers’ Ryan Jensen and the Texans’ Laremy Tunsil.
And, yes, all safety procedures to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic were taken. According to USA Today, players underwent testing and temperature screening and complimentary masks and hand sanitizer were readily available.
Former Eagles player Brian Baldinger apparently stole the show, with his trademark energy. Johnson called him the MVP of the entire summit while calling out all the new rookies who showed up eager to learn.
“He gets there and he was so excited, he could barely contain himself, Johnson said of Baldinger. “It was different this year, upon entering or even getting in, we were all tested … all tested back negative before even going in, so we had that precautionary measure.”
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Feisty Eagles’ Pro Bowl Tackle: ‘I Believe We’ll Be Contenders Again’