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Morning Roundup: Potted For The Long Haul

Good Monday morning, everyone. This edition of the Morning Roundup presented by Microsoft is more like a recap of an incredible weekend for both the team and the fans. From the lovefest for Brian Dawkins in Canton, Ohio to over 40,000 at Lincoln Financial Field for Military Appreciation Night, there's a lot to go through. The Eagles are back on the field this morning, and offensive coordinator Mike Groh will speak to the media at around 11:30 which we will carry live. Make sure to check back later this evening for a review of the day on Inside Training Camp presented by Independence Blue Cross.

1. Inside The 'Very Simple' Decision To Extend Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson

On the eve of the Parade of Champions back in February, a party 52 years in the making, the coaching staff and football operations department huddled up to begin planning for the 2018 season. Losing over a month due to the playoff run, the Eagles wanted to waste no time even though they were just days removed from the most significant win in franchise history.

It was during this meeting that Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie witnessed the approach that would dictate the offseason.

"The culture of the coaching staff and the football operations staff was, 'This was really great, let's dig in. It's now Day 1. We're 0-0,'" Lurie said.

2. Contract Extensions Provide Long-Term Stability

"The new normal," as head coach Doug Pederson calls it, is an intention to be a Super Bowl-contending team for many seasons to come, for the Eagles are not interested in being "one-shot wonders" as keepers of the Lombardi Trophy. To that end, the significance of extending the contracts of Pederson and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman through the 2022 season, announced on Sunday, provides the organization an opportunity to keep "the new normal" a realistic goal for years to come.

More from Dave Spadaro on the importance of the Roseman, Pederson deals.

3. A Warm Welcome For Carson Wentz

Fran Duffy and I provided copious notes from Sunday's practice at the Linc. One of the highlights was seeing Carson Wentz take the field for 7-on-7 drills.

Fans come to their feet when Carson Wentz gets his first real action of the night as 7-on-7 drills begin. No. 11 responds with a quick completion to Dallas Goedert over the middle of the field to get things started. On the next play, Wentz would hit Joshua Perkins on a crossing route. We saw a lot of Goedert, Perkins, and Billy Brown on Sunday night with Zach Ertz and Richard Rodgers held out of practice once again.

4. Eagles Or Bust For Corey Graham

In addition to extending Roseman and Pederson, the Eagles re-signed safety Corey Graham to a one-year deal and added tight end Gannon Sinclair to the roster on Sunday.

In 2017. Graham had 47 total tackles, two interceptions, and six pass deflections in 370 snaps on defense with another 10 tackles coming on special teams in the regular season. He added another 17 stops in the playoffs.

Graham could have easily hung up his cleats after winning his second Super Bowl title last year as a member of the Eagles, but the 33-year-old realized how special it was to play in Philadelphia.

"This is different. This is different, man. You see the way the fans were, how loud they were out here today? It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. It's been like that all last year, and it seems like it's up a few notches this year," said Graham at Lincoln Financial Field following the public practice.

5. Michael Bennett Named To All-New Team

Which new players will make the biggest impact for their new teams in 2018? The Ringer assembled the All-New Team comprised of free agent acquisitions or players acquired in a trade.

Defensive end Michael Bennett made the list as an edge rusher.

"Bennett isn't a pure edge rusher, per se—he frequently lines up and rushes from the inside, too — but at 32 years old, he's still a force off the edge. The former Seahawk, acquired in a trade for receiver Marcus Johnson and a fifth-round pick, notched 8.5 sacks in 2017 and finished the year tied for seventh among 4-3 ends in total quarterback pressures (70), per PFF.

"He's going to be an integral part of the Eagles' Super Bowl title defense."

The Eagles hosted their first of two public practices this Training Camp at Lincoln Financial Field on August 5. It was also Military Appreciation Night presented by Dietz & Watson.

6. When He Returned Home, The War Had Just Begun

This was a powerful piece by Graham Foley on Staff Sgt. Shawn Somits, who served in the U.S. Army and returned home to build the family he started with his wife, Daisy. The only problem was he battled Post Stress Traumatic Disorder and hid it from his family.

"I lived with and was married to that man and I had no idea that that's what he struggled with," Daisy said. "And you worry about that when they're away that they're not going to make it home, but once I picked him up, I thought that part was over."

Shawn passed away on April 2, 2015. Talking about Shawn's death, while difficult, is important for the Somits family because they don't believe the struggles military members face when they return home are well documented.

7. Brian Dawkins Delivers Hall Of Fame Masterpiece

Brian Dawkins first appeared on stage at Tom Benson Memorial Stadium at 6:58 p.m. on Saturday wearing a white T-shirt that read "Blessed By The Best" under his gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket, complemented by white pants and a beige fedora, rolling his fist at a crowd that was on its feet, in Midnight Green head to toe, and showering him with great applause and love.

At 7:30 p.m., the chant "Bri-AN Daw-KINS, Bri-AN Daw-KINS" thundered through the crowd as Eagles Nation waited patiently in anticipation of Dawkins to make his Enshrinement speech. The 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class Enshrinement Ceremony was going to be special, indeed.

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