Sproles Wants to End His Career in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Just hours after signing a one-year extension that provided him with $4.5 million in new money, Eagles running back Darren Sproles said he's probably go two productive years left in him.

That would take the diminutive 33-year-old through 2017 in Philadelphia and the end of his currnet deal, although he begged off a bit when the word retirement was brought up.

The latest Howie Roseman extension continues the Eagles’ plan of extending their own, a stark contrast to Chip Kelly’s disastrous 2015 campaign when he led the team's football operations.

"I’ll tell you what, any time, in my opinion, that you can have a playmaker like Darren Sproles and you can keep him locked up for a couple of years, it makes you feel good," coach Doug Pederson said after practice. "I'm just so happy for him and his family and the fact that the work that Howie put in to make sure this thing got done. [I’m] just so excited to have him here and look forward to working with him this training camp and obviously during the season."

Sproles has been working with the first-team during both full-scale team practices to this point, both inside the team's practice bubble due to rainy weather. Projected starter Ryan Mathews remains on the non-football injury list with an ankle injury suffered last week when he was working out on his own. Pederson, though, expects Mathews back on the practice field next week.

"He has an ankle. He did it working out in California actually. So, [he] has that ankle, [and] we're just treating it day by day," Pederson said. "It's getting better, and we anticipate next week at some point."

In a perfect world Sproles would complement Mathews as the third-down back, providing a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators thanks to his unique skill set, which remains top notch despite his advancing age.

"Darren Sproles is a pro's pro," Pederson said. "He knows how to take care of his body in the offseason. He's a very intelligent running back. He's been around this game a long time. It's guys like that you don't worry about. He does everything right. He does what you coach him to do. Again, it's just the way he prepares and the way he attacks everything. [It] gives you the confidence that he's going to be here for a few more years."

DAY 5 NOVACARE NOTES:

-Starting right guard Brandon Brooks remained out for a second straight day due to a hamstring injury but, like Mathews, the team expects the big man back on the field by next week.

-It was a sloppy day for the quarterbacks with each struggling, especially when trying to push the football down the field.

Carson Wentz was particularly shaky today and seemed indecisive at times. Consistency from day to day is a problem for most rookies on the practice field and Wentz obviously isn't going to be immune to that. Sam Bradford continues to default to the checkdown far too easily, while Chase Daniel ended up as the most impressive of a bad bunch on Friday.

-Cody Parkey had a rough day in the practice bubble, missing a 37-yarder and another from just outside 40 yards. Unless things shift pretty dramatically in the coming days, it's pretty clear Parkey is chasing Caleb Sturgis not the other way around.

-Eric Rowe continued to line up with the second team at right cornerback and made a bit of a splash by intercepting Bradford in one of the few times the veteran pushed the football down the field. The pass was badly underthrown and Rowe took advantage.

-The Eagles first padded practice of 2016 will take place on Saturday morning.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen