Eagles training camp observations: Fights, crazy catches and trick plays

Eagles training camp observations: Fights, crazy catches and trick plays originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles wrapped up their 2023 training camp on Tuesday with a practice that featured a little bit of everything.

A joint session, offensive highlights, trick plays and even a sideline-clearing brawl.

The Colts were in town for just one joint practice, which is a good thing. Because after how Tuesday’s practice ended, it wouldn’t be a good idea to hold another one. The Eagles and Colts will face off in the preseason finale on Thursday night and final cuts have to be in by 4 p.m. on Aug. 29.

So for the final time this summer, let’s get to the observations:

1. As always, we will begin with some housekeeping notes.

Here was the injury report from before practice:

Will not practice: Britain Covey (hamstring), Kyron Johnson (appendectomy), Moro Ojomo (concussion), Haason Reddick (thumb), Nolan Smith (shoulder), Greg Ward (ankle)

Limited: Quez Watkins (hamstring)

• This was Watkins’ first practice since Aug. 10. He participated in individual drills and 7-on-7s but not full-team drills.

• Noticed Ojomo out at practice as a spectator for the first time since his scary concussion during the preseason game against the Browns. That’s a positive sign.

• Zech McPhearson and Shaun Bradley scootered their way out to the practice fields on Roll-A-Bouts halfway through practice. They both suffered torn Achilles tendons in their right ankles this preseason.

2. A few depth chart notes:

• Justin Evans began the day as the first-team safety next to Reed Blankenship. It appears that Evans is very much in the running at that spot. A little later, we saw Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown get reps with the ones too.

• Zach Cunningham continues to get the reps next to Nakobe Dean in that defense. It appears that competition is winding down.

• Olamide Zaccheaus continued to get slot work without a fully healthy Watkins.

3. You’re all here to read about the fights, so let’s get into it. The major brawl at the end of practice happened when Jason Kelce didn’t like a hit from Zaire Franklin on Kenny Gainwell so he bowled him over and the sidelines cleared. You can read more about that one here.

But even before that melee, things were chippy. It was brewing before that explosion.

A.J. Brown on the first rep of the most competitive period of 11-on-11s took a hit to his lower back as he caught a ball in the middle of the field. He didn’t like that kidney shot and I don’t blame him.

But even before then, you’ll be shocked to hear that Derek Barnett was involved in a scuffle. After Jalen Carter made his way into the backfield, Barnett put his hands on quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Colts took exception. Eventually, after a few more plays, Barnett was still jawing and had to be guided back to the Eagles’ sideline by Milton Williams.

4. Aside from the extra curricular activity, the highlight of Tuesday’s practice for the Eagles was probably DeVonta Smith, who made two tremendous catches on Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. late in practice.

Smith won 50-50 balls twice in the span of three plays.

The first catch was made over Baker near the sideline. Not only did Smith make the catch but he somehow kept both feet in bounds. And then a couple plays later, he caught one on his back shoulder vs. Baker in the end zone for a touchdown.

5. There was one play from Jalen Hurts that was especially impressive on Tuesday. After a botched snap in shotgun, Hurts very casually scooped up the ball from the ground, set his feet and heaved a 40-50-yard bomb to Smith, who jumped over safety Teez Tabor for a touchdown.

It was clear that Hurts liked whatever he saw pre-snap because the second he picked up the football, he didn’t hesitate to throw the deep ball to Smith in 1-on-1 coverage.

6. The Eagles on Tuesday waited until the final period of practice to break out a trick play. Jalen Hurts revealed that the play was a Shane Steichen special, so the Eagles ran it when Steichen was watching.

Mariota got the snap and pitched it left to Kenny Gainwell, who while rolling left threw a deep pass to tight end Grant Calcaterra. The Eagles’ second-year tight end made a nice grab but the highlight was watching the pretty left-handed throw from Gainwell.

Will we see that play this season?

“I hope so, man,” Gainwell said. “We’re going to try to get this thing going. It was a beauty ball. It landed right in the bucket and I trusted the receiver to go up and get it. He trusted me to throw the ball.”

Because he threw the pass with his left hand, Gainwell was asked if he’s left-handed in everything he does.

“I’m ambidextrous,” he answered, “so y’all watch out for that one.”

7. (Guest ob from Roob) Newly crowned Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth pick in this year’s draft, showed off his big arm and made some plays on the Eagles’ first defense during 7-on-7s. Richardson threaded a perfect deep ball to receiver Alec Pierce, who was blanketed by James Bradberry but came down with the ball in the end zone. He also had a nice 20-yard gain to tight end Pharaoh Brown in the middle of the field over the top of Zach Cunningham. But he also got picked off by Mekhi Garner on a throw into the end zone intended for wide receiver Malik Turner.

In a short period of 11s with Richardson tried to connect over the middle with tight end Mo Alie-Cox, but Sydney Brown came over and leveled Alie-Cox with a little more juice than he was supposed to. Richardson threw a short sideline pass to tight end Kylen Granson, who was smacked by Reed Blankenship for just a three-yard gain. Gardner Minshew made some nice throws against the Eagles’ second defense, including a sweet TD pass to tight end Will Mallory with Garner in coverage. But Josiah Scott showed up with a knockdown of a short Minshew pass intended for Mallory.

8. When the fields were split on Tuesday, I watched the Eagles’ receivers against Colts’ defensive backs in 1-on-1s:

• Brown started the period by smoking Kenny Moore II on a go ball. A little later, Brown beat Moore II for a touchdown and Brown celebrated by giving the ball to his young daughter, who watched from the sideline.

• Smith had a step on CB Dallas Flowers but the ball was overthrown.

• Nice PBU from Colts’ Jaylon Jones on a ball intended for Johnny King.

• Olamide Zaccheaus couldn’t haul in a pass that was behind him. Would have been a tremendous grab. But he did catch a ball against safety Henry Black.

• A couple of good reps from rookie Jadon Haselwood. On his first, he undressed CB Chris Lammons to get open. Later, Haselwood beat him down the field and Lammons was called for DPI.

• Devon Allen got a step on Kevin Toliver II and caught a touchdown.

• Mariota had a bad overthrow on a pass to King.

9. K’Von Wallace jumped a route during a team drill for what looked like an interception but was called for DPI. After the brawl to finish practice, Wallace was still asking the official why he got flagged. Apparently, he arrived a tad early and bumped the receiver just before the ball got there. It was close.

A few plays after the DPI, Minshew burned a pass to Juwann Winfree on a slant for a touchdown in front of Sydney Brown.

10. All summer, we saw those “receiver hands” from D’Andre Swift, but today wasn’t his best day. He dropped a pass during individual drills and then dropped a couple during team drills, including a wobbler from Mariota.

Swift has 14 drops in his three-year career but had just 3 on 70 targets in 2022 for a drop percentage of 4.3%. He had the sixth-lowest drop percentage in the NFL among qualified running backs last season so maybe don’t worry about this too much.

Stupid Observation of the Day: The last question for Jalen Hurts in the 2023 training camp was asked by LeSean McCoy.

Shady asked Hurts something about the possibility of Hurts’ winning the MVP. “Whatchu think?” Hurts responded.

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