Eagles training camp observations: Throwing new linebackers into the fire

Eagles training camp observations: Throwing new linebackers into the fire originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After an off day on Monday the Eagles were back on the practice field at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday in pads.

This was the first of three straight practice sessions. They’ll hold a private practice at the Linc on Wednesday. It’s game week, by the way. The Eagles face the Ravens in Baltimore on Saturday night.

But for now, here are some observations from the latest session:

1. As always, we’ll start with housekeeping:

• The Eagles made some roster moves before practice began, activating Devon Allen off active/NFI, signing WR Johnny King and releasing OT Chim Okorafor and OT Trevor Reid.

• Rookie defensive tackle Moro Ojomo was back at practice on Tuesday. That’s notable because he got poked in the eye Sunday at the Linc. He wasn’t listed on the injury report.

• Numbers for a few new guys: Myles Jack 47, Zach Cunningham 52, Johnny King 43, Josh Andrews 74

• Here is the injury report from the start of practice:

Will not practice: Nakobe Dean (ankle), Patrick Johnson (ankle), Deon Cain (ankle)

Limited: James Bradberry (groin), Devon Allen (calf)

Bradberry missed two practices with the groin injury. He returned on Tuesday but didn’t participate in any team drills. Dean is still out but was working with a trainer on a side field so he could be back soon. Johnson was a spectator at practice.

2. The Eagles didn’t wait very long to get their new linebackers on the field. Both Jack and Cunningham watched practice on Sunday night at the Linc but they were in pads participating on Tuesday.

In fact, Jack even got a lot of first-team reps. While there was some mixing and matching, he and Nicholas Morrow began the day as the first-team linebackers and eventually Christian Elliss mixed in with that first group. Cunningham began his day working with the second team. Jack had at least one run stop.

But it’s also worth mentioning that without Dean (ankle), it’s hard to really see the depth chart. Still, it’s notable that Jack got as many first-team reps as he did on Tuesday.

Both linebackers also got some work in the developmental 7-on-7 drill at the end of of practice. They just need reps right now but look pretty good considering they just arrived.

3. Some other depth chart notes:

• Without Bradberry in team drills, second-year cornerback Josh Jobe continues to get first-team reps opposite Darius Slay.

• The Eagles continue to mix-and-match at safety but the constant has been Reed Blankenship with the starters. More on him in in a moment. Terrell Edmunds and K’Von Wallace split those other first-team reps. Rookie Sydney Brown is getting a ton of second-team reps as he works his way up the depth chart.

• While the Eagles obviously rotate on their defensive line, it’s worth nothing that Jalen Carter got some first-team action. Like most rookies, he has to earn his way up the depth chart and it looks like he’s doing that.

• Saw UDFA cornerback Mekhi Garner getting some second-team reps opposite Kelee Ringo. Garner has been way more active than fellow UDFA corner Eli Ricks this summer.

• Some big changes to the second-team offensive line. The Eagles had newcomers Josh Andrews at center and Josh Sills at left guard. The second-team offensive line looked like this (from left to right): Tyler Steen, Sills, Andrews, Sua Opeta, Jack Driscoll. The third team: Fred Johnson, Brett Toth, Julian Good-Jones, Cameron Tom, Dennis Kelly.

Toth really struggled with his snaps all training camp and it was clear the Eagles had to make a switch from him being the second-team center. At least Andrews can help the second-team offense by getting the ball cleanly to Marcus Mariota.

4. Blankenship had the play of the day in coverage on Quez Watkins. It wasn’t a good toss from Jalen Hurts, who underthrew the pass by a good bit. But Blankenship covered a lot of ground to make a diving catch near the sideline and was ruled inbounds. Blankenship has looked good all summer, just like he did in his rookie training camp. He’s a starting safety for this team.

There was another play from Hurts that some might have ruled an interception but I’m not. It was in a situational period and he basically had to throw the ball; there was no reason to hold it in an end-of-game situation with the offense trailing. Janarius Robinson was in his face and it would have been a sack well before he threw up a ball that was caught by safety Justin Evans.

5. Hurts’ best pass of the day came on a deep ball to Olamide Zaccheaus down the sideline during 7-on-7s. It was about a 40-yarder to the Eagles free agent pickup who got behind Slay. Zaccheaus had a chance at a deep ball from Mariota in team drills but he couldn’t haul it in. It hit off his outstretched hand.

Overall, it wasn’t the best day from Hurts — some ups and downs — but he had a few highlights like that pass to Zaccheus. He also hit Watkins on a deep crosser and connected with DeVonta Smith a few times. But he missed several throws too.

6. A few notes from OL-DL 1-on-1:

• We sometimes take for granted how good Lane Johnson is. He engulfed Haason Reddick to start the drill off. A bit later, Reddick ripped around the right tackle and I was shocked because I thought he beat Johnson. Nope. That rep came against Driscoll.

•  For the most part, Cam Jurgens has done a really nice job against Fletcher Cox in these 1-on-1s but I thought Cox got the best of him today in their matchup.

• Great rep for Landon Dickerson against Milton Williams, who couldn’t get anything going. Likewise, Jordan Mailata shut Derek Barnett down.

• Finally saw some strong flashes from Carter in 1-on-1s. He beat Toth inside on his first rep and later in the period had a strong power rush against Sills that sent him to the ground. He also made a play in team drills and got some first-team reps.

• Nolan Smith vs. Fred Johnson is not fair to Johnson. Smith flashed speed on the edge and then cut back inside for a clear path to the QB.

• Ojomo overpowered Cameron Tom and it looked like Tom held him. Tom ended up on the ground.

7. Joseph Ngata is the depth receiver who has impressed me the most this summer. He continues to catch a ton of balls in practice. Mariota hit him for his first completion of the day. Thought it was a cleaner day of practice for the backup QB too.

8. Early in practice, the group of Eagles’ kick returners were Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny, Allen, Kenny Gainwell and A.J. Brown.

Later in the day, they worked on fielding some squib kicks, which might be more commonplace with the new rule that allows fair catches on kickoffs to set up offenses at the 25-yard line.

9. After a quiet start to camp, I’m starting to see more from Penny, especially on stretch runs. He had one on Tuesday to the left side of the field that allowed him to show his burst.

10. Hurts simply missed D’Andre Swift on a screen Tuesday, which is something we haven’t seen much of this summer. While the screen game might be used more this season, it’s important to remember that Swift can catch more than screens. We’ve seen him run wheel routes, Texas routes, line up in the slot and on Tuesday, we even saw him line up outside a couple times.

Stupid Observation of the Day: Brown has been wearing the loudest cleats in the history of football:

Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts: 
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube