It’s official, Football season is upon us! After weeks of waiting and speculation we’re finally here, training camp. The first time where we get to see a real indicator of who’s hot and who’s not heading into the four pre-season fixtures..who the underdogs are and who the leaders are in the battles for roster spots. Nothing is certain, everything is possible..and as we learned last night, nobody is guaranteed to keep their spot!
Here are some of the key things to take away from day one of Training Camp:
Bradford leads
Eagles fans got the answer they wanted today as Sam Bradford took all of the first team reps on opening day. Alongside a bullet of a pass to Jordan Matthews, Bradford trained without a brace or a rest to ease him into the swing of things. Chip Kelly said all of his players are healthy, he meant it. As for Sanchez, he took reps with the seconds today but all eyes were on the former Ram as he began to show Eagles fans what to expect come week one if he gets the starting job.
Bradford to @jmattjmattjmatt. Roll the #EaglesCamp highlight reel. #FlyEaglesFlyhttps://t.co/19Xodiyqdv
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 2, 2015
DeMarco Murray misses reps
This may or may not be a cause for concern but new Eagles Running Back DeMarco Murray didn’t actually take a handoff during the opening day. Whilst evidently fit as shown in the video below, Murray didn’t take a single snap of the ball..it’s an interesting point to keep an eye on. Perhaps Chip just wants a better look at his other backs first or perhaps there were other reasons..but the team gave no explanation, leaving us all very puzzled.
https://vine.co/v/eHMXYrVJUDD
Wideout watch!
The battle for Wide receiver has been hotly tipped as one of the most exciting in the NFL. Everybody wanted to get a look at the new unit and especially first round pick Nelson Agholor. But today it was Josh Huff who started alongside Riley Cooper and last years breakout star Jordan Matthews in the slot. The two will presumably switch tomorrow or when Agholor impresses Kelly enough to move straight into the role. This is a prime time for Josh Huff to show Chip Kelly just how versatile and deadly he really is. Huff would love to see his role increased in the Offense, it’s just a case of making the most of such opportunities.
Passing of the Torch
With Boykin now a Steeler, it was rookie JaCorey Shepherd who was gifted the opportunity to fill in for the 25 year old on opening day. The Eagles youngster definitely impressed in the early stages, out shining other rookies and earning praise from Chip Kelly in an interview with ESPN.
Meanwhile another torch may well be in the process of being passed as Nolan Carroll has his role under threat from Eric Rowe who started on the outside today. This will be one of the more interesting battles to keep an eye on as Training Camp continues!
It was an interesting first day for the birds with plenty more to unfold over the coming days. Whilst the secondary looks set with the new additions, there are other positions already posing surprises..but what will happen on day two? Be sure to keep checking back for all of your latest Philadelphia Eagles news and follow us on twitter @PhiladelphiaSN now!
