After a well earned day off, the birds returned to the NovaCare Complex for day four of training camp..well most of them. As we reported earlier, there were two notable absentees from todays practice, running back DeMarco Murray who was out with illness and Kiko Alonso who was out with a concussion. For the rest of the team though, it was business as usual. Here is our rundown of the days events..the ones that don’t involve CSI:NovaCare to discover why a certain running back was absent!
Agholor unleashed
FINALLY, after three sessions of minimal first team reps, the USC product spent a lot of time with the first team. Not only that, but he succeeded too! He almost caught a huge TD pass from Sanchez in a red-zone drill before Nolan Carroll broke the play. It looks like the coaches are easing Agholor into much stiffer defensive competition as opposed to a trial by fire. Now the rookie is showing his potential by burning off members of the 2nd and 3rd team consistently, it won’t be long before the likes of Byron Maxwell are eyeing up Agholor in a few drills.
Tebow Time
It’s been a long time coming but this was by far Tebow’s most impressive day. He raised plenty of eyebrows drom dawn until dusk so to speak, linking up with the most recent WR to join the nest, Delaware’s Michael Johnson on a seam pass to draw attention away from Bradford and co. Tebow tends to be favouring the underdogs..whether this is coincidence remains to be seen, but Mostert received a couple of great wheel catches. We know both the team and the coaches were impressed with Tim’s progress..but now he’s starting to impress the world..this QB battle may only be just beginning.
Bumpy Bradford
It may not be the biggest issue in the world, in fact it may not be one at all. But Sam Bradford has a tendency to trust his upper body strength more than his lower. He doesn’t look comfortable planting his leg firmly down to make a play. His pocket reading ability makes up for this, and it may just be pre-caution to ensure no silly mistakes are made..(sorry DeSean) but it’s something to look out for. The #Ertzford connection is very much alive though..watch out for this pairing, they’re really beginning to rack up chemistry.
Get it on the Rowe
Like his rookie counterpart, Eric Rowe also began to take reps with the first team today..and like Nelson, was very impressive. From breaking up plays lining up alongside Maxwell, to completely shutting down Zach Ertz Rowe has sensed a challenge and looked to leave a permanent mark on the depth chart. Ertz isn’t the toughest competition he will face this season, but definitely the most challenging he has faced for such an extended amount of time..defensive progress is widely under-rated in this team..Philly are coming.
Running Back Rampage
Perhaps what’s become the most exciting battle on the field is that for RB reps. With Murray away with illness it has gifted the reigns to Matthews whilst Sproles is still taking more reps in receiving roles. Guys like Mostert who are working there way into the lineup could spell trouble for the overall depth satisfaction. If Murray were to get injured then Matthews would be naturally the next man to step up. But for the likes of Mostert, it’s all about impressing on special teams..and learning from Darren may be the best thing to happen to him in the team so far. This is all if’s but’s and maybes..but all we know is that Ryan Matthews has been left under the radar yet impressive whilst Mostert is starting to turn a few heads in his drills.
