Today marked the last practice for the Eagles before all 89 players take to the field and the real competition begins. Today’s action may have been overshadowed by the Nigel Bradham story..but there was still plenty to talk about.
No days off..unless you’re a veteran:
Dougie P seems intent on building upon Andy Reid’s Training camp structure by even going as far as resting the veterans on the final practice before the first full team activities. So today saw practice without Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel or any of the selected veterans participating.
Early-arriving veterans (QBs Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel and CBs Nolan Carroll and JaCorey Shepherd) have been given today off.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) July 27, 2016
Carson Wentz emerges as a leader:
Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz was out there on his own today to lead the first team without the guidance of Sam Bradford or Chase Daniel. In the absence of the veterans, Wentz showed his true colors however.
Carson Wentz showing more signs of leadership with no Bradford/Daniel at practice. He made sure to high 5 every teammate before team drill.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
Carson Wentz and McLeod Bethel-Thompson the only two #Eagles QBs out at practice. Wentz leads huddle after warm ups. pic.twitter.com/V4zoqmiBrY
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
Taking most of the first team reps, Wentz reportedly looked much better than he did yesterday. More importantly however, Wentz showed that he can elevate the guys around him, keep them motivated and really take the leadership role by the horns.
The name’s Grymes..Aaron Grymes:
We all know about the “Green Goblin” Jalen Mills and his impressive training camp..but another man shining is former Edmonton Eskimo Aaron Grymes.
Grymes with another breakup, this time on a pass thrown into the middle of the end zone. Former CFL player has been good.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
CB Aaron Grymes breaks up a pass down the field. He’s had 2 PD and an INT in the past three days. #Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
Grymes continues a convincing adaptation from life in the CFL to life in the NFL and is going to draw a lot of attention as camp rolls on.
Rookie receivers still struggling:
So drops still appear to be a thing in Philadelphia for the undrafted rookie wideouts…
#Eagles rookie WR Marcus Johnson with two straight drops in the red zone. CB Grymes had good coverage on the second one.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
..but hey, at least Grymes made a good impression
Nigel Bradham to report to camp:
Despite the recent arrest, Eagles Linebacker is still set to report to Camp according to Doug Pederson. The Eagles Head Coach was reluctant to talk about the story and with good reason. Regardless of what did/didn’t happen, this is important for the Eagles who are not only a little light on depth at the position, but were most likely going to rely on Bradham to hold his own in 2016 and help the Linebacker corps become an intimidating unit once again.
Camera’s on Countess:
But not the generic media kind. If you thought that Chip’s “Sport Science” was whacky, wait until you see the helmet Countess wore to practice today. The Eagles rookie reportedly had a camera attached in order to make film-room evaluation even more insightful. You can’t say Pederson isn’t a man of the times, that’s for sure…
MBT finally got some QB reps:
With Bradford and Daniel taking the day off, recently signed fourth-string quarterback was finally able to sling some passes today after mainly playing as a Tight end so far. MBT was still being used in various looks however….
McLeod Bethel-Thompson just caught a pass in the flat and tried to put a juke on a DB.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
Oh McLeod John Baltazar Bethel-Thompson, what are you like?
Mills does the thing:
*Insert predictable Jalen Mills makes a big play description here*.
Jalen Mills has broken up approximately a billion passes during #Eagles training camp so far.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 27, 2016
Seriously, the hype around the Eagles seventh round pick is real. He’s impressed coaches from day one and if he can continue to do so when the pads go on this Saturday and throughout camp, the Eagles cornerback corps could see some surprising changes.
Seumalo shows versatility:
The rookie had previously been taking reps at Center due to the lack of depth in the rookie and veteran practices, but today he lined up at LG..the position in which many predict he will make his claim for a starting position. Was this a consequence of a wild snap yesterday? Probably not, but the former Oregon guard had another one today. Probably not the best thing to hear considering Kelce’s inconsistencies last year. Seumalo has been strong in the opening stages of training camp..but the pressure really begins tomorrow.
The calm before the storm:
With such low numbers today, practice was predictably calm. It’s the quietest we’re going to see a practice however as the rest of the Eagles get to work tomorrow. As noted above, Pederson’s decision to rest veterans was an interesting one, but it also gave the rookies one final shot to prove a point before the competition really begins. If any player has been going at 70-80%, it’s going to change..and change fast.
Pederson also noted that after showing some interest in Anquan Boldin, the team may still be looking to add depth at linebacker. They released Travis Long earlier today who was competing for a depth role at the position..could they be chasing someone like Stephen Tulloch with that lone vacant roster space? Or will they instead look to strengthen the receiving corps? All of these questions will be answered soon enough..as things are about to get very exciting in Philadelphia.
Photo credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
