Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles push through controversy with class & confidence: Ten takeaways from Wednesday’s OTA

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It’s been a rollercoaster week for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it didn’t stop them from conducting business as usual today at the NovaCare Complex. Political controversy aside, there was plenty to watch on the field as the Birds’ prepare to defend their Super Bowl title. Here’s all you need to know from today’s practice.

 

Focus on today:
The message for the Philadelphia Eagles today was simple, ‘focus on today.’ With a surge in media presence, both Doug Pederson and his players refused to let an influx of comments about the recent political controversy shroud what really matters.

“The way I cut it out is I focus on today.” Pederson told reporters before the OTA practice. “I come in here with energy, sit in front of the team and say we have a great day of practice coming up and we’re going to make the most of it. We’re going to get better as a football team today, and for me, that eliminates any distraction.”

The Eagles would go on to have a fiery practice, which is something to be expected at this stage, but considering how much pressure was undoubtedly on the shoulders of players after the last few days, to do so without a single hitch not only speaks volumes about the strength of coaching, but character and bonds within the locker room.

 

 

Like he’s never been away:
Carson Wentz was made available during 7-on-7 drills as he continues to rehab a torn ACL which he suffered in week 14 of the regular season. The progress at this stage can only be described as stunning. A report surfaced yesterday that hinted at confidence behind a week one return. The more we see of Wentz, the easier that is to believe.

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“Yeah, so, again, part of the rehab process with him is just giving him a little more – I don’t want to say freedom – but a little more practice time.” Pederson stated. “One of the controlled environments that we can obviously put him in is a seven-on-seven situation. Being able to sprinkle him in and just watch him in more of an up-tempo type of a practice in those situations has been good. We’ll continue to do that these next two days and next week, and just keep building as we go.”

 

Rodgers improves:
It’s taken former Green Bay Packer, Richard Rodgers, a little while to get going, but the veteran tight end is hitting his stride as OTA’s continue.

Outshone by rookie Dallas Goedert to begin with, Rodgers is beginning to settle into life as an Eagle and with plenty of attention from Nate Sudfeld, that’s a trend that’s only going to continue as the quarterback seeks out big targets for big plays.

 

 

Another day, another pick:
The early standout this offseason has unquestionably been DeVante Bausby. The former Pitt cornerback has been red hot during OTA’s, picking off passes on a near daily basis. Today was no exception and he saw plenty of time in the nickel with the first team too, rewarding his hard work.

Bausby’s emergence has to be noted. The vacated slot role is one that carries plenty of uncertainty with regards to its future successor, but Bausby is doing all the right things to ensure his remains in contention.

 

 

Goedert continues to shine:
Back onto the topic of tight ends however and Goedert had another solid outing.

While it’s still very early days, to see Goedert being utilized by his quarterbacks early and often has to be a very encouraging sign for Doug Pederson, especially in the red zone. The Eagles went from a 49% red zone success rating in 2016, to a 64.06% success rate one year later. Adding a 6’5 catching machine should only help that rise even further.

 

A storm is brewing…
Perhaps my favorite takeaway from today was this drill implemented by newly hired WR coach, Gunter Brewer.

Designed to provoke receivers into staying low (ducking their head under the bar) and turn for the ball, it’s a great way to not only shield the reception, but then start bursting for yards after the catch due to the compacted energy. Seeing the drill in action is just exciting to watch with this group and I’m extremely excited to see what else he implements as the offseason wears in.

 

KGHszn:
I’ll have a Film Room video on KGH dropping a little later today, but this is another name that should be circled in red for many. The Eagles’ leader in special teams tackles last season is much more than just a contender for the starting WILL job next season…and the film room video later today will show exactly why.

 

QB3 battle update:
The ongoing war between Nate Sudfeld and Joe Callahan is one of the most exciting on the Eagles roster. Today was no exception to that rule, with both signal-callers seemingly unafraid to let it rip.

There’s a long way to go in deciding the eventual QB3, but the intensity is only increasing as more practices pass us by.

 

Underdogs wideouts start barking:
There’s still a huge amount of uncertainty at the WR2 spot. With Alshon Jeffery likely out for the offseason, it pushes every receiver one spot up the depth chart when it comes to Training Camp reps. This is a huge opportunity and the underdogs are already making their presence felt.

Training Camp will be quite the spectacle for those closely watching the Eagles wideouts.

 

 

 

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

About the Author

Liam Jenkins

Liam is a 29-year old sports journalist from the UK and founder of the Philly Sports Network. Having now ran PSN for a decade, Liam’s focus remains on building a platform containing the most complete coverage of ALL of Philadelphia’s sports teams.

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