A lighter day of Eagles practice saw the Birds take to the NovaCare Complex with a new focus on plays inside the red zone. Here’s everything you need to know!
Sudfeld steals the show:
Training Camp has very much been the Nate Sudfeld show thus far and today was no exception to that rule.
Sudfeld has done well in RZ drills. Accurate and puts nice touch on the ball. #Eagles #studfeld
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 1, 2018
Fantastic ball from Sudfeld to Billy Brown in traffic. Follows it up with s dime to Rashard Davis against the endline.
Sudfeld has gotten some media gas in the past few days; today was the practice I felt he really shined.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) August 1, 2018
While Foles struggled with interceptions and ball placement, it was Sudfeld’s consistency that once again caught the eyes of everyone in attendance. The development from his arrival in Philadelphia at the beginning of last season, to the player we’re seeing now can only be described as impressive and it’s easy to see why Pederson longed for a developmental arm.
Goedert’s unstoppable:
The second-round pick has been a force to be reckoned with this Training Camp, but he was on a different level today. At 6’5, 256 lbs, the South Dakota State pass-catcher was always primed to be challenging for linebackers at the next level, but inside the red zone, things are just getting silly.
Eagles offense went hurry up as the defense was celebrating. McLeod got matched up on Goedert and Foles hit the TE for a TD.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 1, 2018
Top 2 takeaways from practice so far:
**Really good day for Dallas Goedert
** #Eagles defense has played well— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 1, 2018
Foles to Goedert for a red zone TD. Hicks had good coverage but Goedert made the play. Just too big. #Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 1, 2018
I’m calling for the #GoedErtz bromance to take off this season.
Topsy turvy Douglas:
As Bob Grotz notes, Rasul Douglas has had quite the rollercoaster camp. Despite being the ice to Cory Undlin’s fire, Douglas has had some huge defensive plays along with some rather forgettable ones too.
Rasul Douglas with a pick of Nick in 11 on 11s. Douglas unofficially leads #Eagles camp in ininterceptions and getting beat deep.
— Bob Grotz ?? (@BobGrotz) August 1, 2018
With so much on the line in this battle and there being so many corners competing, Douglas will need to tap into his rookie form that saw him shut down Brandon Marshall and the Giants under one year ago.
Defense wins the day
In what was a sloppy practice of dropped passes, misfires and just generally jagged play, the defense ruled the land. Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat and the Eagles pass-rush just seemed a little too much for the offensive fronts today.
Barnett with a “sack” of Foles vs 1st team offensive line. Foles “sacked” on the next play as well #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 1, 2018
Let’s not hit the panic button just yet. We’re at the very early stages of training camp where the sessions are varying quite a lot on a daily basis. Tomorrow could see a complete flip of the table, but it is encouraging to see Barnett ripping through offensive lines as he did as a rookie.
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Maddox is adapting:
Fourth round pick Avonte Maddox is going through the progressions of adapting to life in the slot and the NFL. While he stunned during his collegiate career, the rookie is still showing some technical rawness that Undlin seems more than intent on ironing out.
Avonte Maddox getting heavy focus from Cory Undlin. Talking about active, light feet in the stem and disrupting break at the release point.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) August 1, 2018
Wentz update:
Wentz was again absent during 11-on-11’s today, making that the third practice in a row. It’s clear that Pederson is managing his workload and opting not to expose him to any unnecessary danger. It’s the smartest thing to do, keeping the idealistic ‘week one return’ at the forefront of his mind. Wentz did still compete in 7-on-7s and throw some dimes during that phase, but it’s safe to say he’s going to be limited throughout the preseason.
Pryor’s prominence:
Sixth round pick, Matt Pryor, continues to draw praise from the coaches and media. The TCU product and former teammate of Big V has settled into Philadelphia nicely and on days where the defense simply dominates, these notable afternoons become all the more important. The Eagles do have an interior guard battle to keep an eye on and there’s no reason why Pryor couldn’t spring a surprise.
Redzone focus:
The Eagles seemed to be doing most of their work inside the 20-yard line today, exploring different packages and situations for both offense and defense. For the offense, it very quickly became apparent that Dallas Goedert is a human cheat code. Defensively, rotations of three safeties and numerous combinations of linebackers tried and failed to find the vaccine to stop Goedert spreading through the end zone. The Eagles were absolutely clinical inside the red zone last year and that trend should only continue with a strong focus.
Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
