Well, that wasn’t exactly the smooth Friday morning we were all expecting. In what was the second day of Eagles Training Camp, there was trade speculation that ultimately died down, but sparked a lot of questions. Here’s everything you need to know.
O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Many of you will know that as the connoisseur of the ‘Captain Cre’Von’ movement, my emotional attachment to the Eagles cornerback is strong. So, when reports on Friday morning stating that he wasn’t at practice, despite seemingly looking perfectly fine yesterday, speculation over a potential trade began to swirl.
I had two responses to this. Number one was slightly more rational
And number two pledged my allegiance…
Anyway, Jim Schwartz told reporters after practice that LeBlanc actually missed practice due to injury. The details of which were kept extremely minimal, but it was enough to at least silence the trade talk…for now.
This could be a cover from Jim Schwartz, a trade does kind of make sense in some ways given the abundance of depth at cornerback. The talk comes one day after Malcolm Jenkins stated ‘you can’t keep everybody’ too and with so much depth on the roster, and LeBlanc toward the bottom of it, a trade would make sense. However, I think it would be far better to trade one of the more prominent names, knowing that Maddox, Douglas, and Jones, can all hold their own as starters, exposing them to regular-season reps and enhancing their development, as opposed to extinguishing it.
But I’ll have much more in-depth opinions on a potential cornerback trade in today’s podcast and later articles.
Outside of LeBlanc, Jalen Mills was in attendance, but still on the PUP list, greeting fans and making the days of those who turned up to the complex, while Blake Countess also missed practice.
Wentz looks sharp again
As expected, the face of the franchise looked red-hot in day two, continuing from yesterday’s solid form.
Not only is Wentz building a tight bond with DJax, but the two are connecting over and over again…a sight Eagles fans will become besotted with next season.
Sanders picking up speed
This is minor, but Doug Pederson stated yesterday that Miles Sanders would be somewhat baby-stepped into Training Camp. He’s already getting second-team reps which is huge for his development considering he missed OTA’s with a hammy injury and it seems as though he’s getting up to full speed with relative ease.
Cornerback picture
With Mills, Darby, and now LeBlanc all sidelined, the Eagles starting trio at corner was a familiar sight. Sidney Jones in the slot, who was making yet more impressive plays, with Douglas and Maddox outside.
The really intriguing thing here is that in second-team looks, Malcolm Jenkins was getting the nickel reps. Malcolm. Jenkins. One of the best safeties in the game who is underpaid has numerous Pro Bowl appearances to his name and didn’t miss a snap last year…was adding second-team nickel to his list of duties because the team needed him. PAY. THE. MAN.
Brandon Brooks is a machine
Six months after tearing his Achilles, Brooks is out working with the Eagles during offensive install. That is utterly remarkable.
The timetable for his return is still unknown, but Brooks is taking massive strides in rehab and there’s every chance he could leave us all stunned with a return to action much sooner than we expected.
And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also helping former fifth-round pick Matt Pryor in his development.
Could you find a more inspirational right guard?
Perkins has life
Again, a slightly minor takeaway here, but we know how important special teams is to this Eagles team and after a really disappointing season last year where he struggled against the Bucs, Josh Perkins is now fighting for his future as an Eagle. If he can carve out a role on Fipp’s unit though, there may be a late twist in the tale yet.
Mack’s back…
Mack Hollins has apparently had a haircut which has taken the world by storm. By world I mean Eagles fans and by storm I mean a like on Instagram. Anyway, it’s really encouraging to see Hollins back out there and he even made a noteworthy catch.
Hollins has a Mountain to climb, but the UNC product is vying to make up for lost time.
The tough gets going
One final takeaway, and it’s an important one. This Eagles practice was quiet and as you can see by the above takeaways, not a lot went down. But with pads going on tomorrow, we can expect the usual whirlwind to pick up. Consider this the calm before the storm.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
