The Eagles returned to the NovaCare Complex again on Sunday for another day of practice as preparations for next week’s preseason contest begins. Here’s everything you need to know.
McLeod and Barnett get back into the swing of things
After a long offseason recovering from the injuries that ended their 2018 campaigns, Rodney McLeod and Derek Barnett resumed 11-on-11 action with the first team.
Barnett worked against Jason Peters which is no easy task but reportedly showed up nicely. Although, there was a slightly worrying moment for McLeod toward the end of practice.
McLeod seemed to be okay after the incident which is a huge relief for the Eagles.
A wobbly day for Wentz
Carson Wentz wasn’t at his best on Sunday, but he certainly wasn’t at his worst. What really stood out was the connection with Alshon Jeffery beginning to rekindle. Not that it ever died down, but it’s safe to say that the ‘Wentz-to-DJax’ link has headlined Training Camp thus far.
It’s nice to hear that Wentz is still clicking with the other receivers, especially considering Alshon’s role as WR1. A minor touch, but continuing to build on that already-dominant rapport could carry a lot of weight next season.
Jason Kelce isn’t human
In case there was any debate as to whether or not Jason Kelce is human, he settled those questions today with a freakily athletic play.
Kelce has been one of the most athletic centers in the league for years now and considering that his 2019 return was uncertain as he debated retirement, it’s still astounding that Kelce can move the way he does. A truly generational talent.
Darby may have some competition…
It was assumed by many that Darby would step back into the fold as the natural CB1 when healthy, but a strong camp from Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, and Avonte Maddox has made for quite the competition.
Darby participated in 7-on-7 action today, but if the other corners continue to shine while Darby progresses a little slower, don’t be surprised to see a few twists and turns.
Sanders takes off
Miles Sanders took everyone’s breath away this time last week with an electric touchdown run in front of fans at Lincoln Financial Field. His first taste of preseason action wasn’t as flashy, but he was back to his usual ways today.
Sanders may see a higher snap count in next week’s preseason game.
Every cloud…
Lane Johnson may be sidelined for the rest of preseason due to an injury, but the silver lining here is that project tackle Jordan Mailata will get plenty of exposure to first-team reps.
Mailata played reasonably well on Thursday, all things considered, and for a player who has only really been playing the sport for a little over a year, he’ll really benefit from the increased playing time against some of the team’s premier pass-rushers.
Hollins has to step up
Mack Hollins has battled injury all offseason long and being held out of camp with yet another setback hasn’t exactly helped his stock. But getting some time with the first-team is absolutely needed considering Marken Michel broke out on Thursday and Shelton Gibson is also battling injury.
If Hollins can pick up some steam ahead of the roster cutdown, there’s a strong chance that the Eagles keep him on the roster as someone who can fit that ‘big-slot’ prototype they apparently covet.
And most importantly of all…
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
