We’re officially back in the swing of Training Camp things in Philadelphia. All the sights and sounds of a Padded practice are filling the air in Philadelphia and after a very interesting return, here’s everything you need to know from day two.
Maintenance day
After a thudding return to padded practice yesterday, Pederson gave his over-30 players a day of rest on Tuesday.
What’s interesting here is that Seumalo is the player who slides to center in an emergency. There have been some question marks over the insurance policies behind one of the best in the game, but it looks as though the starting left guard who spent an offseason working at the position previously, is still the man they’ll turn to for now.
The defense has its day
If there’s one thing you’ll notice about today’s coverage, it’s that the defense dominated the offense in just about every phase. You’ll get days like that in camp, just as you’ll get days where the offense has the better day at the office. But the energy was clearly on the side of Schwartz and his group of soldiers.
The right steps
This isn’t so much about camp as much as it is about the precautions needed to properly ensure the safety of players and staff around the facility during the pandemic.
This really impressed me. The Eagles had already witnessed a few players and coaches contract the virus, and these kind of measures are paramount to ensuring they can practice safely with risk being as minimal as possible.
Wentz wobbles
Today was an infuriating practice for the face of the franchise by all accounts. There were several interceptions and even a moment where Wentz threw his helmet to the ground out of frustration.
Seeing Wentz get fired up is a good thing, but this is all contextual. We should all be at a point now where a single day of camp shouldn’t suddenly spring concern into our minds about the quarterback who has done nothing but shine during the regular season. It’s his second padded practice, there’s bound to be some rust. If it becomes consistent, that’s when we all panic. But as of right now, it’s just a rough day at work for Wentz, the first in what feels like forever.
Bradley continues to impress
The sixth-round pick is making all the right moves early on in camp and could well be an early-mover when it comes to depth chart positioning. The Linebacker talent-pool is light, and the rookie looks primed to make the most of that early.
RasulSZN
It’s been a tricky offseason for Rasul Douglas, who once again has been at the center of non-stop trade rumors. But after spending a lot of time with Darius Slay and ‘The Footwork king’, he looks set to prove his worth to Jim Schwartz once and for all.
Sul has long been a physical corner and with Marquand Manuel on side, we may finally see some vengeance and a late-surge from the West Virginia product to secure a place on the roster.
Talking of corners…
While we’re in the secondary, a topsy-turvy day at the office does little for Sidney Jones in his battle with Avonte Maddox, who by this point clearly holds the CB2 reins. It’s going to take a lot for Jones to overthrow Maddox at this stage, it seems.
A Training Camp surprise
Admittedly, I wasn’t as high on Quez Watkins as many. I saw the speed and the athleticism on tape, but it was rare to see consistency – with a raw skillset taking its place. Aaron Moorehead is already proving that he will waste no time in getting players up to speed though, and Watkins is no exception.
For the second day in a row, Watkins has left the world purring. Formerly thought of as a fringe player, he’s shedding that label with ease.
Wildcat baby
It may not have all been smooth sailing for rookie QB Jalen Hurts, but it certainly was down in the red zone.
If the Eagles are already toying with the idea of option looks and keepers, then maybe, just maybe, 2QB sets aren’t that far away…
Higher and higher
Two practices, two late deep catches from John Hightower. The Boise Stat graduate is settling in nicely along with Quez Watkins, with the two rookies making plenty of noise early on.
Make sure you’re staying locked in to Philly Sports Network for all the latest from Training Camp!
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
