The Philadelphia Eagles completed their second Training Camp practice on Thursday. Here is everything you need to know.
Eagles Injury updates
The only new addition to the injury list was Travis Fulgham, who was unable to practice today due to a lower body injury. There were no changes to the COVID/reserve list and while both Jalen Reagor and Greg Ward attended practice, they didn’t take part in team drills.
The big news comes from the early departure of Brandon Brooks. The veteran guard who is coming off of two Achilles walked off to the medical tent with what was later revealed to be a hamstring injury. The Eagles deemed this as a precautionary evaluation and don’t appear to be too worried by the news, but it’s understandable to see why fans would naturally be a little more concerned.
Nate Herbig and Matt Pryor took the guard reps today, with Isaac Seumalo also sidelined with a hamstring injury. This is a good opportunity for both players, and for Herbig, a shot to prove that his impressive play through 12 starts last year are a strong foundation to build on.
Mullens takes a jump
The signing of Nick Mullens was always going to be a low-risk, high-reward move. After suffering an injury to end his 2020 campaign, Mullens left San Francisco and found solace in Philadelphia, bringing with him a backlog of starting experience at a young age. It hasn’t taken him long to settle in.
It’s obviously very early days, but it looks as though the battle for QB2 could be an enthralling one with Mullens breathing down the neck of Joe Flacco.
Barnett showing up
One player in need of a strong training camp is fifth-year DE Derek Barnett. So far, so good.
Jonathan Gannon stated today that he views Josh Sweat as a starter, which only adds more pressure to the shoulders of a player in his contract year, on an option that many deem worth more than his actual value. He’s out to prove to a new coaching staff that he’s worth keeping around long-term and the first step has to be solidifying a starting role. The competition is well and truly on, but beating the potential LT1 is a strong way to kick things off.
The hunt
Jason Huntley was a forgotten name in the Eagles’ backfield last year and was used sparingly by Doug Pederson despite some high praise. The good news is that he’s picking up where he left off and should provide some immediate competition to both Jordan Howard and Kerryon Johnson.
Huntley will be looking to make up for lost time after being buried on the depth chart last year, so it will be worth keeping an eye on his progress as the Summer rolls on.
The Eagles are focusing on competiton
Competition is the name of the game in Philadelphia and unlike previous seasons, we’re beginning to see real opportunities afforded to those lower down the depth chart.
Sure, injuries may play a partial role, but we know that Nick Sirianni wants to drive the very best out of his players, and affording rotational opportunities to guys lower on the depth chart is a great way to keep looks fresh and ensure that iron sharpens iron.
Hurts watch
After a rusty opening day for Jalen Hurts, it looks as though he began to settle into the swing of things by the second half of today’s practice.
Meet Eagles WR1
Steven Nelson might be new to the Eagles, but that hasn’t stopped rookie wideout DeVonta Smith from putting him through his paces.
The Hurts to Smith connection already looks primed to wreak havoc in 2021.
My WR1
I have often been slated for my affinity for John Hightower and his crisp route-running, but seeing plays like this in the Summer do nothing but give me more blind faith.
If he can work on his catching ability, then he could absolutely be the deep-threat that this team has coveted for a long time. It won’t happen overnight, but after breaking down his game against Steven Nelson last year, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
