The Philadelphia Eagles put on the pads for the first time this Summer. Training Camp is picking up speed and the positional battles are well and truly underway. Here’s everything you need to know from another day down at the NovaCare Complex.
Eagles Injury report
There are still no real notable injuries which is a good sign, although with Tyler Steen and Trevor Keegan both sideline, depth on the interior was tested on Tuesday. Landon Dickerson also temporarily left practice with what appeared to be a leg injury, but returned to the sidelines later on.
The one person this really benefits is Mekhi Becton. The swing backup has received looks both inside and out and has been one of the real standouts of Camp up to this point, proving efficient at every spot he’s been dropped into. Whether or not he can earn a starting role is going to be the real question for the remainder of the Summer, but the early signs are promising.
Big day for Quinyon Mitchell
Rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell has drawn plenty of eyes during the early stages of Training camp. The first-round selection feels destined to play a key role in Fangio’s defense and is consistently getting reps with the first team both on the outside and in the nickel. Today saw his first real big day at the office with the Toledo product making life difficult for A.J Brown on a couple of routes, as well as garnering reps in the nickel spot.
Let’s not forget just how good A.J Brown is. For Mitchell to have the confidence not only to make a big play, but to chirp it up afterwards says a lot about his personality and is an extremely positive sign when looking at his development.
Shipping up to Training Camp
Saquon Barkley is obviously the star of the Eagles’ backfield this season, but Kenneth Gainwell certainly has his work cut out to retain his RB2 role. Rookie rusher Will Shipley has hit the ground running at the NovaCare Complex and earned some extra praise during his post-practice presser.
Jahmyr Gibbs was one of last years’ breakout stars despite a modest workload and became a key cog in Detroit’s offense. His versatility was a huge asset for Jared Goff, and having a running back who is not only being regularly used in that way, but embraces contact and tough play, could be of real benefit to the Eagles when they need to give their star running back a breather.
More offensive wrinkles
Through the first week of Camp, we’ve heard a lot about pre-snap motion and how different the offense looks in comparison to last year. Today was another example of that, with Brandon Lee Gowton noting the amount of play-action looks the Eagles are using down in the red zone, and Zach Berman citing the use of pre-snap motion.
To put it bluntly, it would be incredibly difficult for the Philly offense to look any more boring than it did in 2023, but to see such a heavy focus on creating problems for the defense and trying to force open space for players to work in is an extremely welcome addition. Kellen Moore has played a key role for the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers in scheming open their most dominant threats and that trend appears to be following him to Philadelphia.
Defensive line dominates at Eagles Training Camp
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding how Vic Fangio will deploy his army of pass-rushers, and the early results are promising. Jalen Carter is coming off of a stunning rookie campaign, but I noted earlier in the offseason how
As a lighter DT, would he be flexed outside in a 3-4, or stay inside as a rotational tackle who has the burst to make an impact against worn-down offensive linemen?
Well, so far, so good. I haven’t seen any updates on Williams starting out wide which would hint that he’s staying in the middle, but it’s definitely encouraging to see him making progress during the early stages of Training Camp.
For the latest from the NovaCare Complex, stay locked in to Philly Sports Network.
AP Photo/Chris Szagola
