If Quinyon Mitchell really wants to pattern his game after Darius Slay, then he’s certainly in the right place. The Eagles’ rookie cornerback shares a practice field with Slay every day, giving him ample time to mirror his moves and steal his swagger. It’s a full-time job.
Mitchell, a first-round pick (No. 22) out of Toledo, has been learning the tricks of the trade from Slay during his first NFL camp with the Eagles. That’s not surprising to hear, right? Slay is one of the best to ever do it.
“Me and Slay, we got an interesting relationship,” Mitchell told reporters with a smile. “We joke a lot, we have fun, but every day I try to ask him a question but, most importantly, I just watch him … see how he carries himself, how he takes care of his body, and how he’s a pro.”
What was surprising to hear was Mitchell assuredly say that the Eagles’ 33-year-old veteran was the one player he patterned his game after as a youngster. Like, really? When reporters started rolling their eyes, as if to indicate that Mitchell was making that story up for a fun headline, the 23-year-old cornerback got dead serious. He has always been president of the Slay Fan Club.
“Darius Slay,” Mitchell said without hesitation, adding the why in his next breath: “Just off man, and then he’s been doing it for a long time. It’s Year 12. It’s hard to play for 12 years in the league.”
It had been widely assumed that Mitchell would be starting opposite Slay on the outside for the Eagles. It made the most sense as James Bradberry transitions to safety and fellow rookie Cooper DeJean remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers are in the mix to start, leaving an opportunity at the nickel corner spot for Mitchell. And, surprise, he’s been thriving in the slot early on at training camp on the first-team defense.
“I’ve been at corner, nickel, and dime … so I’m just learning every spot, every position, so I feel really good,” Mitchell said. “Just the versatility that I can be inside or outside, and then I’m just doing what they are asking me to do, so I feel good.”
Interestingly, Mitchell had never played much nickel prior to this summer. No reps there at OTAs. Not many in college. He’s learning an entirely new position on the fly.
“No reps in the slot [before the summer], so they’ve been throwing it at me, but I feel like I’ve been handling it well,” Mitchell said, adding this about the challenge: “Just knowing where my help is at, being inside, knowing the checks that the safety gives me. Just more of learning the whole defense.”
Grant Calcaterra Fighting for No. 2 Tight End with Eagles
Grant Calcaterra showed up to camp sporting a new look, highlighted by shorter locks and something out of a Jimmy Buffett song atop his upper lip. Call it a rebrand for the Eagles’ third-year tight end.
“Mustache is just a good addition,” Calcaterra said. “I just got lazy shaving and I said I’ll keep the stache. I’ve gotten some compliments on it. So, I think I’m going to keep it.”
Calcaterra also rebranded his skills on the football field, working extra hard to improve his blocking and paying stricter attention to his route-running. With Jack Stoll gone, he has a legitimate shot to be the Eagles’ No. 2 tight end.
“I think my route-running has gotten better, just throughout the offseason and OTAs and the summer. I worked a lot on that,” Calcaterra said. “I think I’ve gotten better in every facet of the game. There’s a battle for the No. 2 spot and I’m always going to put my best foot forward, so I’m taking advantage of that opportunity.”
That opportunity will come in an offense predicated on motion, one in which new Eagles’ coordinator Kellen Moore is constantly looking for mismatches. Speed kills. Size matters.
“It’s a lot of motion, a lot of moving around,” Calcaterra said. “So, I think one you put in two big bodies or three big bodies it’ll really change the way defenses play in terms of getting in and out of base personnel and being able to attack them in the run game and in the pass game.”
Britain Covey Ready for Anything: Earning Jalen Hurts’ Trust
Britain Covey wasn’t going to pretend he was in any position to steal a starting job. He’s very comfortable in his skin, and all the epidermis around it.
“One day I’ll tell my kids I was DeVonta Smith’s backup, and I’m pretty proud of that,” Covey said.
Covey’s quip elicited laughter from the assembled media, but he wasn’t making a joke. He values his role on what everyone hopes is a Super Bowl team. Covey, who went undrafted in 2022, has carved out a niche as a shifty slot receiver who gets in and out of breaks quick and doesn’t drop the ball.
“The key for me is always being in the right spot at the right time every single time so they can trust me,” Covey said. “They can put me at all three positions, you could put me anywhere on the field, and I’ll do the right thing. If DeVonta goes down, you don’t panic. You say, we got a slot receiver in here who can do some things.”
The pride of Utah has been studying Cole Beasley hard this offseason in anticipate of a bigger role in Kellen Moore’s motion-filled offense. He also devoured tape of Danny Amendola and Austin Collie as he tries to become the next bolt of white lightning in the slot.
“Cole Beasley is one of my favorite people to watch of all time,” Covey said. “I really think mainly he uses his intelligence first, then his quickness and ability second, and that’s kind of how I’ve always been as well. Teams only play man so much of the time, and so you got to be smart in every sense of the word. And the big thing for me is just building trust with Jalen. Jalen has come up to me and told me he trusts me. And that’s the biggest compliment you can get from your quarterback.”
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
