The Philadelphia Eagles descended upon the NovaCare Complex for their 14th Training Camp practice of the Summer. The new season grows closer and closer and the stakes are only rising as a result. Here’s all you need to know from another day of action
Eagles injury report
As expected, the injury report was a little heavier following the teams’ preseason clash in New England. No injuries are believed to be overly significant which is a relief, and the Eagles have evaded big injuries all Summer (hopefully not a jinx) up to this point, so if something was substantial, we are bound to hear about it. No reasons for concern on Sundays’ report.
However, this practice didn’t go without something to be worried about. Starting RG Mekhi Becton headed inside with a slight limp. We don’t yet know the extent of the injury and it could well have bee something as simple as cramps, but given that Tyler Steen missed the practice with an ankle injury, the RG spot is down to bare bones when it comes to immediate depth.
Only adding to those woes was a brief scare for Landon Dickerson, who was simply dominant at LG last season. The injury doesn’t seem serious, but it’s yet another sign that the depth behind the starters is anything but plentiful.
Don’t be surprised to see a depth addition as the new season creeps up.
In contrastingly good news, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was back on the field today and was joined by rookie Safety Cooper Dejean. The position is nearly back to full strength after a few weeks of scrambling for depth. The returns come at a good time after James Bradberry‘s struggles against the Patriots.
Nakobe Dean continues to turn heads
The Eagles’ linebacker position has long been an area of criticism, but the rise of Nakobe Dean this Summer might finally put some water on those Fires. The Georgia product is entering his third year and after battling injuries during his first two years, looks to be heating up at just the right time.
As things stand, he’s still below both Devin White and Zack Baun on the depth chart, but that could well change as the season wears on. If Dean can get it all together in 2024, it would be a welcome sight for Eagles fans, who have been waiting to see the young linebacker take that fabled next step.
Quarterback qualms
After Kenny Pickett‘s preseason struggles continued against the Patriots, it didn’t take long for fans to start calling for change. Tanner McKee looked contrastingly strong in that game, but both players struggled on Sunday.
McKee started to draw 2nd team reps before ultimately struggling. My initial concern was that McKee was clearly a step ahead of the 3rd/4th stringers in preaseason, but how reachable was the jump to the next level? While one practice is not indicative, it’s certainly worth noting that there is likely still a long way to go before McKee is ready to be dropped into a live game.
Perhaps even more concerning is that if the Kenny Pickett experiment fails, the Eagles are still financially tied to him and have no real option to step in as the backup to Jalen Hurts. Will Grier, this is your time to shine…
Defensive line dominance
As has been the story for most of the Summer, the defensive line dominated the day. Josh Sweat turned heads after flying under the radar for most of Training Camp, while Jalen Carter continued to prove why he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award last time out.
With Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff also flaunting their best stuff over the last few weeks, the Eagles appear to have a lethal pass-rushing rotation heading into the new campaign for Vic Fangio to experiment with.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
