PHILADELPHIA – The first of two joint practices this week between the Eagles and Browns took place at the NovaCare Complex and although there was no live tackling in Wednesday’s session, there were plenty of takeaways.
Eagles injury report
Obviously, Landon Dickerson was listed on the injury report as he is getting ready to undergo minor surgery on his meniscus. A.J. Brown was listed as “OUT” once again after he returned on a limited basis on Sunday and Monday which is something to monitor as camp progresses.
Zack Baun (back) has returned to team drills in 7 on 7s which is a positive step forward for the linebacker who has been held to just four practices so far this summer but said post practice that it “felt fantastic” to get back on the field.
Gabe Hall being limited but out on the field in pads is a good sign for the defensive tackle who had a strong showing in the first preseason game against the Bengals but missed practice on Tuesday with a shoulder injury.
Eagles’ CB2 spot still up for grabs
This is a pivotal week for Kelee Ringo, Adoree’ Jackson and newcomer Jakorian Bennett. Ringo and Jackson both struggled against Ja’Marr Chase in the first preseason game and Bennett was brought in to compete for that spot as well. The former Raider made a nice play against the Browns’ top wideout in Jerry Jeudy to start his practice, but then the corner struggled as the day continued.
It is still early for Bennett who just joined the team last week after being traded from Las Vegas. Expect him to get plenty of reps during the joint practice Thursday and in the game on Saturday along with Ringo and Jackson as one of the three look to create some separation in arguably the most important position battle heading into the season.
Brett Toth looking to step up for the O-Line
Brett Toth saw a good amount of reps in the joint practice and the former Army West Point product was up for the challenge according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports.
Lane Johnson spoke after practice and had high praise for Toth, who has been a versatile player within the offensive line room since joining the team back in 2020. Toth has been the primary reserve for Dickerson despite being listed as the backup center to Cam Jurgens. If Toth could find his way into the starting five on the offensive line for the season opener against Dallas on September 4, it would be quite the story for the lineman who continues to fight the odds of sticking on an NFL roster.
Special Teams
The Eagles are hoping that a player not named Cooper DeJean will win the punt return job to preserve the talented cornerback after his impressive rookie season. During the preseason game against the Bengals, Avery Williams handled three of the four punts averaging just five yards per return with is longest going for seven. Ainias Smith fielded one return and turned it into a nice 46-yard scamper.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Williams was first in line on punt returns.
Williams has experience returning both punts and kickoffs in his three year career handling 58 punts while averaging 10.9 yards per return. On kickoffs, he has returned 54 for 1,211 yards averaging 22.4 per return. However, DeJean is still listed as the number one punt returner on the team’s depth chart and led the team in punt returns taking 30 of the 37 total punt returns in both the regular season and playoffs.
The two teams will have another joint practice on Thursday before gearing up for their preseason game on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field at 1 p.m.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
