Training Camp – Day 1

The Eagles had their first TC practice on Wednesday. Jalen Hurts looked good. No one got hurt. All in all, it was a rousing success.

There will be a lot of talk about depth charts in the coming weeks. We’re all curious about who is playing where and who is lining up with the 1’s. While it is fun to keep track of that, coaches will tell you not to pay too much attention, especially early on. The players will set the depth charts with how they play.

Let’s jump into the notes. We’ll open up with Jimmy Bama, attending his 65th camp.

After a shaky spring, Jalen Hurts had a good start to training camp. He had two really nice throws down the field to DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Smith dropped his.

The throw to Goedert was particularly impressive. Hurts was moving to his left, almost sort of fading away, and lofted and perfect touch throw to Goedert on a corner route.

Oh, and HEY (!) he finally said something nice about Nick Sirianni during his post-practice press conference!

Hurts did not have an impressive spring so it is good to hear that he played well on Day 1. As we always talk about, the key is to stack practices…to have a good one, then another good one and then another good one. That is the kind of consistency you’re looking for.

We (as in, the media) have never gotten to see Chauncey Gardner-Johnson practice during training camp. If you’ll recall, the Birds traded for him just before the start of the 2022 season, after camp had already wrapped. He’s fun to watch, dancing before every rep, and yapping at teammates after them. The Eagles felt like they lost some swagger on the defensive side of the ball last season, and CJGJ certainly brings that.

Interesting point here. It hadn’t occurred to me that this is CJGJ’s first camp with the Eagles. He could make the practices more fun for those watching. He’ll certainly annoy the heck out of the guys going against him. CJGJ is a talented player to be sure, but Mr. Bama is correct about the defense missing his swagger last year. Part of playing defense is having an edge and being aggressive. That was lacking in a big way.

The first puke session of camp belongs to Mekhi Becton, and it was impressive. I counted 10 heaves. It was like someone was turning a faucet on and off. My man was hydrated. To his credit, Becton only missed a play or two and was right back out on the field.

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Brandon Lee Gowton has good news for those who wanted more motion this year.

PRE-SNAP MOTION UPDATE: It’s not just a talking point; Kellen Moore is definitely incorporating pre-snap motion into the Eagles’ offense. The usage was apparent on a number of reps. But while pre-snap motion gets all the hype, it should be noted that the Eagles were also operating with a fast-paced tempo. And a pace so intense that Mekhi Becton, who was filling in at left guard, threw up a number of times about an hour into practice before returning to drills. The early offensive success contrasts with how the Eagles were sloppy to begin camp last year.

The offense was too predictable and too stale last year. Defenses knew who would be where and that made it easier to handle them. Moore used motion in Dallas and San Diego and that was part of the reason so many people thought he would be a good hire. Basic changes can make a big difference for this offense.

DEPTH CHART NOTES, DEFENSE EDITION: Whereas the offensive personnel was mostly static, there were frequent rotations on defense. Darius Slay (LCB) and Isaiah Rodgers (RCB) were the first-team cornerbacks while Zack Baun and Devin White were the first-team off-ball linebackers during the first 11-on-11 series. When the Eagles shifted to 7-on-7, Kelee Ringo was the outside cornerback across from Slay while White and Nakobe Dean were first up at linebacker. The second set of 11-on-11 had Slay and Rodgers on the outside with Dean and Baun paired together. So, there’s clearly true competition going on for starting spots here. James Bradberry was a second-team safety along with Tristin McCollum on the back end. Ringo and Quinyon Mitchell were the second-team cornerbacks to start out. Eli Ricks and Josh Jobe were the third-team cornerbacks but Ricks also got some second-team work across from Ringo. Tyler Hall was the second-team nickel cornerback behind Avonte Maddox. Zech McPhearson, who did not practice in the spring, was a third-team outside cornerback after primarily working in the slot last summer.

That is a lot to take in. The big takeaway is that the defense actually has some depth this year. The coaches can mix ‘n match players to see who looks good and what the best way to use everyone is. Last year the coaches were trying to find a body who was reliable. Big difference.

I still don’t get Bradberry at safety. He does have good ball skills and is a smart veteran, but safeties must be able to tackle. That’s an area where he struggled mightily last year.

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Here is Fran Duffy with some good nuggets.

Saquon Barkley was an active participant in his first practice in front of fans, catching several balls from Jalen Hurts in the flat and breaking off a couple of runs over the course of the morning. On his final snap of the first team period, Barkley caught a checkdown from Hurts in the flat and ran down the sideline, drawing applause from those in attendance that were excited to see one of the biggest signings in the NFL this offseason.

Barkley is going to be a weapon as a runner and receiver. That’s been lacking in recent years. When you mix in the option and fakes, Barkley will offer impact even if he doesn’t get the ball. I am beyond excited to see him in action.

Parris Campbell spent most of the day as the #3 WR.

Parris Campbell ran some sharp routes in team sessions, snapping off breaks and creating separate from whatever corner was lined up across from him. Campbell’s ability to line up both inside and outside allows for guys like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to move around the formation, so creating that separation on those reps was important to see.

The Eagles don’t need a high volume #3 receiver, but they do need someone reliable. Campbell has looked good in the OTAs and camp. As some have pointed out, Hurts already seems to trust him and that is a good sign.

Want to get excited about a rookie?

Jalyx Hunt’s movement skills flashed in a big way to me on the sideline. A high-cut edge rusher with long arms and legs, Hunt is extremely explosive off the ball. He made a play in the run game on the back side where he pressed the tight end and found the ball. Soon after, he was unblocked on the back side of a pass play and FLEW into the backfield for what would have been a sack in a game. Pickett is lucky that was not live action.

Hunt is raw, but pass rusher is one of those spots where an explosive athlete can contribute as a rookie. Vic Fangio wanted Hunt for a reason. It sounds like you could see why on Day 1.

Devin White’s speed and range showed up multiple times on Wednesday morning. There’s no question this guy can still run, and he’s such a thick, dense athlete that if he meets a ballcarrier in the hole it will result in a big collision. On one play, both he and Barkley were 1-on-1 in the run game and, if it were live action, it would have been worth the price of admission. I’m excited to see those guys go toe-to-toe throughout the summer in drills.

The Eagles took a risk in signing White, but this is why they were willing to take a chance. He has big potential and has played at a high level before.

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Dave Zangaro gave us some OL info.

1st team: Jordan Mailata, Becton, Cam Jurgens, Steen, Johnson

2nd team: Fred Johnson, Keegan, Matt Hennessy, Darian Kinnard, Max Scharping

3rd team: Laekin Vakalahi, Keegan, Dylan McMahon, Jason Poe, Anim Dankwah

Landon Dickerson was out with a toe injury so Becton took his place at LG. Once Dickerson returns (soon), it will be interesting to see if Becton lines up at RG to compete with Tyler Steen or stays on the left side. Scharping as the backup RT is interesting. He has good size at 6-6, 325, but his experience is mostly G/C.

The best defensive play of Day 1 came from Baun during 7-on-7s. Working with the second-team defense, Baun looked comfortable dropping into coverage on C.J. Uzomah. The pass from Pickett might have been a tad behind Uzomah (or at least not in front of him) but Baun did a great job of getting his hand in there to bat down the pass.

Baun has a chance to be a starting ILB. Showing he can cover is a big step toward winning that role.

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