Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Minicamp Talk

Posted June 10th, 2026 | No Comments »

The Eagles held a mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday and will have another one today to wrap up the spring. Then the next action will be Training Camp. As a reminder, don’t overreact to anything from a minicamp, good or bad.

The biggest takeaway is that the defense is off to a strong start. That’s to be expected with them in year three under Vic Fangio and coming off consecutive seasons as a Top 5 unit. This unit is more talented and looks to have improved depth. The biggest offseason addition was CB Riq Woolen and he’s been impressive so far. He certainly appears to be a big upgrade on Adoree Jackson.

Jalyx Hunt intercepted Andy Dalton, continuing to show his ability to play in space and to get in passing lanes. Jihaad Campbell is out, which means more reps for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He’s looked good. Another LB who has flashed is Chance Campbell. He got praise from Saquon Barkley last year and seems to be making the most of this opportunity.

The offense is very much a work in progress. The biggest story seems to be QB2, who has been Andy Dalton for every practice the media has seen. Why would he be playing above Tanner McKee? There are a few guesses. Dalton has some experience in the scheme. The coaches may value his knowledge and want him helping the other players to learn the scheme. The team could also be trying to pump up his value in hopes of trading Dalton. There are four QBs and the team isn’t likely to keep all of them. I think they would prefer to keep the younger guys. It will be interesting to see if Dalton is QB2 today.

Makai Lemon is still out with a hamstring issue. It would be great if he could practice, but you want him healthy for TC and the season. Hollywood Brown has drawn some praise for his combination of speed and ability to make tough catches. We haven’t heard too much about Dontayvion Wicks. DeVonta Smith is his usual self. Johnny Wilson has had some impressive moments. He’s got a real shot to make the team and be a role player. His size and blocking ability make him a good fit for this scheme.

Jalen Hurts has been up and down, as expected. He’s learning a new scheme and dealing with some new players. Be patient with him (and other offensive players). Spring is the time to be learning, working on little things and some big things.

Let’s talk about the OL. Improved line play will be critical to a successful offense this season.

It is encouraging to see Dickerson and Jurgens moving around smoothly. The real test will be TC when pads are on and there is real contact. But this does seem like a good start. Lane Johnson is healthy and ready to go. That is huge. He’s the best RT in the league and is one of the few OL who can be a difference-maker. Johnson had a lot of praise for new OL coach Chris Kuper. The whole group seems to be buying into the new scheme and embracing the change. That is great to see. They still love Jeff Stoutland, but business is business.

Dave Zangaro has the OL lineups.

First team: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson

Second team: Markel Bell, Myles Hinton, Jake Majors, John Ojukwu, Fred Johnson

Third team: Hollin Pierce, Jaeden Roberts, Willie Lampkin, Micah Morris, Cameron Williams

It is interesting that Markel Bell moved to LT with the return of LJ. Apparently Kuper wants cross-training from his backups and that will be a point of emphasis. You never know who will need to play or where they will need to play.

Drew Kendall was part of individual drills, but is out of team drills. He seems to have a minor injury. I like the move of Myles Hinton to OG.I didn’t love his feet as an OT. He’s big and strong and could better fit inside. Who is Jake Majors? He signed with the team last September. He started 52 games as center for Texas and has some athletic ability. Kendall should be the key backup inside when he’s healthy. It does feel like the OL is deeper than last year.

If you want detailed notes from the beat writers who were there, here are some links.

Jimmy Bama

Brandon Lee Gowton 

Jeff McLane

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The Teacher

Posted June 8th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

While I was indisposed for a bit, Sean Mannion met with the media for the first time and I was highly impressed with his press conference. He answered questions in a thoughtful, honest way. He offered good insight. He seemed genuine and bright. I could understand where he impressed the Eagles and they chose him to be the new OC.

The thing that stood out the most to me was him talking about being a teacher. I think that is a critical trait for coaches. Mannion said both of his parents were teachers so he understands the value of that. I recently read The Genius, a book about Bill Walsh. He was brilliant schematically, but also was a great teacher. He would see something work in practice, but if it wasn’t done with precision he wanted it done again. Process over results. If Jerry Rice has to reach behind him to make a catch, that’s not acceptable. Joe Montana’s footwork and Rice’s route have to match timing-wise. Good enough isn’t good enough. It is done right or wrong.

I can’t stress how great it is to hear an answer like that. Chip Kelly is the first coach I can recall explaining how today’s players want to know why, not just what or how. He came from college and you know kids love to question everything. I think more and more coaches now can explain why because that’s the world we live in. The days of an authoritarian coach lording over his players are mostly gone. You better be player friendly if you want to succeed.

Mannion also impressed me by talking about meshing his scheme with things the Eagles already did. For all the frustrations with the offense, the basic scheme did get the Eagles to a pair of Super Bowls. Much of that was relying on superior talent, but you can still keep certain elements that the team did well. Mannion isn’t so in love with his scheme that he can’t keep an open mind and mix things in. That’s good coaching.

Some people are worried because Mannion hasn’t called plays before. He explained that he’s practiced at it and is always thinking what he would do in a given situation. A lot of plays are decided on in the game-planning during the week so that guys aren’t going crazy on gameday. Andy Reid had little play-calling experience before joining the Eagles and he did okay. Mannion will have his ups and downs. All coaches do.

The players seem to believe in him.

Some people took that as a jab at Nick Sirianni and the other coaches. That’s not how I took that at all. Mailata is hyping his new coach. There are going to be ups and downs, especially early on. The last thing we need is everyone ripping Mannion as Kevin Patullo Jr. Mailata has tsken on more of a leadership role and I think this is his way of showing support.

There really are two keys to the offense this season. The OL needs to be healthier this year. We’ll have to wait and see how Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens look this summer. I do think there is better depth this year so that could help if there are issues.

The most important factor is for Jalen Hurts to fully buy in to the new system. I loved Mannion talking about connecting with Hurts as a person first and foremost. That’s Nick Sirianni 101. Build a personal relationship and then mix in football. So far the new marriage seems to be off to a good start.

There is a lot of reason for optimism right now, but the proof will be in the pudding (chocolate of course). I do think it is important for everyone to be patient. There will be some bumps in the road. We have to give Mannion some time to fix problems and Hurts will need some time to fully acclimate himself in the new system.

*****

Howie is always looking.

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