The Philadelphia Eagles held their remaining OTA apply — the second of two spring periods open to media members — on Thursday afternoon and I watched the motion unfold contained in the bubble on the NovaCare Complicated. Let’s get to some observations!
DISCLAIMER: Earlier than we get began, please keep in mind that the Eagles don’t allow movies/images after warmups and place drills. So, that’s why you’re not seeing any crew drill highlights.
ATTENDANCE UPDATES: Numerous key gamers had been lacking from apply. It bears repeating that OTAs are voluntary, so it’s not the most important deal that they had been absent. A.J. Brown attended final week’s apply however wasn’t there at this time. DeVonta Smith was again after not being round final Thursday.
INJURY UPDATES: Nonetheless no apply for Avonte Maddox, who watched from the sideline. Marlon Tuipulotu was in a position to take part to some extent after being restricted to rehab work final week. Derek Barnett (be trustworthy, did you keep in mind he’s nonetheless on the crew?) was at apply however didn’t take part. Nonetheless making his method again from his 2022 Week 1 ACL damage.
JALEN HURTS UPDATE: This wasn’t the most effective Hurts apply I’ve ever seen. He received picked off twice by two unheralded gamers (Christian Elliss and undrafted rookie free agent Mekhi Garner) and had one other deep shot down the left sideline knocked down. He additionally had a brief goal to Greg Ward Jr. damaged up by 2022 UDFA signing Mario Goodrich. Hurts barely overthrew Quez Watkins on one other downfield throw. On the brilliant facet, Hurts did have some good connections with DeVonta Smith. It’s unimaginable to get too troubled by a single OTA apply after what we noticed Hurts accomplish final season. However I’ll say I believed he carried out higher in OTAs final yr than he did within the two practices I watched this yr. I anticipate him to be sharper in coaching camp.
For those who missed final week’s notes, I wrote the next about Christian Elliss:
The opposite memorable Mariota second was when he threw a cross over the center that didn’t get excessive sufficient to not be intercepted properly by Christian Elliss. Good play. I’ve talked about on a pair BGN Radio podcasts that I imagine Elliss may need the biggest delta on the roster. He may conceivably not even make the roster … or he may probably steal a beginning off-ball linebacker spot. The almost certainly final result, in fact, is that he falls between these two choices. However I really feel like Elliss has extra of an opportunity to play significant snaps than most would assume. He confirmed some juice in an extremely small pattern measurement final yr. On the very least, he ought to be particular groups contributor. Attention-grabbing under-the-radar candidate to watch.
I convey this up as a result of Elliss stood out once more on Thursday. The 24-year-old took first crew reps subsequent to Nakobe Dean (undecided if Nicholas Morrow was round) and did his half to flash. Elliss broke up a brief Hurts goal meant for Jack Stoll after which intercepted Hurts in the course of the sector for a choose six. Elliss displaying athleticism to hold in protection and instinctual play-making skill is actually a optimistic improvement for the crew. He continues to construct a case for getting snaps on protection. Pairing the 6’3”, 231-pound Elliss with the 5’11, 231-pound Nakobe Dean could possibly be very best versus having the 6’0”, 216-pound Morrow subsequent to him as an alternative. Dean and Morrow would make for a comparatively small linebacker corps.
It will’ve been very best to see Dean flash greater than he has up to now. After all, there’s nonetheless loads of time for him to do this a lot in coaching camp and the preseason video games. But when it’s one other quiet summer time for him, that will be disappointing.
Terrell Edmunds has a repute for being a stable however unspectacular security. The veteran security did make a splash play at this time by flattening a Hurts cross to Olamide Zaccheaus to stop a 40-yard landing. I believe some is likely to be sleeping on Edmunds; I don’t assume he’ll be so simply displaced by Sydney Brown. I’m anticipating Edmunds and Reed Blankenship to be the Eagles’ beginning safeties this season … with Brown probably enjoying some rotational snaps.
DeVonta Smith: Nonetheless excellent. He ran crisp routes and often received open at varied ranges of the sector. He fooled UDFA cornerback Eli Ricks on a double transfer for a straightforward landing at one level.
That is an particularly anecdotal remark however I really feel like Marcus Mariota doesn’t have nice zip on his throws. Mariota didn’t do a lot that was noteworthy; the one factor I wrote down was when he overthrew Kenneth Gainwell within the flat.
Tanner McKee appears to course of the sector properly for a Day 3 rookie. He doesn’t look rattled again there. Nor ought to he in a 7-on-7 setting … however that a lot can’t all the time be taken with no consideration. The identical couldn’t be mentioned about Carson Robust final yr, for instance.
UDFA CB Mekhi Garner notching an interception on Hurts was good however he received reprimanded by the teaching workers for punting the ball after making the play (clearly can be a penalty in an actual recreation). Offensive gamers didn’t like that, both.
Dan Arnold popped as soon as once more with a troublesome leaping catch. It helped that he was being lined by Kyron Johnson, who’s taking reps at off-ball linebacker versus being an edge rusher.
Including my very own commentary relating to Nick Sirianni’s pre-practice press convention the place he overvalued Quez Watkins: it looks as if he thinks Quez is a participant who stands to learn from being talked up. In contrast, different gamers would possibly reply higher to being challenged. Whereas I imagine the Eagles genuinely like Quez greater than most followers do, it’s additionally true that Sirianni’s feedback do nothing to hurt Watkins’ commerce worth.
Jalen Hurts says Quez Watkins is “doing a extremely good job.” He says Quez is “enjoying a variety of completely different positions.”
Added: “He’s hungry. And he’s used all the things as gas. And I’m excited to see the present he places on this yr.”#Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) June 8, 2023
UP NEXT: Summer time trip! Eagles gamers and coaches are off till coaching camp begins in late July. We’ll nonetheless have each day protection of the Birds within the meantime right here at Bleeding Inexperienced Nation.
