10 things I need to see during Eagles training camp

[time2rock]

10 things I need to see during Eagles training camp

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Is it really training camp if it’s only 14 days, nobody gets tackled, practices last about an hour and a half, fans aren’t allowed to watch and you won’t see a single little kid walking alongside a mammoth offensive lineman carrying his helmet and pads?

It’s called training camp, so it must be training camp, but really it’s just practice. The Eagles over the next few weeks will hold nine practices at the NovaCare Complex, one at the Linc open to the public, two in Cleveland and two in Miami. 

Here — in no particular order — are 10 things I need to see during the open practices over the next few weeks.

1. Marcus Epps. The Eagles are relying heavily on Epps to jump from 31 snaps per game to probably about twice that. Epps was solid last year in a limited role, but he’s never been a full-time starter, and with Rodney McLeod gone he’s got to double his reps without a drop-off in production. We’ve all seen guys who have excelled in a backup role but can’t duplicate it once they become a starter. I want to see how comfortable Epps is over these next few weeks in an expanded role. 

2. I want to see lots of Andre Dillard at right tackle and even guard. If I’m Howie Roseman, I’m going to keep trying to trade Dillard, and the more versatile he is, the more value he’ll have. If he shows he can be a competent two-way tackle, he becomes a lot more tradable. Nobody is going to give up a decent pick for an offensive tackle who can only play on one side. The Seattle game was a disaster. He wasn’t ready. But that was three years ago, and Dillard is a different guy now. I want to see him get reps at both tackles and play on both sides in the preseason games. If he shows he can do it, I think you can get a decent return for the former first-round pick.

3. K’Von Wallace and Davion Taylor are in similar positions. They were drafted 24 picks apart in 2019, both have shown flashes when they’ve played, and both have been injured a lot. And both play positions where the Eagles brought in some new blood. This is a big camp for both of them. I want to see them stay healthy for all of camp, play like third-year pros and show they belong. I don’t think either of them has a roster spot locked up, but if they stay on the field and show up and make plays, they’ll both be here.

4. I want to see if Carson Strong shows anything. You don’t see a lot of undrafted rookie quarterbacks make the roster out of camp, but Strong isn’t just any rookie — he’s a guy with a loaded résumé at a major college who at one point was considered a pretty high draft pick. Strong threw 63 touchdown passes the last two years at Nevada — most in the BCS — while completing 70 percent of his passes. The question is his knees. But if he looks good, stays healthy and is able to move around in the pocket enough to not be a sitting duck, it would give the Eagles some flexibility if they decide to trade Gardner Minshew at some point. 

5. Even with Craig James released, there’s an army of young cornerbacks in camp — Zech McPhearson, Jimmy Moreland, Tay Gowan, Josh Blackwell, Kary Vincent Jr., Josiah Scott, Mac McCain, Mario Goodrich and Josh Jobe. With Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox locked in, that leaves nine guys battling for two or three possible roster spots. It’s going to be a free-for-all watching these guys and seeing which ones establish themselves as legit NFL players. If any.

6. Arryn Siposs was brutal last year, especially late in the season when weather conditions got worse and the games got bigger. He was the worst punter in the NFL the last month of the season, and honestly I wouldn’t have brought him back. But he is back, and he’s the only punter in camp, at least for now. I just want to see him punt the ball more consistently and with some authority. If he can’t do it, I want him outta here.

7. The Eagles are relying heavily on two rookies to help solidify the defense, and although Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean both played for one of the greatest college defenses ever assembled last year at Georgia, this is a big transition for them. Dean needs to show he can handle both weak-side and middle linebacker and that he can hold up in the NFL at 5-11, 230 pounds, and Davis needs to show he can keep his weight under control and play at a high level deep into games while getting maybe 30 snaps a game. You can tell pretty quickly how well rookies are picking things up, not just by watching them at practice but through their interactions with teammates and coaches and by how many first-team reps they’re getting. 

8. I really want to see Devon Allen. Maybe it’s partly because I’m an obsessive track and field nut, but this is such an interesting experiment. He’s a project, but he’s a world-class athlete who has actually played high-level college football, although it was a long time ago. Can he catch? Can he get off the line of scrimmage against experienced corners playing press? Can he transform that hurdles speed into football speed? I still think he’s a long shot, but man, he’s such an intriguing one. 

9. I want to see if B.G. still looks like B.G. He’s 34 now and coming off Achilles surgery, but the Eagles need him to be a factor in a defensive end room that doesn’t have a ton of juice. Haason Reddick should help the pass rush, but he’s really a SAM linebacker and not a traditional 4-3 defensive end. Does Brandon Graham still have that burst? That quickness? That explosion? We'll start to get a good idea of that these next few weeks.

10. And of course Jalen Hurts. I’m not worried about his arm strength. He doesn’t have a Michael Vick rocket launcher, but his arm is fine. What I do want to see is accuracy, anticipation and recognition. I want to see him quickly decipher what the defense is doing, process the pass rush and coverage and deliver the football to the open guy in a way that he can catch it smoothly and pick up some yards after the catch. I want to see growth. I want to see improvement. Hurts has some studs to throw to. I just want to see him run the offense efficiently, consistently and productively. 

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-training-camp-2022-jalen-hurts-jordan-davis-devon-allen-nfl

[weko]

KC needs a LT and with Brown refusing to play for half a billion and they have no one else.  Take a 3rd rounder from the Chiefs and move Dillard now.

[brkmsn]

Quote

You don’t see a lot of undrafted rookie quarterbacks make the roster out of camp, but Strong isn’t just any rookie — he’s a guy with a loaded résumé at a major college 

When thinking in terms of football, I'm not sure I consider Nevada a "major college."