The Philadelphia Eagles opened their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and there were notable developments and updates reported from the Jefferson Health Training Complex.
Now, of course, mandatory minicamp does not indicate how the roster will be set officially. Still, it does provide a glimpse as to how the coaching staff views players and their pecking order on the depth chart leading into training camp.
Day 1 featured another strong showing from one of the newest Eagles, an update on rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon, rotation in the secondary, and Lane Johnson singing the praises of the new offensive scheme.
Here are some key notes and updates that were reported.
Riq Woolen continues to shine
Another day, and another notable play made by the first-year Eagle. It appears that at each media-attended practice, Woolen has made a noteworthy play.
Woolen has freakish athleticism and has earned high praise from his new teammates already for his ability to cover and disrupt passes during the offseason workouts to this point.
The 27-year-old, who joined the Eagles on a one-year deal after winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season, believes that his new secondary group could be elite.
“Honestly, I feel like we can be one of the best secondary groups in the league,” Woolen said to the media after Tuesday’s session.
“We’re all confident about that. These guys have shown that with their work. I showed it with the work I put in. Being able to join them. The sky is the limit, and I feel like we can be one of the best groups in the NFL.
Lane Johnson in attendance for the mandatory sessions
Johnson was not in attendance for the voluntary OTA sessions, which was somewhat expected, allowing the right tackle more time to rest and prepare for the upcoming season after he missed a good chunk of the second half of last season due to a foot injury.
Johnson shared high praise for new offensive line coach Chris Kuper and said he had envied the type of offense they are learning to run this season from afar, mentioning he always wanted to play in this type of scheme.
Lemon did not practice
The rookie wide receiver is nursing his way back from a hamstring injury. It's certainly not ideal for the first year to have an injury this early, as it forces him to miss early valuable reps with Jalen Hurts to work on their rapport, but the Eagles will be
cautious with Lemon to ensure that the injury does not become a lingering issue.
Andy Dalton still the backup QB
It appears the Eagles will be leaning towards the veteran quarterback to serve as the backup to Hurts this season, for now, based on the three open practices to the media.
The 38-year-old is preparing for his 16th season in the NFL after spending the previous three with the Carolina Panthers serving as a backup to Bryce Young. Dalton has 3,539 total passing yards and 254 touchdowns in his career.
Nick Sirianni "excited" about wide receiver room
Sirianni mentioned the good run and the success they accomplished with Brown as the top wideout for the team, making two Super Bowls and winning one, but quickly turned his attention to the wide receivers that will be lining up for the Eagles this season.
He mentioned that DeVonta Smith has had a really good offseason and also compared Dontayvion Wicks' game to Keenan Allen.
The Eagles will be back on the field Wednesday to wrap up the two-day mandatory minicamp. It will be the final team workout before training camp commences in late July.
