It looks like things are building in the right direction for the Philadelphia Eagles so far in training camp. Despite the outside noise, Jalen Hurts and the offense are making significant progress with the newly established scheme. Although they have yet to really “own” the defense in this year's training camp, the unit is making significant strides.
Focusing on the defense first, Vic Fangio is well aware of just how dominant his defense has been against the offense but there’s no reason for anyone to panic.
"There's no scoreboard out there...I wouldn't be worried. We obviously got the best of them at yesterday's practice by a long shot, but that's the way it's been the last two years at training camp. So you shouldn’t be too concerned”
Although the defense being dominant has been a common trend over the last couple of seasons. The one thing you should take from this is that if the Eagles offense does explode this year, then teams will have an even bigger headache to deal with on defense.
The intensity is extremely high this year as both sides of the ball are trying to gain leverage over the other. A couple of second and third-string players got a bit chippy in today’s practice. LB Smael Mondon and offensive lineman Willie Lampkin exchanged some shoves after a play. Even veteran AJ Espenesa got into a heated verbal exchange with OL Jake Majors.
Offensively, things looked very fluid. Jalen Hurts is growing more comfortable with his playmakers. He had a great deep pass to Darius Cooper that hit his fingertips before falling to the ground. Hurts also connected with Dallas Goedert over the middle in between two defenders.
He repeated that trend by finding Dontayvion Wicks in between a set of defenders for a completion. The offense's creativity seems to be becoming an advantage for Jalen Hurts that will surprise many Eagles fans. The unique alignments and motion packages are going to be a sight for sore eyes come opening day.
Hurts has taken this new offensive scheme by the horns and is owning it. Sean Mannion described Hurts as hungry to learn, a strong note-taker and a dedicated student of the game.
“He’s a studier. He’s the last one on the field every day working on footwork.”
A key note on the offense is how Andy Dalton is sneakily becoming QB2. He’s outplayed McKee so far and his NFL experience is giving him a clear advantage.
Dontayvion Wicks is another player that you need to keep your eye on. He’s been sticking out like a sore thumb during training camp with his improved catching and route running. Today, he was seen working on his footwork with Saquon Barkley on the side. Barkley’s leadership is just another glimpse into why the Eagles have invested so much into the veteran running back.
Unfortunately, with training camp comes the dreadful injury report. Here was today’s injury report:
