The Eagles are fresh off OTAs and while they take some time off before meeting again in late July, there’s plenty to ponder about. From questions about the defense to potential free-agent signings. Philadelphia will have a busy summer but none busier than the summer that Nolan Smith is having. The first-round draft pick has been showing his hunger as he attended Von Millers Summit for pass rushers.
Take a look at the latest in news and analysis for the Birds:
Nolan Smith told to “take advantage of this opportunity”
The excitement that’s been buzzing around the Novacare complex this offseason has been second to none. This buzz grew tenfold once the Eagles made their big splashes in the first round of the draft. Of those picks was Nolan Smith—a Georgia product that has the potential to be the cream of the crop in this year’s class.
His ability to get after the quarterback has reminded many Eagles fans of the team’s current pass rusher, Haason Reddick. Reddick had a monster season and he played in a hybrid role but has been listed as a linebacker. Smith is quietly following those same steps as the team has him listed in the same position but his potential is much more than your regular linebacker.
5 underdogs who could steal starting jobs
The Philadelphia Eagles will descend upon the NovaCare Complex on July 25 for the first day of training camp. The defending NFC champions are devoid of controversy with Jalen Hurts firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback.
This year, he has the $255 million contract to prove it. Hurts is one of the NFL’s fastest-rising stars. He set the foundation. He threw up the ladder. And now everyone has to follow him up to the next rung.
Here are 5 underdogs to keep an eye on:
LB Christian Elliss
The undrafted kid out of Idaho was the surprise darling of OTAs where he consistently made plays at weakside linebacker. Elliss, a special-teams ace in 2022, got some first-team reps and showed starter potential. He intercepted Jalen Hurts for a pick-six, then broke up another pass in coverage. At 6-foot-3, 231 pounds, he is significantly bulkier than Nicholas Morrow (6-foot, 216 pounds). And a lot hungrier. Elliss appears to have a real shot at unseating him.
S Sydney Brown
The Eagles invested a third-round pick (66th overall) in the thumper from Illinois, so they clearly see a bright future for him. Brown is a sideline-to-sideline safety who flew all over the field at OTAs. He’s physical. He’s fast. He’s a ballhawk. And he’s the hardest worker in the room. Brown will have every opportunity to steal the starting spot away from veteran newcomer Terrell Edmunds. (Yes, we’re assuming Reed Blankenship is locked in at free safety).
RB Trey Sermon
Don’t laugh. Stay with me. It’s easy to look at the depth chart and hype up the battle between D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny for RB1. They are far and away the two most talented backs on the roster. However, it has been a tad strange to hear all the hype swirling around Sermon. The former third-round pick is going to get an extended look at camp, maybe even get a crack with the first-team offense. Remember, the former Ohio State standout ran for 331 yards in the 2020 Big Ten Championship, which is the most ever in a single game by a Buckeyes player.
WR Olamide Zaccheaus
It almost seems like a foregone conclusion that Zaccheaus is going to win the starting slot job over Quez Watkins. He’s coming off a career year in Atlanta: 40 catches for 533 yards, 3 touchdowns. The Philly native is only marginally slower than Watkins (0.14 seconds) and boasts stickier hands. He’ll have to earn Jalen Hurts’ trust to win the starting job, but it’s there for the taking.
DT Milton Williams
The Eagles are stacked along the defensive line, so guys are going to rotate in like bullets on Rambo’s M60. It doesn’t really matter who technically starts the game. But, for argument’s sake, let’s put it out there that Williams could beat out Fletcher Cox. The third-year tackle is a much better run stopper, plus he’s a freak athlete who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.96 seconds. Williams is in for a big year.
Eagles OC says Hurts “works like a madman”
The relationship between the offensive play-caller and starting quarterback is the backbone of any great football franchise. Those two leaders of men must share a brain and finish each other’s sentences, synchronized in perfect harmony like ballet dancers.
Look no further than Doug Pederson and Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII: “You want Philly Philly? Let’s do it.” Pederson was the head coach, but he called the plays on that team. Fast forward to 2023. The Eagles’ lead play-caller is new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson who brings an invaluable new element to the job.
He has known Jalen Hurts for two decades, watching him mature from a carefree kid running around a Houston field house to a legitimate MVP candidate. The Johnson-Hurts connection might be the biggest storyline to watch in 2023 after Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. That relationship is going to be vital.
“I think with Jalen, nothing that he ever does will surprise me. He works like a madman,” Johnson said. “He’s very, very diligent. He’s very intentional about what he wants, and that shows on a daily basis in how he operates.”
Should the Eagles take a shot on Yannick Ngakoue?
Yannick Ngakoue’s name is always one that carries intrigue and it’s not the first time that he’s been available when the Eagles could benefit from his presence. But is now the time to pull the trigger on the 28-year-old?
The calm before the storm is here. OTA’s are in the rearview mirror and Training Camp is now on the horizon. As Eagles fans hold their collective breath in anticipation for the Summer ahead, the rumor mill is slowly beginning to spin as the remaining free agents begin looking for a new home before the regular season.
Yannick Ngakoue is no exception. The 28-year-old free agent is looking for a new team once again – his sixth since leaving the Jags. Best known for his role in the ‘Sacksonville’ Defense a few years ago, Ngakoue’s career has taken some unexpected twists and turns. He spent 2022 in Indianapolis on the back of a bounceback year with the Raiders in 2021. With 19.5 sacks over his last two years, it’s clear he still has some gas in the tank, but are the Eagles a suitor?
