An on-and-off torrential downpour sent the Eagles into their indoor facility for the fourth practice of training camp.
Here’s the stuff out of my notebook that’s worth passing along, along with my thoughts on what it means for the team long-term:
Hurts’ big moment
This was Jalen Hurts’ best practice of training camp, and may even have a case to be among his best over the last few years to my memory.
Let’s start with a list of all the “good throws” I had in my notebook before diving into exactly why his stellar practice should be even more encouraging than the indication would suggest on its own.
- First play of first-team offense against second-team defense. Hurts deep crosser to Dontayvion Wicks with Mac McWilliams in coverage. Good ball over the middle.
- Hurts to DeVonta Smith on a comeback route. Good timing.
- Red-zone period 1O vs 1D: Hurts to DeVonta Smith on an out route for a touchdown. Good placement.
- Situational two-point conversion play: Hurts cross-body throw to DeVonta Smith for a score. Low placement where only Smith could get it.
- Hurts to Darius Cooper on a dig route. Caught for 15ish yards. Nice ball over the first layer of the defense.
The volume of good throws aside, the sequence that defined Hurts’ practice came during the first seven-on-seven period of the morning. He targeted Elijah Moore on a quick route near the sideline, but Moore broke inside as Hurts threw outside. Quinyon Mitchell jumped the route that Moore didn’t run, and came up with the would-be pick 6 as a result.
By the time I hit send on the tweet about the interception, Hurts dropped back and ripped a throw up the seam to Moore on a vertical route, layering the ball over the first level of coverage and underneath the safety with zip on it. Moore double-caught the pass and coasted into the end zone for Hurts first “touchdown” of training camp, quieting down the chatter about whether it was a cause for worry that he went three practices without one. The big-time throw got an uncharacteristically big reaction from Hurts as well, who shouted something that reverberated against the walls of the indoor facility to go along with a fist pump.
And, for the record, saying Hurts hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass in practice was factual, but also somewhat reductive. The offense opened camp installing early-down concepts and spent almost every team period operating at midfield. The group had its first redzone period on Saturday, a day that was admittedly dominated by the Eagles defense, but reframing the proposition around Hurts “failing” to throw a 50-yard touchdown pass while working on early-down install against a talented and experienced secondary adds the necessary context. I’d argue, in fact, that the offense has looked better than I would have expected as we approach the close of the first week of training camp where the group is pitted against a defense entering Year 3 under Vic Fangio.
And speaking of install, something Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned before practice paints Hurts’ emphatic day in an even more encouraging light. The offense came into Monday’s practice planning to “review” the concepts Sean Mannion has already implemented with the players returning from an off day and benefitting from a walkthrough late last week.
“This will be a little bit more of a review of some of the things that you’ve seen,” Sirianni said. “But we’re working different things, working different concepts. The guys have done a good job of learning the new terminology.”
More simply put: Monday was the first time we got to see Jalen Hurts and Co. running plays they’ve had the chance to get a handful of meaningful reps with beforehand. It’s not a coincidence it was the group’s best day, and was a glimpse at what this offense can look like, especially if Hurts can continue unlocking the middle of the field in this new system.
Rookie report
It was a newsworthy day for the Eagles first three draft picks. Let’s summarize …
Makai Lemon did not participate in team drills on Monday and seemed to leave midway through the session. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Lemon isn’t suspected to have suffered a serious injury.
Not to overstate one play, but Eli Stowers had a noteworthy moment in practice that helps explain why we’ve seldom seen the second-round rookie working with the starting offense in the early days of camp.
The Eagles second-team offense lined up with Stowers split out wide. Edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie trailed him over to the sideline, a clear indication that the tight end would be facing man coverage out in space for a favorable matchup.
Stowers ran a slant route but gained little separation and Ebiketie broke the pass up.
None of this is to say Stowers won’t eventually reach his potential, but it does show that he’s still got work to do in order to be the type of matchup advantage some envisioned he’d be when the Eagles selected him. Those are the moments he’ll need to show it to earn a role as a rookie, although the Eagles should understandably have a longer view in mind for the former Vanderbilt standout who is still relatively new to the position.
With Lane Johnson sidelined for a second practice due to what the team has characterized as a “non-injury related” absence, Markel Bell got a handful of first-team reps at right tackle and spent the majority of the day working with the twos behind Fred Johnson. He previously spent Saturday’s practice at left tackle, indicative that the Eagles are seemingly testing his ability to operate as a swing tackle on game days this season.
Weru climbing
After watching the defensive-line individual period, my esteemed colleague Fran Duffy mentioned that Joshua Weru had caught his eye.
That’s high praise coming from him, and praise that was almost immediately affirmed by Weru getting a couple reps with the second-team defense for the first time this summer.
In case you aren’t familiar, Weru is a Kenyan native signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent after going through the International Player Pathway program along with defensive tackle Uar Bernard.
While he may not be quite as eye-catching as Bernard on face value alone, the 6-foot-4, 244 edge rusher does seem a little further along in his development. He’s explosive off the ball and his length means he’s got enough leverage to get real knock-back against offensive tackles that outweigh him.
We talked to NFL international scout Mark Dulgerian shortly after the NFL Draft, and Dulgerian said Weru’s private workout with him a few years ago was among the most impressive he’s ever seen.
“Since I’ve been with the IPP when I got here in 2022, he probably has the best overall movement skills of any athlete that we’ve had,” he said. “And just a very smart kid. He’s so resourceful.”
