CAMP NOTEBOOK: What's Next, Plays of the Day on Defense, Offense, and More
PHILADELPHIA – Doug Pederson is leaning toward making Friday’s training camp practice a tackle-to-the-ground scrimmage.
It will mark the fourth day the team will be in full pads. On Wednesday, the Eagles coach had his players practice lightly without pads or helmets.
“Really, we're evaluating everybody, quite honestly, but there are some young players that we want to see in just sort of game situations,” said Pederson prior to Thursday's practice. “We're now at the point where we would have had two preseason games, and it's time to get some answers on some of our young players. Hopefully tomorrow we can do that live.”
Monday and Tuesday were high-intensity practices with plenty of collisions and players getting knocked to the ground, but Friday will likely pit the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense with tackling on every play in the scrimmage.
And live contact figures to be fine with the players.
“We’re all football players,” said safety Jalen Mills. “As a defender, you’re always looking for the contact. Our identity, I think, has shown throughout this whole camp, as far as offense, defense, and special teams.
“Add in the contact, I think that’s going to add a little more energy. You still see guys flying around, making plays … I don’t think the tackling emphasis is going to change or slow anybody down.”
PLAY OF DAY – DEFENSE
There is no question DeSean Jackson is a difficult receiver to cover, with his speed and extraordinary ability to run routes, so it was a feather in the cap of cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman when he was able to break up a deep ball to Jackson during seven-on-seven drills.
NRC jumped to knock down the pass from Nate Sudfeld before Jackson could pluck it from the sky.
PLAY OF THE DAY - OFFENSE
Robert Davis won a jump ball situation during 11-on-11 when, on a throw deep down the sideline by Sudfeld, timed his leap perfectly to pull down a reception with Avonte Maddox leaping with him.
Davis had a decent day, also working his way open in the end zone on a scramble play from Jalen Hurts in goal-line drills to snare a touchdown in the front corner of the end zone with Robey-Coleman caught flat-footed.
STANDING OUT
Head coach Doug Pederson was asked who has stood out so far and he mentioned all three rookie receivers – Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins – and a UDFA cornerback, Michael Jacquet.
“As a corner has done some really, really nice things for us,” said the coach.
Pederson also mentioned rookie tackle Jack Driscoll, “who’s come in and we've put him in positions to go against Brandon Graham, go against Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, some of our starting D-ends and done a nice job there.”
The coach pointed out, however, that “there's a handful of guys there that we've been excited about, and again, there's a fine line, there's a balance between getting our starters prepared as you guys have seen in the first couple of days here with also evaluating some of these young players, and we've got to make sure that we're doing right by both groups.”
THE OTHER RILEY
Linebacker Duke Riley is better known in these parts than Elijah Riley, but it was Elijah Riley who made an interception of Jalen Hurts in seven-on-seven and took off running. Riley, who is a 5-11, 214-pound UDFA from Army, looked quick getting to the outside and turning up the sideline.
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