Eagles Start Practice Windows For Two Potential Contributors

Philadelphia started the practice window for second-year safety Sydney Brown and rookie WR Ainias Smith on Monday.

Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) intercepts a pass and returns for a 99 yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles are opening up the practice windows for second-year safety Sydney Brown and rookie wide receiver Ainias Smith.

Brown, one of the team's two third-round picks in 2023 at No. 66 overall, one spot after Philadelphia selected offensive lineman, Tyler Steen, tore an ACL in the 2023 regular-season finale against the New York Giants and started the season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to continue what is generally a 9-month rehab.

The Illinois product was injured on Jan. 7. Monday is exactly 9 months from the injury.

Brown has been at training camp and regular season practices working on a side field and then taking mental reps during team drills. He's felt physically fine for weeks but ACL injuries need a certain time to heal and that's where the demarcation line comes into it.

An athletic marvel, Brown spent his rookie season as a core special-teams player and also a contributor on defense playing safety and as a big nickel, playing in 335 defensive snaps. The highlight of his rookie season was a 99-yard interception return in a Week 17 loss to Arizona. He finished his rookie campaign with six starts in 14 games, accumulating 38 tackles -- one for loss -- along with the INT and a forced fumble.

"We're excited to get him coming back," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said last week. "We all have to have some patience, which I know isn't a big virtue amongst any of us at this time of the year. The guy hadn't played any football since his injury, I believe was the first week of January last year. Here we are, in October, and his OTAs and training camp are going to have to be squished together fast, which he is ready to do mentally and emotionally.

"But we have to be careful ourselves to not overdo it with him. Overdo it from a physical standpoint and an expectation standpoint."

The Eagles' starting safeties are Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson with Tristin McCollum as the lone backup on paper. Nickel corner Avonte Maddox can also play safety and spent most of camp at the position before moving back inside to slot corner when the regular season started.

"I think he's a good football player that brings energy. I think he’s a good tackler. I'm excited to see him, you know, for the first time," Fangio said of Brown. "Because I do think he's a good football player. Where he'll exactly fit in, we'll have to see."

Smith was the first of three fifth-round picks by Philadelphia this past April at No. 152 overall. He was placed on Injured Reserve/Designated for Return when an MRI revealed an ankle injury after the final preseason game against Minnesota in which the Texas A&M product played extensively, catching six of nine targets for 36 yards.

While Smith had a tough spring and summer for the Eagles, things did start slowing down for him in the final 10 days of camp and he seemed to be gaining some confidence.

A poetnial role as the punt returner coudl have opened for Smith when Britain Covey was placed on IR with a broken bone in his shoulder in late Spetember. Fellow rookie Cooper DeEJan has taken over that role but there is a thought that DeJean could replace Maddox as the Eagles' slot CB coming out of the bye and if that's teh case, Philadelphia could want DeJean focused on that.

The Eagles will have 21 days to add Brown and Smith to the 53-man roster all they will have to revert back to PUP and IR, respectively.

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