Eagles Training Camp Day 5: Pads Are Popping, Red Zone And One-On-Ones

The Eagles were in pads for the first time this summer on Tuesday morning.

The Eagles put on the pads on July 30, 2024 / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - In the spring, Eagles' off-ball linebackers coach Bobby King said "Everybody's in pajamas." After Monday's practice with the pads looming one of King's students, Nakobe Dean, remarked “This T-shirt and shorts is cute but we play football in pads.”

Philadelphia's acclimation period is officially over. Football finally arrived Tuesday morning at the NovaCare Complex when the Eagles were in full pads for 99 minutes and a developmental period, the longest of five training camp practices to date.

And that was complemented by the popping of pads, along with the first significant red-zone work of the summer which was able to show Jalen Hurts' plus-one impact on the running game in close quarters as well as the deftness of Kenny Gainwell as a receiving back..

Things kicked off with a test of physicality with Saquon Barkley taking a handoff straight up the middle for a short gain before Zack Baun stopped him.

Hurts’ best play may have been smartly navigating the pocket in the red zone before climbing and delivering a strike to Gainwell, who was consistently one step ahead of Nakobe Dean in coverage.

The defense as a whole was solid, though, again relying on a talented front against a somewhat depleted offensive line.

Here's what we observed:

-The Tuesday bookkeeping included LB Oren Burks (knee) missing his fourth consecutive practice and starting right guard Tyler Steen (ankle) missing his second straight session, with Mekhi Becton again getting the first-team work in Steen's absence. Barkley returned from a personal day and Lane Johnson was back at his familiar right tackle spot after missing Monday's practice with a toe injury.

Left guard Landon Dickerson went to the injury tent during the session but did return to the sidelines with his helmet, although he never returned to the practice. Rookie fifth-round pick Trevor Keegan filled in despite being listed as limited with a shoulder injury. Dickerson did noticeably tweak his knee early in Monday's practice but shook it off and never left.

Backup running back Kendall Milton also went inside for a short time but did return.

-After three consecutive practices with Kelee Ringo getting the first rep at right cornerback, Isaiah Rodgers was back in that role Tuesday with Ringo liberally working in. Rookie first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell was the first-team slot for a second consecutive day with Avonte Maddox working at second-team safety with James Bradberry.

Mitchell continues to be very impressive, holding up well with All-Pro A.J. Brown in a few one-on-one battles and draping Britain Covey in the red zone for a PBU on a Kenny Pickett throw.

-On one red zone Hurts pass to Barkley, the duo wasn't on the same page. Hurts was animated after the play and it looked like Barkley wasn't where he was supposed to be to point Hurts essentially ran the route on the field to explain it to Barkley.. The cardinal rule for any receiver is don't fool the quarterback and Gainwell was the better receiver in the red zone by a significant margin on one day in late July.

-Devin White and Baun are now 5-for-5 as the first two linebackers on the field but Dean's work with the ones continues to ramp up. In one red-zone series, we got to see Dean and Baun together.

-Watching safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson practice is always fun. The playmaker brought plenty of juice on Tuesday, celebrating coverage sacks and tweaking the offense for its reliance on the QB run game in the red zone.

-Backup RT Fred Johnson, who got some first-team reps as well with Lane Johnson, on a pitch count won the Olivia Newton-John Award ("Physical" for the youngsters) for getting all of Baun on a block, something that looked like it might devolve into the first right off the summer. Ultimately Baun settled for a shove in the back and the 6-foot-7, 326-pound OT laughed it off.

-The defense still hasn't recorded an interception this summer but was awfully close on Tuesday. Ringo dropped a gimme when Hurts didn't see the cornerback in 7-on-7 red-zone work, and backup safety Mekhi Garner came up with the football in the end zone on the last play of the developmental work but was correctly ruled out of bounds by the officiating crew on hand.

-With the pads on the Eagles unleashed one-on-ones with the offensive line vs. defensive line. Some of the highlights were DT Jalen Carter tossing off the 363-pound Becton in almost Reggie White-like fashion, a signature dip and bend from second-year player Nolan Smith on undrafted rookie Anim Dankwah, as well as a standout bull rush from Marlon Tuipulotu on Brett Toth.

A big win for the offense was center Cam Jurgens stonewalling the 336-pound Jordan Davis.

-The one-on-one receiver vs. defensive back drills were highlighted by the Mitchell-Brown dynamic. The rookie gave the star a little stare-down after a nice rep and Brown responded with a ridiculous one-handed grab that was waived off for being out of bounds.

Other than DeVonta Smith, no Eagles receiver gets more consistent separation than Covey and it's about the route-running. Also, rookie Johnny Wilson showed off his 6-6 frame going over Zech McPhearson.

A negative was backup Pickett's ball placement being a bit off.

-Some other defensive highlights in the practice were Rodgers with a nice PBU while covering Brown in team drills, Davis and Milton Williams batting down passes at the line of scrimmage, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. filling the hole impactfully by halting Ty Davis-Price in his tracks.

-Davis Price dropped passes on two consecutive plays late in the practice and needs to tighten up his hands.

-Among those at practice were New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who became an Eagles fan when his dad played for the Phillies, and members of the Liverpool Football Club, which is set to play Arsenal on Wednesday at Lincoln Financial Field.

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