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Today marked the ninth day of 2018 Philadelphia Eagles training camp practice. Tonight’s session was more abbreviated than usual. Here’s what I observed.
• Daily Carson Wentz update: Wentz took first team reps in group install. For the sixth practice in a row, however, he did not participate in 11-on-11 drills. He did continue to do 7-on-7. The only noteworthy things I have on Wentz: he overthrew Mack Hollins deep, he had a pass for Bryce Treggs over the middle broken up by Jalen Mills, and he had Treggs in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown but the wide receiver couldn’t bring it in.
• Injury updates: Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles did not practice. No word on why, maybe a veteran rest day. Zach Ertz sat out for the second practice in a row. On Friday, Doug Pederson said he was just having a rest day. Markus Wheaton, Shelton Gibson, Richard Rodgers, Ian Park, and Asantay Brown all did not practice. Matt Jones was full go today. Veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace left practice early after making a catch in 11-on-11. He returned to practice without a helmet and was seen with an ice pack on his knee.
• Sidney Jones took first team nickel corner reps today. That puts the competition at: five days of Jones, three days of De’Vante Bausby, and one day of Jalen Mills (with Jones on the outside). Looks like Jones is building some separation here.
• Nate Gerry was taking first team WILL reps.
• The atmosphere at practice was incredible. I’ve never seen so much energy for a training camp practice. It’s almost like the Eagles won the Super Bowl earlier this year or something.
Tons of Eagles fans here for training camp practice at the Linc. Here to watch the reigning Super Bowl champs practice. pic.twitter.com/0aUaP1OkpI
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 5, 2018
Eagles fans here are doing non-stop “E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!” chants. Never been to a practice with this much energy.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 5, 2018
Guy wearing Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott jersey getting booed out of the stadium. Eagles fans really letting him have it. (h/t @BenjaminSolak)
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 5, 2018
To the over 40,000 fans in attendance tonight, thank you.#EaglesCamp | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/saWEkrZFKM
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 6, 2018
• Up-and-down practice for Nate Sudfeld. He made a great throw to Nelson Agholor around 35 yards or so to Nelson Agholor. Dropped it right in the bucket with Malcolm Jenkins trailing closely behind. Also a real nice catch from Agholor. Sudfeld had another nice strike to Rashard Davis over the middle in traffic. OK, now for the bad. Sudfeld almost got Wallace lit up by Rodney McLeod on a pass he sailed off target down the field. Ronald Darby broke up a Sudfeld throw to Mack Hollins. Doug Pederson wasn’t happy about that one; seems like Sudfeld threw to the wrong guy on the play. Sudfeld sailed a throw over the middle to Hollins and got picked off by Jordan Hicks. Sudfeld placed a ball too far out in front of Agholor in the back of the end zone. Jeremy Reaves broke up a deep Sudfeld pass to Davis as the ball held in the air a little too long. Sudfeld got a lot of work tonight with Foles and Wentz not practicing. Dedicated to first AND second team reps.
• Joe Callahan wasn’t exactly lighting things up, either.
• Kamu Grugier-Hill continues to flash. He notched a “sack” after exploding through middle of the line. Kamu also had a nice pick on a Sudfeld pass over the middle. Benjamin Solak noted how the Eagles have been shifting him over the tight end at times with Malcolm Jenkins dropping down to MIKE linebacker. I think the Kamu will find ways to get on the field this season, and not just for special teams.
• Donnel Pumphrey continues to look way more threatening as a runner this summer. Good mix of speed and wiggle. The 2017 fourth-round pick did have one really bad drop where he was wide open in the end zone. Just didn’t make the play.
• Jordan Mailata was responsible for opening running room for Pump on one play. He looks better out in space than he does when it comes to pass protection.
• Josh Adams had a nice run. Seen some positive signs from him recently.
• De’Vante Bausby got away with a bad defensive holding in the red zone.
• LaRoy Reynolds got beat badly by Josh Perkins during a red zone portion of practice. Allowed a touchdown.
• Avonte Maddox got Moss’d by Billy Brown on the last play of practice. Brown has stood out a little more lately.
• Offensive line versus defensive line 1-on-1: Jason Kelce got driven back by Fletcher Cox, who then patted Kelce on the helmet after the play. Kelce looked a little gimpy afterwards. Stefen Wisniewski stood up Destiny Vaeao. Halapoulivaati Vaitai owned Derek Barnett on one rep but then Barnett got the best of Big V later on thanks to some great hand usage. Isaac Seumalo had a good rep against Aziz Shittu. Then Seumalo got destroyed by Qualls. Steven Means pushed back Toby Weathersby with ease. Matt Pryor owned Joe Ostman. Just a real good summer for the Eagles’ 2018 sixth-round pick. Vaeao toasted Chance Warmack. Mailata got beat twice by undrafted rookie free agent Danny Ezechukwu.
• Even though Wentz hasn’t practiced a ton lately, he still has more training camp touchdowns than Dak Prescott. Reports indicate Dak hasn’t looked too great in Cowboys camp this year.
Dak > Wentz!!!!!! (h/t @Philly_Gunner) pic.twitter.com/oSeFyqYuBV
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 6, 2018
• Practice attendance update:
Eagles open practice attendance totals:
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 6, 2018
2016: 18,276 and 17,389
2017: 23,000 and 36,000
2018: 40,000 and (second Linc practice on 8/11)
• Military Appreciation Night:
Always a cool scene. Eagles players giving their practice jerseys to military members. pic.twitter.com/ypDVypUiWD
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 6, 2018
UP NEXT: The Eagles are back at practice tomorrow morning starting at 9:35 AM ET. As always, stay tuned to Bleeding Green Nation.