This was probably the last day of the preseason where unbridled enthusiasm is tolerated among us Bored members and fans in general…
Over 23,000 fans attended Sunday’s Open Practice at the Linc. It was an amazing display of support for both the team and the military by the fans in attendance, according to the PE.com guys who were there, as the Eagles honored the men and women of our Armed Forces at Military Appreciation Day (presented by Dietz and Watson–which if you don’t know, is a regional meat processor— I do like their Lite Turkey sliced thin).
I guess you could say WR Nelson Agholor stole the show in terms of practice highlights— but then again, there is always that specter of “it doesn’t really count yet” hanging over poor Ags.
“It started on the first play of full-team kickoff return drills. Agholor raced down the left sideline as the crowd’s cheers grew to a roar. During one-on-one drills, Agholor ran an outstanding route against cornerback Patrick Robinson
to break open on a catch-and-run. He beat Ron Brooks on an out-and-up route for what likely would’ve been a touchdown. – Fran Duffy “
“What’s really stood out to me is how Agolohor is catching the ball away with his hands from his body. He’s not body-catching the ball. Strong hands. He finished off his outing with a touchdown in 7-on-7 drills on a deep post route. – Chris McPherson “
Hmmm…. maybe Alshon Jeffery really is rubbing off on the rest of our returning WR cast…
This was also good to see:
As the first-team group got started, Lane Johnson and Brandon Graham both battled hard on the first rep, as did Fletcher Cox and Brandon Brooks. Jason Kelce anchored down well against nose tackle Destiny Vaeao on a snap where you could really see Kelce’s athleticism and ability to bend come into play. Tim Jernigan beat Isaac Seumalo on a “push-pull” move, shocking Seumalo with a strong punch, and then swimming past him on the way to the QB. Vinny Curry bull-rushed the left tackle, Dillon Gordon, and karate chopped the ball to the ground.
Nothing to really conclude from that bit except our defensive depth seems to potentially have improved with the addition of Jernigan.
“In my opinion, Jalen Mills has been the best cornerback thus far in camp. Sure, he’s allowed his fair share of completions, but even those have come against tight coverage. His ability to recognize routes and pass concepts has been very good. During the final team drill, he broke up a pass intended for Jeffery deep down the left sideline. – Chris McPherson “
The caveat—there was no tackling to the ground allowed— real live total hitting and tackling will only take place for the first of three practices on Tuesday, August 1.
Nice words from Jordan Hicks (ILB):
“I know what’s it’s like with the fans and how much they love this team, so coming out here was a reminder for me,” middle linebacker Jordan Hicks said. “For the new guys, welcome to Philadelphia. The Eagles mean something to these fans. You saw some of that today. It’s a place where football is such a huge part of people’s lives and we all appreciate it very, very much.”
It is a large part of my life and probably yours, too. Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through the grind—until I remember we are on a mission from Brizer and Palmy to see this thing through to an eventual championship.
Head coach Doug Pedersen also provided injury updates on cornerback Randall Goforth, defensive end Alex McCalister, and defensive tackle Elijah Qualls. He announced Qualls (groin) would be unavailable for practice on Monday while McCalister (hamstring) was listed as day to day. During Friday’s practice, Goforth went down while making a play on the ball against wide receiver Paul Turner during the team’s 7-on-7 drill resulting in a season-ending knee injury.
“It’s unfortunate, but it is a knee. It is an ACL injury. It’s a disappointing injury for him as a young player,” Pederson revealed.
Yeah, getting injured in a training camp scenario is the pits for a player, especially one trying to make the team. It’s another example of why no one in their right mind at any level of experience in the NFL should dare to take any day for granted in the league.
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