Some thing never change.
The Eagles are just three days into the padded-practice portion of training camp, and much like 2019, the injury list in 2020 is a long one.
So far, their starting defensive end, starting defensive tackle, starting running back, starting wide receiver and their top backup cornerback are all sidelined. Their starting right guard hasn’t taken a snap yet in a live drill.
How concerned should fans be?
Here is a look at all of the key injuries, with #WorryMeter rating from 1 (don’t be worried) to 10 (Serious concern) for each:
Miles Sanders: (Lower body, week-to-week)
Sanders being a new addition to the injury report is really what set fans over the edge, considering how important he is going to be to the offense this year. Sanders had an outstanding two days of camp prior to being sidelined on Wednesday, and looked completely ready to go for the start of the season. Sanders missing reps over the next two weeks isn’t ideal, but there seems to be little doubt that he will be on the field in Week 1. The only worry here is whether the tweak he suffered to cause this lower-body injury designation is something that could potentially linger throughout the season, as lower-body injuries on running backs tend to do.
#WorryMeter: 3
Javon Hargrave: (Upper body, multiple weeks)
Of all the injuries the Eagles are currently dealing with, there is little doubt that Hargrave’s is the one to be most concerned about. It is very unlikely Hargrave takes any snaps in training camp, and at this point, him being ready for Week 1 might be optimistic. Even if he is ready, however, Hargrave will have gone nine months without taking a single snap in a live drill. That is not good for any player, but especially a defensive linemen, who require some time to get back into game shape. The Eagles saw that the last two seasons when Brandon Graham (2018) and Fletcher Cox (2019) both missed essentially all of training camp. Both went on to have disappointing seasons. The Eagles paid Hargrave a lot of money this offseason to make an impact on their line in 2020. The chances of that happening now feel slim.
#WorryMeter: 8
Derek Barnett: (Lower body, week-to-week)
Like Hargrave, the concern with Barnett is that he will likely go nine months between snaps if he is able to suit up in Week 1. Considering how important this year is for him, missing so much time in training camp is obviously not good. While Barnett’s injury does not seem as serious as Hargrave’s injury, the fact that Barnett has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career so far is what adds to the concern. Barnett has missed 12 games over the last two seasons. For him to start training camp on the injury list is hopefully not a sign of things to come.
#WorryMeter: 7
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: (Lower body, day-to-day)
To say this is a big training camp for Arcega-Whiteside is an understatement. After a disappointing rookie season, Arcega-Whiteside needed to come in and show he was an improved player from last season, when he was extremely unproductive in the snaps he did get. The concern here isn’t so much about the lower-body injury lingering. The concern is that he is missing valuable snaps in practice. The good news is that it looks like he could be back on the field in full-team drills shortly.
#WorryMeter: 4
Jason Peters: (Lower body, day-to-day)
There are two reasons to be worried about Peters. The first is that, at 38-years old, he is already dealing with an injury just three days into the padded-portion of camp. The second is that perhaps more than any year in the last 10 years of his career, Peters needs the reps in practice as he tries to learn his new position, right guard. Peters took some reps on Wednesday in a rainy, slowed-down practice, but has yet to take a rep at right guard in a live-team setting. With all of the OTAs and minicamps cancelled, Peters could go into Week 1 with taking less than 100 reps at his new position. That should be a concern for the Eagles, no matter how much faith they have in Peters.
#WorryMeter: 5.5
Sidney Jones: (Lower body, day-to-day)
Jones falls into the same category as Barnett. Will he be ready for Week 1? Yes, he likely will be. But like Barnett, Jones missing any time at practice is not a good thing, considering how big this year is for him. Also like Barnett, Jones has had issues staying healthy, and has specifically dealt with lower-body injuries. Jones needs to get as many reps as possible in camp, both to get ready for the season, but also to secure a role on the team.
#WorryMeter: 6
Dallas Goedert: (Upper body, day-to-day)
Goedert has had an outstanding training camp so far. The combination of the injury being upper-body, in addition to it being designated day-to-day, shouldn’t be very worrisome for fans.
#WorryMeter: 2
Boston Scott: (Lower body, day-to-day)
The concern with Scott is similar to the one fans should have with Sanders — anytime a running back suffers a lower-body injury, there is concern it is something that could linger throughout the season. Scott being day-to-day is a good sign, and it is likely he will be returning to practice soon.
#WorryMeter: 2
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!