The Eagles training camp really started on Saturday, as for the first time since the team reported on Wednesday, they put on the pads and got down to playing some real football — at least without the tackling.
Here are some observations from the physical two-hour practice:
Carson Wentz: Quarterback Carson Wentz had a busy day on Saturday as he was on the field for 28 reps with the first-team offense. That was the good news considering how limited he was in training camp last year.
The bad news? Wentz did not have a good day.
Wentz threw his first interception of training camp, as a pass intended for receiver Alshon Jeffery was picked off by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill. The interception was a great read by Grugier-Hill, but the fact Wentz threw an interception in a seven-on-seven drill is not good, considering passes are rarely picked off in those sessions. Wentz's day ended on a bad note as his last four passes all fell incomplete.
Wentz has had some issues with his deep passes over the first two days. On Friday he had receiver DeSean Jackson deep but overthrew him. He did the same on Saturday on a very similar route by Jackson. Later in practice on Saturday he had receiver Alshon Jeffery deep but overthrew him by about two yards. In a game all three passes — if completed — likely would have been touchdowns.
Wentz's best play of the day came during an 11-on-11 drill when he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and found tight end Dallas Goedert about 20-yards down the middle of the field for a long gain. The throw was right on the money.
Overall, however, Wentz did not have a great day in the first real, intense practice of training camp.
Stats: 14/21, 0 TD, 0 INT, 28 reps
Grade: C-
Sidney Jones: Cornerback Sidney Jones is facing a ton of pressure in training camp as he battles for a starting spot in the secondary. He has responded with some of his best play in an Eagles' uniform. After a strong day on Friday, Jones came back on Saturday and made a high-light reel interception, coming down with a ball over receiver Alshon Jeffery. The catch was an incredible one, as he tracked it over his shoulder and held onto it as he hit the ground. Jones has to be thrilled with how training camp is going for him so far.
Vinny Curry: The Eagles need a big season out of defensive end Vinny Curry, who is the top backup at the position and should play close to the amount of snaps the starters will. It is hard for defensive ends to really shine in training camp considering you can't hit the quarterback, but Curry did have one of the best plays of the day against the run when he burst through the line and "tackled" running back Miles Sanders for a loss.
Miles Sanders: Rookie running back Miles Sanders had some issues with drops in college despite his limited targets in the passing games, so it shouldn't have been surprising to see him drop a pass that hit him right in the hands during as one-on-one drill. Still, considering the role the Eagles want him to play this season — their top dual-threat running back — seeing him drop such an easy pass should be concerning for the Eagles. Sanders has looked good running the ball but he has some work to do in the passing game.
Wendell Smallwood: The Eagles ran the ball a ton on Saturday and the running back that made the best of his reps was Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood has always been a good training camp player because of his above-average speed, great hands and willingness to get physical. Smallwood had a few impressive runs on Saturday against the first-team defense. Smallwood is battling for a roster spot — like he is every year — and is not going to make it easy for the Eagles to cut him.
Physical: The Eagles had their pads on Saturday but weren't supposed to be tackling to the ground. That didn't stop the defense, however, from taking some big shots on the offense. At the end of one run safety Andrew Sendejo nailed running back Josh Sweat near the sideline, sending him to the ground. Then, later in practice, linebacker Alex Singleton had a huge hit on running back Boston Scott, a hit that had his fellow defensive teammates going wild.
Cfre'von LeBlanc: Cornerback Cre'von LeBlanc was absent for the second-straight day of practice. It could be the first of many he misses as reporters saw LeBlanc with a boot on his foot and using a roll-a-bout after practice. The Eagles secondary is quickly becoming one of the most injured on the team as starters Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby are already sidelined.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
