The Eagles were back at work on Wednesday, holding their second-to-last voluntary OTA practice of the summer before the mandatory sessions start next week.
Wednesday was a relatively easy practice, with most of the backups on offense getting the work while the starters watched. The result was not many snaps for quarterback Carson Wentz, but plenty of work rookie quarterback Clayton Thorson.
Here are some takeaways from Wednesday's practice:
Avonte Maddox: Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has stressed that reading into who is on the field at what position is pointless in OTAs, but it is hard not to notice that second-year cornerback Avonte Maddox has been with the first team defense at nickel during each practice open to the media.
Maddox being on the field with the starters is not especially noteworthy, as he is likely to be near the top of the defense in snaps this season. What is noteworthy is that he has been getting all of the snaps at nickel cornerback over Cre'von LeBlanc, who played at a high level last season when he took over the job.
Where the Eagles were going to play Maddox was one of the more interesting questions surrounding the defense this offseason. So far, it looks like Maddox is going to be the starting nickel cornerback, and there might not be much of a competition between him and LeBlanc.
Clayton Thorson: Thorson, as is the case with all rookies, has been pretty up-and-down during OTAs. He certainly had some throws he'd like back on Wednesday. One pass that he threw from about the 15-yard line went right into double coverage and should have been picked off by cornerback Sidney Jones. A few passes later he went right back at Jones, this time underthrowing the ball in the corner of the endzone, resulting in an interception.
Looking past his rookie mistakes, however, it is starting to become very clear why the Eagles liked Thorson. He throws a great ball, and has plenty of power behind it, easily launching it 40-plus yards down the field. He isn't as physically imposing as Wentz or Nate Sudfeld, but he does have good size. There is plenty to work with there for the Eagles.
Offsides: Eagles' coaches couldn't have been happy with how sloppy both lines were on Wednesday. During one redzone drills, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan jumped offsides on a nice hard count by Wentz. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz pulled the entire defensive line as a result of the penalty. Later on it was the offense's turn, as they had two false-start penalties in the span of a few minutes.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: Another practice, another 50-50 ball won by the Eagles' second-round pick. Arcega-Whiteside's latest victim was cornerback Jeremiah McKinnon, as the rookie receiver out jumped him for the ball in the corner of the end zone, pulling it down and keeping his feet inbounds for the touchdown. Arcega-Whiteside does a great job of controlling his body in the air to adjust to the ball, and his long arms give him one of the best catch radiuses on the team. The Eagles have to be thrilled with what they have seen so far from Arcega-Whiteside.
Sidney Jones: Jones ended his day on a high note, coming away with an interception on a terrible pass by Thorson. Overall, however, Jones didn't have a great day. He dropped a very easy interception early on in practice, one that would drive fans crazy if it happened in a game. Later on he got an earful from defensive backs coach Cory Undlin after Jones appeared to be in the wrong place during a red zone drill. Jones has been getting all the first-team reps at cornerback on the outside so far, and overall has looked pretty good, but Wednesday was not his best day.
Dallas Goedert: The Eagles have two of the top 10 receiving tight ends in the NFL on their roster. That becomes more-and-more obvious each time Goedert practices. On Wednesday he had an amazing catch in the back of the end zone, twisting his body in midair and making a one-handed grab for the score. The catch came without a defense on the field, but it still showed just how dynamic he can be as a receiver. Goedert had another really nice catch later on, pulling in a pass along the sidelines despite two defenders being around him. Zach Ertz is still the better player, but now that Goedert is in his second season, the Eagles would be wise to get them both on the field together this year as much as possible.
Donnel Pumphrey: There is no hitting during OTAs, but that didn't stop running back Donnel Pumphrey from lowering his shoulder into safety Deiondre' Hall during a goal line drill to make sure he got into the endzone. Hall seemed to love the contact, slapping Pumphrey's helmet after the play. It is easy to see why Pumphrey would be giving his all during practices — he is fighting for his professional life this offseason. Pumphrey might not get many more chances if he doesn't make the roster this year. Pumphrey has looked good so far, but it is all going to come down to how he does in preseason games, which are still months away.
Missing: The Eagles were without their top three receivers on Wednesday, as Alshon Jeffrey, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor were all absent. In addition, both tackles — Lane Johnson and Jason Peters — were also not at practice, as well as safety Malcolm Jenkins. So many veterans missing gave the younger players more snaps, but the offense struggled with so many of their top players missing.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
