Thursday is the final day of another chapter in the NFL offseason, as voluntary OTAs will come to a close, ending a nearly two-month stretch of optional workouts. Next up is the mandatory minicamp, which will stretch from the 11th to the 13th, the final portion of the offseason before training camp begins in late July.
So who helped themselves during OTAs — and who might have been better off staying home?
Here is a look at some of the winners and losers from OTAs:
Winners:
Carson Wentz: The clear winner from the last two months is quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz stole the show during OTAs for two reasons. First, he was a full participant and showed no signs that either the fractured back or torn ACL were bothering him. For the first time since the offseason following his rookie year, Wentz looked like a fully healthy and happy quarterback. The result was stellar play from Wentz. The quarterback's accuracy, decision making and touch on his passes were all excellent, as he picked apart the Eagles' defense in the practices that were open to the media. Wentz's aced his first step towards a comeback season.
Arcega-Whiteside: It can be hard for rookies to impress in OTAs. They are still learning the playbook and adjusting to life in the NFL. Arcega-Whiteside's ability to win 50/50 balls, however, looks like it is going to make his transition to the NFL a quick one. Arcega-Whiteside showed off what he can do in the red zone, making a few contested catches for touchdowns during team drills. Arcega-Whiteside's ability to control his body in the air and adjust to the ball is very similar to Alshon Jeffery. Arcega-Whiteside should end up finding his way onto the field this season in the red zone.
DeSean Jackson: While receiver Alshon Jeffery stayed home during OTAs, Jackson was there for nearly every practice, and both the team and Jackson are better for it. Jackson already seems to be on the same page as Wentz, as the two had no issues connecting time-after-time in team drills. Jackson's speed is obviously elite, but his route-running ability isn't discussed enough, as he did a great job simply getting open all over the field. The time Wentz and Jackson got together on the field in May is going to end up helping this team in September.
Deiondre' Hall: Hall did not get on the field much last season, but he showed during OTAs why the team was excited to get him in a trade last year from the Chicago Bears. Hall has great size and long arms for a safety, and he used them to breakup multiple passes throughout OTAs, especially in the final few sessions. Hall even got some first-team reps with the defense. Hall still faces an uphill battle to make the team, but so far he is showing he is going to make it tough for the Eagles to cut him.
Losers:
Cre'von LeBlanc: LeBlanc isn't on this list because of his play. The cornerback played well when he was on the field. LeBlanc is on this list because he spent nearly all of OTAs with the second-team defense, behind cornerback Avonte Maddox at the nickel position. If the Eagles do indeed plan on playing Maddox at the nickel all season, that is going to make it tough for LeBlanc to get out on the field, as Maddox is one of the cornerbacks the Eagles both trust and believe in the most. It will be interesting to see if Maddox's role changes in training camp. If it doesn't, LeBlanc could end up spending much more time on the bench than expected, especially with how will he played at the end of last season.
Jordan Mailata: Mailata's future with the Eagles took a hit when the team drafted Andre Dillard in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. It took another hit during OTAs. Mailata had to be pulled off the field multiple times due to jumping prior to the snap, including three times in one practice. As a result, the coaches were clearly frustrated with Mailata. Mailata's roster spot is still relatively safe, but it was not a good set of practices for the second-year player.
Mack Hollins: Hollins is still sidelined due to a groin injury that cost him all of last season, as he spent each practice off on the side field working out with trainers as opposed to working with the offense. While Hollins was rehabbing, Arcega-Whiteside was busy making a good impression on the coaches and looking like a player that could get on the field right away. It isn't Hollins' fault he is hurt, but the reality of the NFL is that your job is almost always in jeopardy. That is definitely the case with Hollins entering mandatory minicamp and training camp.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
