Wednesday was the longest practice of training camp so far for the Eagles, as the first-team offense and first-team defense battled it out for 60 reps, some of which were live, tackle-to-the ground.
As a result, there was plenty to take away from Thursday's session.
Here is everything you need to know:
Carson Wentz: There haven't been many, if any, training camp practices since Wentz got to Philadelphia in 2016 that involved him taking 60 team reps, which is almost a full games worth of work for the starting quarterback.
Wentz made the most of it.
Wentz got the day started off on a high note when he hit receiver John Hightower down the field for a 40-plus yard completion. Wentz did an excellent job leading Hightower, who then out jumped Avonte Maddox to make the catch at around the five yard line. It was Wentz' first legit deep completion of camp.
Wentz was, as usual, surgical in the red zone. He first drill inside the 20 saw him hit tight end Zach Ertz on back-to-back plays for touchdowns, and then hit receiver Deontay Burnett on a completion that might have been a touchdown in a game, but the play was blown dead once he caught it.
During one drill which was mean to simulate a game, Wentz took the first-team offense on a drive that lasted 12 plays, and ended with a touchdown from a few yards out to receiver Greg Ward.
Wentz didn't have a perfect day, however, as he did have some accuracy issues from the pocket. On back-to-back plays midway through practice Wentz tried to connect on deep passes, but threw the first one a few yards behind Hightower, then missed a wide-open Jalen Reagor down the sideline.
Wentz's worst throw of the day came towards the end of practice when he had tight end Zach Ertz open down the middle of the field, but poor ball placement allowed cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to jump and come down with the interception. Wentz nearly had another pass picked off when he put the ball right into the hands of Maddox, who dropped the easy interception.
Now over a week into the camp the harsh reality is that the first-team offense has not looked that good, and that the defense is consistently getting the better of them.
Wentz reps on Wednesday: 60
Wentz stats on Wednesday: 26/41, 7 TD, 1 INT
Nate Sudfeld and Jalen Hurts: For the second-straight day the Eagles coaching staff gave more reps to third-string quarterback Jalen Hurts than they did the top backup, Nate Sudfeld.
Hurts got nine more reps than Sudfeld did on Thursday, and looked good in those reps, especially in the red zone. Hurts' ability to extend plays with his legs is clearly going to be an issue for opposing defenses. While it is hard to tell in practices where you can't tackle the quarterback, Hurts rolled to his right on one play and got down the sideline for what might have been a 40-plus yard touchdown in a game.
Hurts' best throw of the day was a touchdown to tight end Dallas Goedert during a red zone drill, a pass he made while he was getting reps with the second-team offense.
While he didn't get as many reps as Hurts, Sudfeld did have a strong day of work. He was especially good in the red zone, throwing five touchdowns on six passes from inside the five-yard line. Three of those touchdowns went to rookie receiver Quez Watkins.
Sudfeld continues to look better from the pocket than Hurts does, but the Eagles giving Hurts more reps in back-to-back practices is definitely noteworthy.
Sudfeld reps on Wednesday: 18
Sudfeld stats on Wednesday: 11/12, 5 TD, 1 INT
Hurts reps on Wednesday: 27
Hurts stats on Wednesday: 13/18, 1 TD, 0 INT
Andre Dillard: The biggest play of the day was one that could have ended very, very badly for the team.
During an 11-on-11 team drill, defensive end Joe Ostman pushed offensive tackle Andre Dillard straight back into the pocket on a bullrush. Ostman pushed Dillard so far back that he went right into the lower legs of Wentz, who had his legs bend awkwardly and fell in the pocket. Wentz got right up and seemed to be fine, but was clearly not happy about the pressure.
The play was the exact kind of hit you don't want to see your quarterback take, especially in a practice — it was low and it was a hit on Wentz's legs. The Eagles are very lucky it didn't end with Wentz in the medical tent.
There is really no getting around the fact that it was a very bad snap for Dillard, who overall has had a not very impressive training camp so far.
Genard Avery: While the diagnosis on defensive end Genard Avery is not yet known, chances are that Wednesday was the last time during the 2020 season we will see Avery in an Eagles' uniform. Avery went down hard at the end of an 11-on-11 drill, and immediately grabbed his right knee when he was on the ground. Avery looked to be in extreme pain and after being looked at by the trainers had to be carted off the field. Players and coaches consoled Avery before he went in.
Avery was acquired by the team for a fourth-round pick at the 2019 NFL Trade Deadline, and was expected to be a contributing player on defense this year.
Joe Ostman, Casey Toohill and Shareef Miller: With Avery sidelined the Eagles now have a spot on the 53-man roster that wasn't there prior to the start of practice. All three of the candidates for that spot had a good day.
Shareef Miller had one of his first practices where he stood out, chasing quarterback Carson Wentz out of the pocket on one snap, resulting in a throw-away pass by Wentz. Miller got in upblocked, but showed some good speed chasing Wentz towards the sideline. Toohill also had a strong day, and is continuing to show he has some of the best pass-rush moves on the team. As mentioned above, although the final result was not great for the team, Ostman had an excellent snap against Dillard.
It is hard to imagine all three of the linemen making the team, but at this point is seems like at least two of them will.
Young Wide Receivers: Another day, another strong showing from the Eagles young wide receivers.
It is hard to pick which one had the best day.
Hightower had one of the biggest plays, as mentioned above, when he pulled in a deep pass from Wentz. While the offense has had some issues connecting on passes down the field, Hightower has the three longest catches of camp, and no other receiver is particularly close in terms of making big plays down the field.
Watkins might have ran a quicker 40-time than Hightower, but so far he has been much more effective in the red zone as opposed to a threat stretching the field. Watkins seems to make two-to-three plays each practice inside the 20, and Wednesday was no different, as he pulled in three touchdowns.
The bests catch of the day belonged to receiver Deontay Burnett, who had a Wentz pass thrown behind him, but reached back with one hand, got the ball and held onto it to make the catch. Burnett has had one of, if not the best, training camps of all the receivers.
The Eagles young receivers still need to prove they can contribute in a game, but so far, the Eagles have to be thrilled with what they have seen so far.
Sidney Jones: Cornerback Sidney Jones was back on the practice field Wednesday, but did not take part in team drills. In Jones' place with the second-team defense was cornerback Craig James. Jones still has time to turn around what has been a disappointing training camp so far, but as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz hinted at earlier this week, time is running out.
Rasul Douglas: Cornerback Rasul Douglas had the best defensive play of the day when he picked off Nate Sudfeld along the right sideline, cut all the way across the field to around the 15-yard line, then pitched it to cornerback Craig James who ran it the rest of the way for the touchdown. Douglas had struggled at times during practice, but one thing he has always excelled at since joining the Eagles is making plays on the ball when given the chance.
Lane Johnson: Right tackle Lane Johnson was not on the field Thursday for practice, and has now missed three-straight days with a lower-body injury. Johnson is arguably the most important offensive linemen on the team this season, considering the question marks the team has at left tackle with Dillard. Johnson's status is definitely something to keep an eye on moving forward.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
