Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Jeff McLane

  • Eagles practice observations: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon return to WR arsenal; Jalyx Hunt and Moro Ojomo dominate — again

    Eagles practice observations: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon return to WR arsenal; Jalyx Hunt and Moro Ojomo dominate — again

    The Eagles held the 15th open practice of their 2026 training camp on Monday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 15 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14):

    Makai retry

    Makai Lemon was a full participant for the first time since injuring his hamstring three weeks ago. While the rookie wide receiver was limited for Thursday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots, this was Lemon’s first opportunity to play in competitive periods. The next step will be practicing in full pads for Tuesday’s open practice. It’s unclear whether he’ll be active for Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. Lemon said afterward that he expects to be ready by the Sept. 13 season opener.

    Lemon confirmed that he strained the same hamstring he injured during spring workouts. He said he needed to be “more professional” off the field to avoid future soft-tissue injuries. The Eagles’ top draft pick has a fair amount of catching up to do if he wants to be an early focal part of the offense. He worked mostly out of the slot with the first unit. Eagles coaches aren’t backing off on Lemon — at least not yet.

    Eagles first-round wideout Makai Lemon talks hamstring injury, full return to practice: ‘I never want to be away from this game’

    A pass came his way early in 11-on-11s and the ball caromed off Lemon’s hands incomplete. It would have been a tough grab, but it appeared as if he eased up on his route over the middle. The importance of chemistry between a quarterback and a receiver cannot be overstated. It could take time before Jalen Hurts completely trusts the rookie. I watched his release off the line closely on several repetitions and there is a suddenness to his first move. Hurts went back to Lemon later on a short crosser. He was able to stop on a dime and turn upfield for a few extra yards.

    Eagles tight end Eli Stowers’ rough camp continued with an injury that sidelined him Monday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Stowers sour

    Lemon’s return coincided with a setback for second-round rookie Eli Stowers. The tight end was sidelined with, yes, a hamstring injury. His chances of playing much on offense to start the season were always in jeopardy, considering the Eagles’ depth and his lack of blocking experience, but Stowers can’t afford to miss extensive time if he wants to at least be a part of special teams in Week 1.

    The following also suffered injuries during Saturday’s preseason game and were held out of practice: tackle Markel Bell (thumb/leg), center/guard Willie Lampkin (stinger), cornerback Mac McWilliams (shoulder), safety Cole Wisniewski (concussion), receiver Quez Watkins (foot), and cornerback Ambry Thomas (groin).

    Cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), and cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee) were still not practicing. Defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), and tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral) returned and were limited. Receiver Danny Gray remained limited with a groin injury.

    Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith was back in action on Monday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Receiving line

    Receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Elijah Moore (neck) also were back to being full-time participants. The offense looked different with a full arsenal of receivers, but Hurts had to relish having top guy Smith back in the fold. He hit the receiver on a dig route over the middle and ahead of cornerback Quinyon Mitchell during seven-on-sevens. Smith just needs to get to the season healthy.

    Hurts still sprinkled throws to most of his skill position players. His first two throws in seven-on-sevens went to tight end Dallas Goedert and receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who churned upfield for yards after the catch. Darius Cooper continued to get snaps with the starters even though Smith, Wicks and Lemon were the first three on the field in “11” personnel. Hurts hit Cooper on an intermediate route between the numbers.

    The play-action bootleg continued to pay dividends with completions to Wicks and Moore. Those are layup throws if the offense can sell the outside zone run fake, even if Hurts has to check down. The quarterback later hooked up with receiver Hollywood Brown on a deep corner route, although defensive tackle Jordan Davis may have been initially credited with a sack.

    Hunting Moro

    Hurts had to eat a number of his dropbacks or throw the ball away because he was either sacked or pressured out of the pocket. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo got to the quarterback on two occasions. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt notched a would-be sack. He recorded an earlier tackle for loss and spun running back Tank Bigsby around.

    Ojomo and Hunt have been two of Vic Fangio’s top performers in camp. The former is in a contract year, while the latter could be playing for an early extension next offseason. I’m not saying they have extra motivation to play well this season, but it doesn’t hurt.

    Off target

    When Hurts had time to throw, the results were mixed. He hit Wicks on the run to his right, but his receiver was unable to get both feet inbounds. He went to Wicks again — this time on a slant — but Hurts’ pass was a missile and deflected off his receiver’s hands.

    Lemon motioned outside and Smith ran a little wheel route out of the slot later in the red zone, but Hurts’ pass was errant. Brown got behind safety Drew Mukuba on a deep post, but the pass sailed long. There were some other unfortunate moments: Running back Will Shipley got open over the middle, but linebacker Jihaad Campbell appeared to trip him up before the ball arrived.

    Hurts doesn’t often throw to Johnny Mundt, which could explain why the blocking tight end was unable to reel in a pass thrown slightly behind him.

    Saquon Barkley was featured Monday after not playing in the preseason game on Saturday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Rushing roulette

    With the starters dormant for the previous three days, coaches gave the first units most of the reps in practice. Right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson didn’t take any rest plays off. The season is obviously inching closer. The O-line opened some creases for running back Saquon Barkley, who had several strong runs.

    Linebacker Zack Baun got to Barkley in the backfield when he was unblocked off the edge. But the tailback had a couple of positive runs to the perimeter. He had to jump around Dickerson when the guard fell back and nearly into his lap on one carry. And Lemon had trouble blocking on the outside on a stretch run later on. But offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s run offense appears to be rounding into form after a strong first joint practice in New England.

    The Eagles’ second-unit O-line stood out in the preseason game, although injuries to Lampkin and Bell will warrant monitoring. Center/guard Drew Kendall projects as the first off the bench at the interior positions, however.

    Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert will be asked to block more at the point of attack this season. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Dallas does blocking

    Goedert has had a quiet camp compared to other years. He explored opportunities elsewhere the two prior offseasons, but is back on another one-year deal. Goedert was still an effective receiver last season. He had 60 catches and a team-high 11 touchdowns. But he’s 31 and clearly not as explosive.

    Blocking was an issue a year ago. He’ll be asked to do more of it at the point of attack this season. He got pushed back into Hurts during Monday’s practice and the quarterback was forced to eventually scramble out of bounds. Goedert had a reception on a run-pass-run option play, but he also later had a drop on an out route.

    Goedert motioned out of the fullback spot as a lead blocker for Barkley at one point. I can’t imagine he’ll fill that role in games. Mannion declined to reveal his plans for the fullback position. We’ve seen very little of it in camp, although Mundt, tight end Cameron Latu, and running back Carson Steele could be in-season candidates.

    Tanner McKee might have pulled ahead in the QB2 competition. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    It takes two

    If you’re a Tanner McKee fan looking for a morsel that he’s moved ahead of Andy Dalton in the backup quarterback competition, he was first up with the second-unit offense. It’s happened before, and Dalton took as many reps with the backups, but maybe it meant something this time around.

    McKee checked down on a naked bootleg and also found Bigsby, who made a defender miss in space. He later hit Cooper on a comeback route and had to throw the ball away on another play-action rollout. Dalton connected with Moore for a nice pickup, but his other snaps were either handoffs or a dropback in which he had to eat the play.

    Michael Carter II ran with the first-teamers on Monday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    This and that

    Hurts hit one of the peace sign thingamajigs that replicate pass rushers during seven-on-sevens. … Michael Carter II got some first-unit snaps at slot cornerback. … Johnson had a nice kickout block to spring Barkley. … Myles Hinton was the second-unit left tackle with Fred Johnson moving over to the right side for Bell. … Micah Morris was the second-unit left guard. The rookie played well vs. the Patriots.

    Extra points

    Defensive tackle Gabe Hall squeezed through on a pass rush, but he got crunched in a body pileup and limped off the field. … Noted golf architect Gil Hanse was a guest of Fangio’s. Hanse and his business partner Jim Wagner have been behind renovations of local classic Philadelphia courses like Merion Golf Club and Aronimink Country Club, host of this year’s PGA Championship. Fangio is around a 15 handicap, but is a notorious sandbagger. … The Eagles will hold their lone practice open to fans at Lincoln Financial Field on Tuesday at 6 p.m. They follow on Wednesday with a workout at the Jeff and will have a closed walkthrough on Thursday.

  • Tanner McKee outperforms Andy Dalton in the Eagles’ confounding backup QB competition. Will it matter?

    Tanner McKee outperforms Andy Dalton in the Eagles’ confounding backup QB competition. Will it matter?

    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tanner McKee outplayed Andy Dalton despite having to work with the Eagles’ mostly third-string offensive line and skill position players.

    Nick Sirianni may claim that there has been a fair competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot, and that Dalton has started both preseason games only because he has more experience. But McKee hasn’t had the benefit of performing with players who will actually make the Eagles’ 53-man roster.

    And yet, he looked like a far more viable backup to Jalen Hurts than Dalton did in the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Saturday night. McKee wasn’t without his faults. He missed throws from the pocket and struggled at times when pressured.

    Eagles grades vs. Patriots: Running backs have strong performance, QB2 role still undecided in 24-21 loss

    But it is worth questioning how Dalton could end up winning the job, let alone entice some quarterback-needy team into trading for him. There’s still another preseason game and a week until the roster deadline, but time is running out on the 38-year-old veteran.

    “We’ve got to continue to give both of them opportunities within practice and potentially games,” Sirianni said. “See how next week goes. Obviously, I’m not there yet.”

    While neither quarterback impressed in the preseason opener vs. the Ravens, McKee inched ahead of Dalton in practices over the last few weeks. Not necessarily because he’s been sharp.

    But he was more effective in joint practices with the Patriots last week, and even more so in the game two days later. McKee completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a little over two quarters of action.

    “I know stat-wise he came out having a pretty good game, but obviously for all of us there will be corrections within it,” Sirianni said. “But, yeah, thought he did some good things. Made some nice plays. Had a couple fourth downs that we would have liked to convert.

    “Not saying those are his fault in that situation, but those fourth downs hurt us, not converting there.”

    Eagles offense shows growth in preseason game No. 2, backup QB race heats up in 24-21 loss at Patriots

    While it’s true that McKee’s pass numbers were inflated by yards after the catch, particularly from running back Carson Steele, he got the ball into the hands of his schemed-up outlets when “hot” vs. the blitz.

    One such play came late in the game when a defender rushed off the edge and Steele ran a wheel route rather than staying in to block. McKee simply lofted the ball to his open receiver and the tailback did the rest: running 20 yards into the end zone, but not until he hurdled another Patriot.

    “He found his shots on a couple when they brought one more than we could protect,” Sirianni said of McKee. “I thought Sean [Mannion] did a good job giving them answers there.”

    Tanner McKee (16) put together the sharpest QB performance for an Eagle in two preseason games. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Mannion dipped a little deeper into his playbook than he did in Baltimore to combat New England’s more exotic pressures. The Eagles’ new coordinator got a better outing from his offense than he did a week ago, but his game plan was still mostly banal.

    He didn’t have to dial up some of the more sophisticated concepts from the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme because the Eagles had a decided advantage up front. The second-unit O-line, especially guards Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall and rookie tackle Markel Bell, moved bodies and opened lanes for running back Will Shipley.

    Shipley’s 11 carries for 56 yards did most of the lifting on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive. Dalton did convert a fourth down with a 13-yard strike to wide receiver Darius Cooper.

    “That was one where [you] kind of get all the way back to No. 4 in the progression, and for me, felt like just the timing and rhythm of it was right there,” Dalton said. “Coop was in the right spot and just gave him a chance.”

    Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson, whose game was ‘on life support,’ quiets doubters with another strong showing

    Cooper also had a reception in which he turned a short crossing route into a 25-yard gain. But Dalton continued to overthrow open receivers and look out of sync in executing an offense that is similar to ones he’s quarterbacked in before.

    He’s now completed just 6 of 16 passes for 64 yards in two games. It’s a small sample. And maybe 179 starts and 84 wins over 15 seasons buys the longtime Bengal some patience with Sirianni.

    But the 26-year-old McKee showed more upside. He was drafted and developed by the Eagles for a reason. It would be uncharacteristic to give up on him, even if organizational assertions about his future as a possible starter were hyperbolic.

    Eagles quarterback Andy Dalton throws the football against the New England Patriots during a preseason game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    There’s nothing wrong with competition. But if the Dalton experiment was just to get more in return than the seventh-round draft pick the Eagles originally surrendered in acquiring him, they’ll only have themselves to blame if the eventual backup is called upon early in the season and fails.

    “I play when the coaches put me in,” McKee said. “Obviously, put my best foot forward, try to do all the extra things, whether that’s in the film room or on the practice field, staying late, talking with the guys, bonding, whatever that is. I let them decide all that.”

    Eagles reserve running back Ja’Quinden Jackson back with team after leaving field in ambulance

    Eagles general manager Howie Roseman may end up getting equal value or more for Dalton. The Patriots don’t exactly have an attractive backup in Tommy DeVito, although he looked better than either Eagles quarterback.

    It’s difficult to bring in someone new so late in the process, especially if there’s a new system to learn. The Eagles may keep all their quarterbacks, with rookie Cole Payton as the developmental fourth option — at least until they’re forced to do otherwise.

    But Dalton seems to be the only potential bait.

    “I think we’re focusing on the here and now,” Dalton said when asked about a trade. “All that other stuff is not what we’re worried about.”

    Nick Sirianni has not tipped his hand on a final decision for the backup QB role. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Eagles are running out of chances to showcase him. They could have allowed McKee to come out for the final series and drive the offense to a comeback win. But Sirianni said his quarterbacks were on a rep count and he wanted to give Payton a shot.

    The rookie was sacked and fumbled the ball to end the game, however, on his third drop.

    “We knew Cole made some nice plays the last game he was in,” Sirianni said. “Has to protect the ball better in that situation.”

    Saquon Barkley and Jordan Mailata want more rushing, less fighting. Both think the Eagles run game can be great.

    It’s been an interesting summer for the Eagles’ quarterback factory, with Hurts obviously at the front of the assembly line. He’s had good days. He’s had rough ones. He took his lumps in the joint practices and delivered a few, as well.

    But there remains a lot of uncertainty about how he’ll adapt to Mannion’s overhaul. Answers will start to come on Sept. 13 against the Washington Commanders. Until then, the backup competition will have to suffice.

    “I think that’s one thing that there is not much been said,” Dalton said when asked the final decision. “Every day is a new day, and so we’ll see how it all ends up.”

    Maybe it will come down to the wire. It probably shouldn’t.

  • Eagles grades vs. Patriots: Running backs have strong performance, QB2 role still undecided in 24-21 loss

    Eagles grades vs. Patriots: Running backs have strong performance, QB2 role still undecided in 24-21 loss

    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 24-21 loss to the Patriots:

    Quarterback: C+

    Jalen Hurts and the starting offense got the night off after getting plenty of work in two joint practices with the Patriots. Andy Dalton made his second straight start ahead of Tanner McKee. He was once again erratic as a passer. Dalton completed just 3 of 10 passes for 44 yards. He had a couple misfires in which he overthrew Eagles receivers on the first drive. Dalton had a strong throw to convert an early fourth down. But he failed to recognize an unblocked blitz in the second quarter and never looked in sync. He hasn’t done enough to win the No. 2 job.

    McKee took over before the half. He was more effective than Dalton, but far from great. McKee was most productive when he got the ball out quickly or to running back Carson Steele. He struggled at times when he went beyond his first reads from the pocket. But he was decisive on schemed-up layups off play-action and misdirection.

    Eagles offense shows growth in preseason game No. 2, backup QB race heats up in 24-21 loss at Patriots

    In all, McKee completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He held the ball too long and took a sack before the half. He also got pressured out of the pocket on third down in the fourth quarter and threw wide of his safety valve.

    Rookie Cole Payton didn’t play until the Eagles’ last-gasp possession. He stepped back into a game-ending strip sack.

    Eagles running back Will Shipley celebrates a touchdown with center Jake Majors during the second quarter on Saturday night.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Running back: A-

    Tank Bigsby was one of several healthy Eagles who didn’t dress after playing in the preseason opener. That meant Will Shipley got the nod in the backfield. He picked up where he left off in a strong joint practice performance. Shipley rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. He ran with vision and motored 18 yards off the right on his first carry. Shipley kept his legs churning on a later 9-yard rush and on his 5-yard touchdown.

    Steele looked nimble with the ball in his hands after short throws from McKee. He hurdled a defender on a 14-yard catch and run in the second quarter. Steele had the Eagles’ longest reception, for 28 yards, in the third quarter. And he scored a go-ahead 20-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter. Steele finished with six catches for 84 yards. It was tougher sledding on the ground. He averaged just 2.8 yards a carry.

    Receiver / Tight end — C-

    Makai Lemon was still out with a hamstring injury. The Eagles are hoping their top draft pick will be healthy enough for the preseason finale on Friday. Hollywood Brown, like Bigsby, got the night off after playing a week ago. Elijah Moore was sidelined with a neck injury he suffered on Wednesday. Darius Cooper looked better than he did against the Ravens. He had a 25-yard pickup with yards after the catch on a short crosser in the first quarter. Cooper also converted a short fourth down with a 13-yard catch in the soft spot of a zone.

    Eli Stowers has yet to pop. It’s still early for the rookie tight end. But it’s clear that he has a way to go as a blocker and a receiver. He had no chance vs. a Patriots edge on an early one-on-one block attempt. But Stowers helped clear out a lane for Shipley on his 5-yard score. He was covered on two targets through the air.

    Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey scored on a screen pass before the first half ended.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Receiver Britain Covey scored a 14-yard touchdown just before the half when he navigated into the end zone after a screen pass. Quez Watkins couldn’t reel in a Dalton pass that was catchable. Cameron Latu had some nice moments as blocking tight end. He also had a 14-yard grab. Tight end Stone Smartt caught five passes for 37 yards. Receiver Erik Ezukanma committed a personal foul with a crackback block in the fourth quarter.

    Offensive line: B-

    Willie Lampkin started at center. He had several impressive moments when he climbed to the second level and bottled up linebackers. Drew Kendall started at left guard. He appeared to hold up as a run blocker, as well, particularly on Shipley’s touchdown. The interior pass protection was also solid when Lampkin and Kendall were in the lineup. They were pulled in the second quarter and are roster locks.

    Rookie Markel Bell continued to show promise at right tackle. He helped create a hole on Shipley’s 18-yard tote. The 6-foot-9 Bell still has to work on getting out of his crouch, but he moves well for his size. He got upended at one point, but stayed in the game. Fred Johnson was Bell’s counterpart at left tackle. He didn’t allow any obvious pressure to Dalton’s blindside. It’s unclear if Bell or Johnson has done enough to be the clear swing tackle.

    Jake Majors started at right guard and later played some center. He helped lead the way on Shipley’s 18-yarder. But he struggled with a block that led to a tackle for loss on a run play in the first quarter.

    The second unit O-line was up and down. Tackles Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams and guards Micah Morris and Michael Jordan kept McKee relatively clean in the pocket. They had more issues in opening holes on the ground for Steele. Williams was the guilty party that allowed the game-ending strip sack of Payton.

    Defensive line: B

    Ty Robinson notched his second and third sacks of the preseason. He split the center and the left guard and gobbled up Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito on the first and stunted outside and closed quickly for the second. Robinson is no longer “on life support.” He’ll make the final roster. Defensive tackle Gabe Hall drew a third-down holding penalty after running a twist on the Patriots’ opening series. He had several run stops.

    Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson, whose game was ‘on life support,’ quiets doubters with another strong showing

    Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa started at outside linebacker. Epenesa was effective in setting the edge against the run. They each played just a few series. Jose Ramirez batted a pass incomplete on a naked bootleg in which he was unblocked. Joshua Weru registered a sack with a strong outside rush in the third quarter. In run defense, he got pushed around some when setting the edge.

    Rookie Uar Bernard still has a lot to learn. But it’s not like the defensive tackle has looked alien out there. Tarron Jackson teamed up with another Eagles defender for a run tackle for loss in the third quarter. Zion Wilson drew a holding penalty on the first play from scrimmage. He had an early run stop for no gain.

    Linebacker: C+

    Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was in the backfield at the snap and DeVito had no chance to avoid a sack early on. He an additional four tackles before he was taken out in the second quarter. Smael Mondon took a bad angle on an early screen pass. He blitzed once and nearly got home.

    Chance Campbell was on the field after Trotter left. He defeated a lead block to make a run stop near the line in the second quarter. He tallied seven tackles. Deontae Lawson showed occasional good instincts against the run. He got cut down on a 20-yard rush up the middle late in the third quarter.

    Patriots wide receiver Nick DeGennaro scores a 37-yard touchdown past Eagles cornerback Isaiah Bolden late in Saturday’s preseason game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Cornerback: D+

    Mac McWilliams started on the outside opposite Kelee Ringo. He gave up a number of early catches and whiffed on a tackle attempt in the second quarter. Ringo should have had an interception on the first DeVito pass thrown in his direction. He didn’t give up much else.

    Ambry Thomas had brutal back-to-back plays in the second quarter when he slid off a receiver and then got toasted on a go route by Patriots receiver Kyle Williams for a 69-yard touchdown.

    Shaun Wade got beat for a 24-yard reception in the second quarter. He punched the ball out for a fumble in the fourth quarter and led the Eagles with 10 stops. Kapena Gushiken came up and made a few strong run tackles from the slot. Isaiah Bolden, who was just signed to the roster a few days ago, got burned on the Patriots’ game-winning 37-yard touchdown. There was no safety help

    Safety: C+

    Michael Carter II started at safety and played just one series. His versatility has assured him a spot on the team. Rookie Cole Wisniewski played in his first NFL game after missing a few weeks of camp. He looked solid upon first glance and had four tackles. Wisniewski and Andre Sam didn’t get beat in the post. Sam made a number of plays near the box. He’s had a solid summer and could sneak onto the 53, or at least the practice squad.

    Maximus Pulley has been one of the more promising undrafted rookies. He didn’t stand out, good or bad, at safety. He’s also a nice special teams performer.

    Special teams: B

    Ja’Quinden Jackson suffered a serious injury on the opening kickoff of the game. The Eagles running back required medical attention from both teams and eventually had to be placed on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance to a local hospital. The team later said he had strength and movement in all his extremities.

    Kicker Jake Elliott connected on all three extra points. The Eagles’ kickoff coverage was sound. Punter Braden Mann averaged 42 net yards on four boots. Covey muffed his first punt return, but was able to avoid a fumble. He bounced back with a 21-yard return on his next try. In all, Covey averaged 9.5 yards on four returns.

    Nick Sirianni shown before the Eagles-Patriots preseason game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Coaching: C

    Nick Sirianni, to no surprise, opted to not dress his starters on both sides of the ball. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel did the same. The Eagles looked more cohesive and prepared than they did a week ago, although it’s difficult to place much stock in the preseason. They still lost another game. Aside from Jackson, there weren’t any apparent significant injuries.

    Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion called plays from the booth a week after doing so from the sideline. He favored the ground game with Shipley and the O-line having early production. The dropback pass game left much to be desired, however. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s group was relatively sharp. The front seven was physical and got push and penetration. There were some sloppy moments throughout the game, as was to be expected.

  • unCovering the Birds: Two Important Days

    unCovering the Birds: Two Important Days

    The Eagles’ first-stringers get little to no action in exhibition games, annual joint practices with other teams become one of the few opportunities for starters to get preseason reps of consequence. This year, the Eagles traveled to New England for two days of live workouts with the Patriots. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Boston Sports Journal’s Greg A. Bedard recap what they saw, and explain why, even after the joint practices, the Eagles still haven’t shown much of an identity.

    00:00 Eagles vs. Patriots joint practices: was there a winner?

    04:37 Bedard’s impressions of Eagles’ new offense

    09:42 What will offensive coordinator Sean Mannion be able to get out of quarterback Jalen Hurts?

    21:30 How has A.J. Brown looked for Patriots?

    29:50 Highlighting some key one-on-one battles

    36:03 Are joint practices worth it?

    43:14 Jeff’s mailbag

    unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season. We’re always looking for mailbag questions! Hit Jeff up on his socials, or drop a question in the comments. Jeff could answer it in a future episode!

  • Eagles-Patriots joint practice observations: Jalen Hurts and offense struggle until the end; Riq Woolen and pass defense strike back

    Eagles-Patriots joint practice observations: Jalen Hurts and offense struggle until the end; Riq Woolen and pass defense strike back

    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Eagles held the 14th open practice of their 2026 training camp — the second of two joint practices with the Patriots — on Thursday at the New Balance Athletics Center. Here were my observations from Day 14 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13):

    Lemon drop

    Makai Lemon made his official return to practice after missing more than two weeks with a hamstring injury. The Eagles listed him as limited the day before, but he wasn’t in pads and did almost nothing. The rookie wide receiver was fully suited up on Thursday, however, and participated in individual drills. It’s unlikely he plays Saturday against the Patriots in the second preseason game, but there’s a chance he can get some live repetitions in the preseason finale vs. the Bengals on Aug. 28.

    Makai Lemon was back at practice for the Eagles on Thursday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was limited for a third straight day. Receiver Elijah Moore was added to the injury list after suffering a neck injury on Wednesday. The following players continued to be sidelined: Defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (heel).

    Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was excused for a personal reason. Outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and cornerback Shaun Wade (eye/shoulder) were also limited.

    Riq Woolen (with ex-Eagle Milton Williams) had a stronger Day 2 against the Patriots. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Riq-ola

    Riq Woolen had a tough first joint practice with the Pats, but he rebounded on Day 2. If there’s a position where you need to have a short memory, it’s cornerback. And Woolen showed it with his performance 24 hours later. He allowed some catches, but he prevented as many.

    He was involved in maybe the two biggest plays of the day. With the Patriots near the goal line, Woolen lined up over A.J. Brown, who got the better of the corner several times the day before. Brown ran a quick out pattern and Woolen was in his hip pocket. Quarterback Drake Maye only had eyes for his No. 1 receiver. Woolen read them, jumped the route and raced the other way with the ball. He flopped into the end zone for a would-be 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

    Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown connect at Eagles-Patriots joint practices, quieting talk of rift

    Later in the final red zone period when both teams converged on one field, Maye again forced a throw to Brown. Woolen had tight man coverage on the short route and ripped the ball out into the air. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt dove and somehow caught the ball before it hit the ground. Hunt just has a sense for the ball. He’s had a great summer.

    Woolen also notched a few pass breakups vs. Romeo Doubs, who gave him fits on Wednesday too. He lost the Patriots receiver in the final red zone period and didn’t have over-the-top help from safety Andrew Mukuba. Woolen slapped his hands in frustration, but he bounced back on the two-point conversion and made sure a juggling Brown didn’t secure the ball inbounds.

    Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell looks over at Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown during a joint practice on Thursday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Brown points

    Brown might not have been as spectacular as he was in the first workout, but he had his moments. He once again faced cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first one-on-one. Brown made an acrobatic catch in which he tipped the ball to himself and dragged his feet in the back corner of the end zone. The nearby referee ruled him out, but I thought he was inbounds.

    In two-on-two drills, Brown got Mitchell to slip after his break and scored. He flashed his strong hands on a contested ball over the middle a few reps later. Brown also caught a touchdown in 11-on-11 drills near the stands and celebrated with Patriots fans. Mitchell had a few strong reps as well. He locked up Brown on a deep route in which Maye’s aimless pass fell to the ground.

    Quarterback Jalen Hurts and Co. had their successes in the one-on-one and two-on-two portions. Tight end Dallas Goedert used subtle movements to create enough separation for a catch in the end zone. Quarterback Andy Dalton fired a pass to Eli Stowers that sailed past the rookie tight end before he looked back. Dalton looked nonplussed.

    There was a similar miscommunication between Hurts and Hollywood Brown in which the receiver didn’t turn his head in time. Hurts had a visual reaction and spoke to Brown afterward. They’ve had mix-ups in their first camp together, but have worked on improving their chemistry after practice. It eventually paid off (foreshadowing).

    Sean Mannion’s offense was hot and cold again in the second joint practice with the Patriots. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Running up that hill

    I spent most of practice watching the Eagles offense. Sean Mannion’s unit started slow and finished strong, unlike the day before when it got off to a hot start before petering out. With most of team drills worked inside the red zone, the condensed area made it more difficult for the pass offense.

    The run offense didn’t have that excuse and it struggled after an impressive showing the day prior. Saquon Barkley had few holes, especially on outside zone runs. He was strung out on his first carry. Patriots edge Gabe Jacas broke through for a tackle for loss on Barkley’s next tote. Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams was able to get inside tackle Lane Johnson and stop Barkley after a minimal gain.

    New England’s defense pushed the envelop at times and would tackle to the ground. Johnson took exception at one point and there was a scrum. The Eagles’ frustration boiled over several more times. Barkley appeared to get into it with Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore even though neither was participating in the drills. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks was in the middle of a fracas that halted practice.

    Saquon Barkley and Jordan Mailata want more rushing, less fighting. Both think the Eagles run game can be great.

    Tackle Jordan Mailata said afterward that the fights disrupted the flow of the run game. But it was tough sledding for both of the Eagles’ units. Running backs Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley — who shined on Wednesday — kept getting bottled up.

    Jalen Hurts struggled at times on Thursday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Tough enough

    The lack of production on the ground made it even harder on the passing attack. On Hurts’ first drop, Williams beat his block and was in the quarterback’s face for a would-be sack. Hurts kept playing, but his pass was deflected to Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones for an interception and he ran the other way. A play later, the blitz was picked up, but Hurts rushed his throw to receiver Darius Cooper and it fell incomplete. The Eagles ended the set with a touchdown when Hurts found Goedert over the middle in the back of the end zone.

    The first offense went back to being out of sorts, though, in the next stanza. Hurts picked up some yards on a draw play. But Wicks dropped a pass. And when Hurts had nothing, he held the ball and was pressured into taking a would-be loss. Later on, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss wasn’t fooled by another Hurts draw. Safety Kevin Byard blitzed the “A” gap and was unblocked. Hurts again kept the play alive, but edge Elijah Ponder dropped and broke up the throw to Bigsby.

    Dontayvion Wicks had a TD and was also the intended receiver on a Patriots interception. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Pick-le ball

    Hurts rebounded with another touchdown in the post — this time to Wicks, who celebrated with Bigsby. But for every positive there were two or three negatives. Hurts was tackled for a loss by Patriots linebacker K.J. Britt on a busted designed run. Two plays later, Jones had his second pick of Hurts when he stepped in front of Wicks near the sideline.

    The quarterback went back to Wicks over the middle on a quick timing play that had misdirection motion at the snap at the start of the next set. But center Cam Jurgens got beat when Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden penetrated into the backfield and sacked Hurts.

    Then the Eagles committed a false start. Hurts scrambled out of bounds for little or no gain. And when Bigsby finally broke outside for a long run, a holding penalty negated the first down. Mannion did manage to scheme tight end Johnny Mundt open for yards after the catch on a crosser. But the period ended without points.

    Hollywood Brown (0) made up for a previous route blunder with a touchdown in the scrimmage portion of practice. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Red-letter end

    The Eagles first offense would save face in the final red zone “scrimmage.” Hurts was workmanlike. He hit Goedert on a quickie for six yards. He then went to Wicks, who turned his defender around the 5-yard line. On first and goal, Hurts was flushed to the right and he found Hollywood Brown in the back of the end zone. But the receiver couldn’t get both feet inbounds.

    Hurts had good protection on the next down, though, and hurled a strike to a diving Brown for the touchdown. Cooper hauled in the ensuing two-pointer after Hurts bought time outside the pocket, but another holding penalty took the conversion off the board.

    Jordan Davis (90) was disruptive on Thursday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    In the trenches

    Even without Carter and Young, the Eagles’ interior defensive line won the run battle. Every time I glanced over to the other field, defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo disrupted the Patriots’ ground assault. Vic Fangio can get away with the highest percentage of light boxes in the NFL because he has the horses up front.

    I didn’t catch all of the one-on-ones between the Eagles’ pass rushers and the Patriots offensive line, but of the matchups I watched, they fared well. Hunt split his two reps vs. tackle Will Campbell, but edge Nolan Smith Jr. had victories over tackle Marcus Bryant. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson used his trusty old club/swim move to win his first turn, but guard Alijah Vera-Tucker took the rematch.

    Linebacker Zack Baun took a rare pass rush and dusted tackle Caleb Lomu. Edge Arnold Ebiketie had a win and draw vs. tackle Dametrious Crownover. The education of rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard continued. Guard JonDarius Morgan handled him with relative ease.

    Tanner McKee (16) was the second quarterback up on Thursday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Second fiddle

    Tanner McKee got the nod ahead of Dalton in the first set with the second offense. The quarterback connected with receiver Samori Toure on an out pattern and checked down to Stowers. Speaking of Stowers, he had a solid lead block on a Bigsby run to the perimeter. Another Eagles holding penalty brought back a later Bigsby run.

    McKee tried for Quez Watkins on a corner fade into the end zone, but his pass was too high for the receiver to pull in. Speaking of penalties, the Eagles had an offensive pass interference on a screen. McKee was forced to scramble when a bubble screen to receiver Britain Covey was thwarted. He did hook up with tight end E.J. Jenkins in between the hashes.

    Dalton was under center for the final red-zone period. He hit Watkins for a first down on his first drop. But the quarterback and receiver were out of sync on their next target. Dalton then threw out of bounds when Stowers was covered. And on fourth-and-goal, his pass to Toure was a touch late and broken up.

    Extra points

    Rookie quarterback Cole Payton got the day off — at least in team drills. … Shipley and Cooper were the first two returners during kickoff drills. … The Eagles will have a closed walkthrough ahead of Saturday’s preseason game with the Patriots. Few, if any of the starters are expected to play. Sunday will be an off day. Camp resumes back in Philly on Monday.

  • Eagles-Patriots joint practice observations: A.J. Brown shows out, running game finds momentum, Riq Woolen and Jake Elliott struggle

    Eagles-Patriots joint practice observations: A.J. Brown shows out, running game finds momentum, Riq Woolen and Jake Elliott struggle

    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Eagles held the 13th practice of their 2026 training camp — and the first of two joint practices with the Patriots — on Wednesday at the New Balance Athletics Center. Here were my observations from Day 13 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12):

    Roll call

    The Eagles arrived in New England relatively healthy, especially their first units, and managed to exit the first day of scrimmages without any significant injuries. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks got dinged at one point, but he returned. Tackle Fred Johnson apparently got hurt and didn’t finish. But the Eagles did accomplish one of their goals on Day 1 and that was to avoid injury.

    They were missing about a dozen players. Defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder) was the latest to be sidelined. The following were also out: cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), wide receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), and cornerback Shaun Wade (eye/shoulder).

    DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was limited for a second straight practice. He didn’t participate in 11-on-11s or seven-on-sevens. The Eagles have been careful with their No. 1 receiver. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (heel) and outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) were also limited. The Eagles listed receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) as limited, but he wasn’t in full uniform and did almost nothing.

    A.J. Brown had a strong practice against his former team. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    A.J.’s big day

    While the Eagles seem to have their top receiver in bubble wrap, new Patriots receiver A.J. Brown was full-go in facing his old team. Brown had a strong performance and, quite frankly, looked rejuvenated. The first competitive play of the session pitted the receiver vs. cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in one-on-ones. Brown ran a go route and had a half step of separation, but he couldn’t reel in Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s pass. He joked afterward that Mitchell held him and it sure looked like Mitchell grabbed the back of Brown’s pants just before the ball arrived.

    Nevertheless, Brown’s burst off the line was impressive. Maybe he hasn’t lost a step. I spent most of the day focused on the Eagles offense, but every time I looked over to the far field, Brown seemed to be hauling in another pass. He beat cornerback Riq Woolen on a deep crosser in team drills and later got behind him on a fade into the end zone. Social media replays seemed to indicate that Brown didn’t get both feet in. Still, he gave the Eagles secondary fits — as did the Pats pass offense apparently on many occasions — and he caught all three targets in seven-on-sevens.

    Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown discussed each other at Wednesday’s joint practice — but didn’t say much

    Afterward, Brown mostly dodged questions about last season and why he wanted out of Philly. It’s understandable why he didn’t want to look back, but he avoided media obligations for the last month of the season. “It’s love. I won a Super Bowl ring with them. … I love Philly and I will always love Philly,” Brown said. When I asked him if he had spoken to Jalen Hurts since the trade, he said no. Would he catch up with his so-called friend later this week? “I’m sure if our paths run across,” Brown said.

    Saquon Barkley and the running game had an impact on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Running it back

    There is still a lot of uncertainly about the Eagles’ pass offense without Brown and if Sean Mannion’s new system can scheme open receivers consistently enough. And those questions remain after an inconsistent day through the air from Hurts and Co. The bigger issue may be how the Eagles handle blitzes and simulated pressures. But the run game came out firing and really set the tone in the first two periods.

    Saquon Barkley ran inside and out on his first two carries and picked up modest gains. But he reached the second level on a rush up the middle, followed by a nice pickup off right tackle, and turned the corner into space on an outside zone run. Later on, Mannion added a few new wrinkles, once motioning Barkley into the backfield for a Hurts handoff from the shotgun. Center Cam Jurgens exploded into the second level and sealed off a lane for the running back.

    ‘Better’ and ‘faster’ A.J. Brown was dominant in a joint practice vs. the Eagles, for whom he still professes his love

    It wasn’t just Barkley on the ground, and it wasn’t just the first unit that saw daylight. Tank Bigsby, who returned after missing one day with a toe injury, got north to south on back-to-back rushes. Will Shipley found a seam on a stretch run with the backups and then chugged through a huge hole opened by Jurgens and right guard Tyler Steen with the starters.

    The Patriots’ run defense struggled last week in joint practices with the Colts according to some New England-area reporters I spoke to. On this day, New England was also without a few key pieces in defensive tackle Christian Barmore and linebacker Christian Elliss, who were limited to passing downs. But the Shanahan-style scheme needs early down run production to thrive and the Eagles had some positive signs of it in this outing.

    Jalen Hurts hooked up with Elijah Moore and Hollywood Brown through the air, among others. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Explosive devices

    The early ground success set up some play-action throws downfield, in particular a bomb from Hurts to receiver Elijah Moore on a corner route. The pass arrived just before the post safety arrived and Moore made the grab just short of the goal line. Earlier, Hurts hooked up with receiver Hollywood Brown on a naked bootleg off outside zone action — one of the core base plays of the Shanahan offense.

    He went back to Brown on a short hitch. There was also a nicely set up screen to Barkley in which left guard Landon Dickerson kicked out to seal the perimeter and sprung the running back. And then Hurts found Shipley wide-open on a mesh-wheel concept. The quarterback was “hot” vs. an “A” gap blitz, but he got the ball off for a big play down the sideline.

    Hurts tossed an interception in the team period, but his pass clanked off Wicks’ hands to Patriots and former Eagles safety Kevin Byard. In seven-on-sevens, a throw intended for receiver Britain Covey went directly to a Patriots defensive back who went the other way for a pick-six. There had to be a miscommunication there. Hurts had another turnover, though, when he sailed a middle-field pass on a crossing route.

    Former Eagle Milton Williams (right, with Riq Woolen) was part of the action on Wednesday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Rushing roulette

    The Eagles’ starting offensive line all scored wins in their one-on-ones by my count. Right tackle Lane Johnson stoned Patriots edge Elijah Ponder. Steen anchored well against a Barmore bull rush. Jurgens was all over defensive tackle Cory Durden. Dickerson held on vs. former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams. Patriots edge Dre’Mont Jones was able to get left tackle Jordan Mailata on his heels, but not enough to affect the pocket.

    Key reserves stood out, as well. Tackle Markel Bell blocked edge Jesse Luketa to the ground. Guard Drew Kendall used a strong initial punch to ward off defensive tackle Joshua Farmer. Center Willie Lampkin briefly lost his balance against nose tackle Isaiah Iton. But Lampkin rebounded and brawled to victories vs. defensive tackle Casey Rogers and Eric Gregory. Bell and Kendall also had later wins.

    Tackles Myles Hinton and Cam Williams got overwhelmed, especially the former. The second-year projects still seem far off from being ready. Hinton got completely dusted by edge Bradyn Swinson. He did better against Quintayvious Hutchins. But he got beat by a Ponder outside speed rush and was run over by Gabe Jacas and nearly knocked over simulated quarterback Connor Barwin. Williams did fine vs. end Amari Gainer, but he held Jacas and got knocked to the turf by Swinson.

    Jalyx Hunt (58) was solid for a defense that had its moments Wednesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Full frontal

    The Eagles’ defensive front had a solid showing in one-on-ones. Edges Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. were standouts. Tackles Morgan Moses and Marcus Bryant each lost to Smith — the first on outside speed. Hunt was able to get around tackle Dametrious Crownover, but Patriots tackle Will Campbell was able to lock him down. A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie also had strong turns with their edge rushes.

    Moro Ojomo had the most success of the Eagles’ interior starters. He beat guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in both of their matchups. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were kept in check by guard Mike Onwenu and center Jared Wilson. Ty Robinson continued his recent strong performances with two decisive wins over guard Mehki Butler. “He came to life,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said of Robinson, who had a sack in the preseason opener. “He’s been on life support since he’s been here.”

    Vic Fangio’s wish for variety was granted at Eagles-Patriots joint practice. What he watched wasn’t always pretty.

    Colleague Jeff Neiburg reported that the Eagles’ defense kept the Patriots mostly contained on the ground in team drills. Hunt and linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who blitzed up the “A” gap, also recorded sacks. But this wasn’t the pure defensive domination we saw from Fangio’s unit vs. an overmatched Patriots offense two years ago here.

    Cornerback Riq Woolen struggled at times against the Patriots on Wednesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Woolen worth

    Woolen was having a decent camp, but with Smith sidelined for most of the summer, he hasn’t faced anyone in Brown’s class. He also struggled against some of the other Patriots receivers. When the full teams came together for the final two-minute period, Woolen got beat in a zone by Romeo Doubs, who dropped a perfect strike. A few plays later, Pats receiver Mack Hollins caught a slant inside the cornerback.

    Woolen is known for his man-press cover skills. But he likely won’t be asked to do it as much in the Eagles defense. He has to learn to master Fangio’s match-zone coverages. He did get up on the line on third down during two-minute, but he jumped offside and the penalty resulted in a first down. After tight end Hunter Henry caught a pass ahead of cornerback Cooper DeJean, the Patriots rushed to kick a 45-ish yard field goal.

    Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel before a joint practice on Wednesday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Pressure packed

    The Eagles’ run game fortunes turned during the third period. The Patriots adjusted to their stretch plays and Barkley and Shipley were met in the backfield. Hurts did gobble up some yards on a zone read keep with tight end E.J. Jenkins as his lead blocker. But Bigsby was run down from the backside on a carry. Someone then committed a false start. And Hurts was pressured into a throwaway on third down.

    In two-minute, Hurts’ first pass was thrown slightly behind tight end Dallas Goedert. Byard sacked Hurts after blitzing from the slot. Barmore was somehow unblocked up the middle for another sack. Hurts made up some ground with a quick toss to receiver Darius Cooper. But there was another Eagles false start.

    Hurts was then forced to take throws underneath to Wicks with the Patriots in prevent defense. And the Eagles never crossed midfield before time ran out.

    Tanner McKee (16) and Andy Dalton (14) continued their pursuit of the QB2 job behind Jalen Hurts (1). David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Back in the high life

    Andy Dalton was first up with the twos at quarterback, but Tanner McKee got a number of snaps. They each looked sharper than they did in Baltimore. Dalton had to throw the ball beyond tight end Eli Stowers when he was double-covered deep. McKee hit an open Danny Gray on an intermediate route, but the receiver dropped the ball. Jacas had a sack after he toasted Williams from the edge.

    McKee bounced back, though, and found Shipley for a long gain on a busted coverage. Receiver Samori Toure found a soft spot in the zone and McKee eventually got the ball there.

    Dalton had one of his best periods and completed all five of his attempts late in the workout. He hit receiver Quez Watkins on a quick out. Covey made a contested catch. Dalton found Toure alone downfield. He ripped a seed to Gray over the middle. And with the pocket collapsing on him, Dalton hooked up with Toure near the sideline.

    Extra points

    Rookie quarterback Cole Payton got one set. He threw behind Covey and tossed another interception that went to Patriots safety John Saunders Jr. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rushed over to Payton and seemingly had unkind words to say. … Kicker Jake Elliott had missed only one kick that I counted during the first two weeks of camp. But he struggled away from home and missed 2 of 5 field goal attempts wide right. … Day 2 of joint practices resume Thursday. The Eagles will have a closed walkthrough on Friday ahead of Saturday night’s preseason game at the Patriots.

  • Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts tosses another middle-field INT; Michael Carter II gets the pick; DeVonta Smith ready for Patriots

    Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts tosses another middle-field INT; Michael Carter II gets the pick; DeVonta Smith ready for Patriots

    The Eagles held the 12th practice of their 2026 training camp on Monday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 12 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11):

    DeVonta Day

    DeVonta Smith returned to action after sitting out the last few weeks with a hamstring strain. He was limited and participated in individual drills. The Eagles are likely ramping him up ahead of this week’s joint practices with the Patriots. Cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell (glute) and Cooper DeJean (groin) made full returns and should be ready to face A.J. Brown & Co. in New England.

    The injury list grew after Saturday’s preseason opener. The following suffered injuries in Baltimore and missed practice: running back Tank Bigsby (toe), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), cornerback Mac McWilliams (groin), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), cornerback Shaun Wade (eye/shoulder), and outside linebacker Jose Ramirez (hamstring).

    The following remained out: receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), and running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring). The following were upgraded to limited participants: safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (heel), and receiver Danny Gray (concussion). Lemon did some sprints on a separate field. He’s running out of time if he is to play in the preseason.

    Defensive tackle Uar Bernard wasn’t listed on the injury report, but he didn’t practice. I can see a future setback that lands the football neophyte on injured reserve for the season.

    Nick Sirianni will likely place a lot of emphasis on the Patriots joint practices in his evaluations. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Start ’em up

    The Eagles had a relatively light workout ahead of their trip to Massachusetts. First-unit players, most of whom didn’t face the Ravens, took most of the team drill repetitions. The same will likely hold for the joint practices. Coach Nick Sirianni is hoping the sessions with the Patriots carry a lot of weight ahead of the regular season, especially for his offense as it learns a new scheme. If Saturday showed anything, it’s that there could be a prolonged learning curve.

    Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said before practice that he could open up the playbook a little more in Foxboro. The Eagles should have their entire projected starting lineup if Smith goes. They could be light at receiver and running back, but the offensive line will enter intact. Right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson have mostly been partial participants in camp, but they appeared to take every snap on Monday.

    Michael Carter II had a pick of Jalen Hurts on Monday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Gimme Carter

    Defensive back Michael Carter II made the play of the day when he intercepted quarterback Jalen Hurts in team drills. Hurts threw to Quez Watkins on an intermediate route over the middle and Carter undercut the receiver to make a contested grab. It was a tight-window throw with a lot of bodies in the area. I’m not sure if Watkins’ route was precise or not, but it was another middle-field pick for Hurts. He’s had some strong throws in that area, but Sirianni may need to lower his turnover expectations if there are going to be more passes between the numbers.

    Carter has locked down his spot on the roster. He may not have beaten out Marcus Epps for the nickel safety spot, but the dime position appears to be his. He should also be DeJean’s backup in the slot. Carter got home for two would-be sacks off slot blitzes during team drills on Monday. I’m intrigued to see the built-in answers Mannion has schemed up for his quarterback when he’s “hot.” I’m not sure why Hurts held the ball on both occasions.

    Quinyon Mitchell is set to battle former teammate A.J. Brown later this week. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Mitchie-poo

    The field tilts when Mitchell is manning the right side. We haven’t seen him follow a receiver since Smith’s injury, but he could be tasked with shadowing ex-teammate Brown later this week. They had their battles in Philly. Hurts did go at Mitchell on his first drop. Receiver Dontayion Wicks couldn’t shake the corner on a dig route, and the pass sailed incomplete.

    Kelee Ringo replaced Mitchell when he took his first few rests. I’m not sure if this represented a promotion with Bennett and McWilliams sidelined. Ringo had an interception against the Ravens, but he had shaky moments, too. If either Mitchell or Riq Woolen was to get hurt, DeJean would likely move to the outside. Carter in the slot is a better option than any of the backups on the outside.

    Monday was a good day for the Vic Fangio defense. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    For the defense

    Vic Fangio’s first-unit defense appeared, overall, to get the better of Hurts and Co. in about 25 plays. It wasn’t a lopsided performance by any stretch, but the turnover and several sacks gave the defense the edge. Hurts was forced to throw underneath a fair amount, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He hooked up with receiver Darius Cooper and tight end Dallas Goedert on short hitch routes during the first set.

    The offense’s best moment might have come on a Hurts-to-Hollywood Brown connection for about 20 yards. Brown ran a curl route and settled in a soft spot in a deep zone. He made the catch and turned upfield ahead of Woolen for a few extra yards. Hurts then hit Gray on a slant on the next play.

    There were a few other completions: a short toss to Elijah Moore when he was the third read on a naked bootleg and another shortie to the slot receiver. Hurts kept a play alive — even though Carter had eased off on a would-be sack — and threw to an open Goedert. But the tight end bobbled the ball and couldn’t reel it in.

    Saquon Barkley (left) did not work out with the rest of the team in Baltimore but returned Monday. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Run it up

    Barkley tweaked an ankle last week and didn’t warm up with the other starters ahead of the Ravens game. He was back in uniform, though, and took a few handoffs. Barkley hasn’t been kept in bubble wrap, but the Eagles have also been careful with their No. 1 running back. Bigsby will be the No. 2, but the guess here is that those expecting significantly more carries this season will be disappointed. Barkley will be the workhorse again.

    He didn’t have much room when edge Nolan Smith Jr. and defensive tackle Jalen Carter blew up a couple of his rushes. Barkley did have a productive dash to the outside. Will Shipley and Carson Steele got a fair amount of first-team totes with Bigsby out. Shipley and Hurts had a botched exchange on a pitch. It was tough sledding for both tailbacks, but there were a few inside runs into the second level.

    Moro Ojomo contrite about training camp skirmish with Eagles teammate Fred Johnson: ‘You fight with your brothers’

    Line dance

    It was mostly the topliners up front who took reps in one-on-ones. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo was able to swim by Dickerson on their first matchup, but the guard rebounded and stood firm against a bull rush. Left tackle Jordan Mailata easily handled edge Jalyx Hunt on both his rushes. Tackle Fred Johnson had a couple of strong sets vs. Smith. Hunt, it should be noted, recorded a sack in team drills.

    Tyler Steen and Jalen Carter have had some battles in camp. Carter swam by the right guard in one-on-ones and bowled over him on the second turn. Steen might have had payback on his mind when he knocked the defensive tackle off his feet in team drills. Alas, the play resulted in Michael Carter’s interception.

    Willie Lampkin made an impression on Saturday night, as he has throughout camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Willie conk-a

    Willie Lampkin was one of the few standouts on offense in the preseason opener. Loyal readers know I’ve been touting his abilities in camp. He has all the tools to compete in the NFL minus, maybe, his size (5-foot-11, 290). But the center/guard sure makes up for it with his technique, acumen and effort.

    He took a lone snap vs. defensive tackle Byron Young in one-on-ones and had yet another win by my count. Lampkin and the second O-line unit didn’t get many snaps during team drills. On Thursday, the fight between Johnson and Ojomo ended practice early. I didn’t see any encounters between the pair several days later. But I did see Lampkin help Ojomo off the ground as Johnson stood nearby.

    Ojomo addressed the fight after practice. “It’s football … I made a mistake,” he said. It’s time to move on.

    Tanner McKee (left), Andy Dalton (center) and Jalen Hurts all received reps on Monday. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Back to basics

    Quarterback Andy Dalton was first up with the twos. Tanner McKee also got some snaps. As noted above, there weren’t many reps to go around, but the second-unit offense still looked ineffective. Dalton had to throw the ball away a few times. McKee essentially tossed one into the dirt when his receivers were all covered.

    Linebacker Chance Campbell, who missed time with a groin strain, was back in team drills. Wisniewski blitzed at one point. He has a lot of ground to make up.

    Extra points

    Linebacker Jihaad Campbell had a couple of run stops. His talent is undeniable. He just needs to play. … Cole Payton took the last few snaps at quarterback. He had another scramble for positive yards. … The Eagles will have a walk-through on Tuesday before traveling to New England. Wednesday’s joint practice with the Patriots will begin at 10:15 a.m. and last about two hours.

  • The Eagles offense was not impressive in Sean Mannion’s debut. That’s not surprising … or all that concerning.

    The Eagles offense was not impressive in Sean Mannion’s debut. That’s not surprising … or all that concerning.

    BALTIMORE — If the Eagles hoped their rudimentary game plan wouldn’t reveal much about their new offensive scheme, then mission accomplished.

    It was difficult to identify Sean Mannion’s version of the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay system, let alone any functioning NFL offense in the Eagles’ 24-7 loss to the Ravens on Saturday night. That obviously wasn’t by design.

    But the combination of coach Nick Sirianni resting his starters once again in the preseason, a vanilla script for first-time play-caller Mannion, and some expected growing pains with a vastly different offense resulted in an inept offensive performance at M&T Bank Stadium.

    The Eagles managed just two first downs on their first nine possessions. They gained just 45 yards and scored zero points over that span. Only a late touchdown from the fourth unit — made up mostly of players who won’t make the 53-man roster — prevented a shutout.

    It was ugly.

    But does it matter? Probably not.

    The Eagles have been justified in their devaluing of the preseason over the last five years. Beyond their overall success, they’ve shown that rust hasn’t been a factor by going 5-0 in their regular-season openers, and that keeping key players out of harm’s way has helped make them among the healthiest teams in the league.

    Was there a case for letting Jalen Hurts and Co. take a series or two in a live setting, or for Mannion to get a few test runs with his actual offensive pieces? Sure. Maybe.

    It’s not like anything on offense can be taken for granted after last season’s regression.

    But Sirianni is sticking to the template.

    Eagles preseason grades vs. Ravens: Offense struggles to move the ball, defensive line shows flashes

    “We obviously think that when we got out to practice we have high, high intensity,” Sirianni said in explaining why most of his starters on both sides of the ball didn’t dress. “We got a big week this week coming up and the [starters] are going to get a lot of reps in New England for the joint practices.”

    It won’t be as easy to declare a winner and loser in Foxborough’s practices. And there won’t be film for future opponents to study. But the Eagles should dip a little more into Mannion’s playbook in facing the Patriots for two scrimmages planned for Wednesday and Thursday.

    We’ve already seen the hallmarks of the Shanahan-McVay scheme at training camp: more under center, more play action, more marrying the pass with the run, more motion, more middle-field throws, and a significantly different run- blocking scheme.

    The Eagles offense is making progress, even if it’s not always linear for Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and Co. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    It hasn’t always been clean. Hurts has had his struggles. But he’s also had his moments. The same could be said of Saquon Barkley and the offensive line in the run game. But the scheme never looked more like a work in progress than it did on Saturday with quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee at the controls.

    “With the new offense and with so many things that are new, I think obviously mistakes are going to happen,” McKee said. “That many is unacceptable. But we’re going to learn from them and be better for it.”

    Dalton started and the offense went three-and-out on the first three drives. Two penalties set the Eagles back on their first series. Dalton nearly tossed an interception that was deflected on the second. On the third, wide receiver Darius Cooper, who has shone in camp, couldn’t haul in a third-down missile from his quarterback.

    Eagles backups fail to generate fireworks in preseason opener, fall 24-7 at Ravens

    “It’s the preseason so there’s a lot of vanilla looks,” Dalton said. “I think that played a little bit of a factor. Now we got ourselves into some tough situations with some penalties and negative plays. I know there was one third down I should have gone somewhere else with the ball.”

    Rhythm is important in every offense, but if there isn’t early-down success on the ground in this scheme, it can be difficult to move the ball. Will Shipley had a few positive runs with McKee under center, but another penalty put the offense behind the sticks and led to yet another punt.

    Two of the penalties were for holding. There was also a false start. But there were other miscues: imprecise routes, poor blocking technique and errant throws. Dalton has played in a similar scheme before. But he’s still trying to build chemistry with new faces.

    McKee has gone from being the bona fide No. 2 to a demotion. He may still end up beating out Dalton, but it’s unclear why the Eagles have seemingly soured on their 2023 sixth-round draft pick. A year ago, he completed 20 of 25 passes in the preseason opener and was being touted as a starting-caliber backup.

    Andy Dalton brings 169 games of NFL starting experience to the Eagles’ QB room. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    But the quarterback factory made room for Dalton, who came during the offseason via trade. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman surrendered just a seventh-rounder to poach the veteran. Maybe he can eventually flip Dalton to a backup-needy team, of which there are plenty.

    Neither looked particularly fetching against the Ravens, though. Of course, it’s been tough with the uncertainty over snap distribution in practice.

    “Nothing’s decided there as far as who’s the two, who’s the three,” Sirianni said. “Andy’s played a lot of football. I think he’s had 160-plus starts [169]. Tanner’s had two starts. Just wanted to make sure Tanner continues to be able to develop in live action.”

    McKee ended up with just one more drive than Dalton. They may not practice as much against the Patriots, but they’re more than likely to play the bulk of Saturday’s second preseason game. There’s still time to sort out the competition, or if either is expendable.

    Cole Payton led the Eagles’ only scoring drive on Saturday night. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Rookie Cole Payton showed gumption in driving the Eagles to their lone score. He didn’t exactly play within structure, partly because the execution around him wasn’t sound. But also because the plays didn’t scheme receivers open.

    Maybe that, too, was part of the plan. There’s little to be gained in Mannion showing his full deck of cards. And yet, he’ll remain a mystery until the games really matter. He did reveal that he’ll call plays from the field rather than the booth.

    Dalton and McKee said the overall communication was smooth.

    “Sounded really good. Clear. Decisive. Was always early,” McKee said of Mannion’s play-calling. “There was never a time when he was trying to get a play call at the 15-second [mark] because he didn’t know what he was going to do.”

    Play-calling is one thing. Instruction is another. The Eagles’ offensive backups mostly didn’t execute on Saturday. There’s little reason to panic. But there will be a learning curve. And it will likely extend well into the season.

    “I think the whole season is a work in progress,” Sirianni said. “You’re continuing to try and get better each and every week to be playing your best football at the end of the year.”

    If there’s anything to be gained from the Eagles’ offensive dud in Mannion’s debut it’s that patience is a virtue. How long will that last?

  • Eagles preseason grades vs. Ravens: Offense struggles to move the ball, defensive line shows flashes

    Eagles preseason grades vs. Ravens: Offense struggles to move the ball, defensive line shows flashes

    BALTIMORE — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 24-7 loss to the Ravens:

    Quarterback — C-

    Jalen Hurts and the first offense, as expected, didn’t suit up. Andy Dalton got the start ahead of Tanner McKee. Dalton had a shaky first three drives as the Eagles didn’t pick up a first down. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 20 yards. He would have tossed a deflected interception had his dump to running back Tank Bigsby not hit the ground.

    McKee was next under center. He worked with mostly the third unit. He was just as unspectacular, although he didn’t have the benefit of working with the second offense. He hit Darius Cooper for 13 yards at one point. McKee was sacked when he failed to recognize a nickel dog blitz in the third quarter. He completed 6 of 10 passes for just 35 yards. Neither quarterback won the No. 2 spot on this night.

    Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee are battling for QB2 duties. Saturday didn’t provide much clarity on who’s ahead.

    Rookie Cole Payton drove the Eagles to their lone score — a 6-yard touchdown pass to receiver Erik Ezukanma in the back corner of the end zone. Payton didn’t do much within structure. But he extended plays, made throws and scrambled for 45 yards.

    Running back — C-

    Saquon Barkley was among the dozen or so players who didn’t participate in pregame warmups. The running back tweaked his ankle in camp on Thursday. Bigsby finished with just five yards on two carries. He didn’t appear to have much room on the run.

    Will Shipley was next up. He had more success running behind the third unit offensive line, and had two 8-yard rushes to the right. He ran seven times for 22 yards. Carson Steele was in the backfield for mop-up duty.

    Ja’Quinden Jackson had one catch for 11 yards.

    Receiver / Tight end — D+

    Dontayvion Wicks appears to have locked up the No. 2 job. He was the only uninjured wide receiver to be inactive. Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore dressed and played. Brown caught one pass for four yards. Moore picked up a couple of yards on an end around. They were the first receivers to be pulled.

    Darius Cooper, despite his strong camp, played deep into the game. He had a Dalton heater glance off his hands. His 13-yard grab from McKee gave the Eagles their initial first down. Cooper caught just 2 of 5 targets.

    Tight ends Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt were given the night off. Rookie Eli Stowers has been working with the third unit during camp, but he started with Grant Calcaterra at tight end. Stowers was often McKee’s outlet and caught three passes for 12 yards. His blocking was up and down and he committed a holding penalty on Bigsby’s first carry. Calcaterra had a grab for eight yards.

    Eagles backups fail to generate fireworks in preseason opener, fall 24-7 at Ravens

    Cameron Latu couldn’t haul in a McKee pass in the third quarter. E.J. Jenkins won at the point of attack on a Shipley 8-yard tote to the right.

    Offensive line — D

    Rookie Markel Bell started at right tackle. He appeared to hold up in pass protection. He had a seal block that helped spring Shipley for eight yards. Fred Johnson started at left tackle. He had a false start on the opening series. Johnson played just the Eagles’ first three possessions.

    Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin swapped positions — left guard and center — early on. They didn’t stand out on either side of the ledger. The fact both were among the first O-linemen pulled indicated they should make the final roster.

    Jake Majors took over at center with McKee at quarterback. He committed a holding penalty in the second quarter. Rookie Micah Morris and the rest of the third unit O-line didn’t get much push on the ground. Payton was also under pressure a lot. Morris had a late hold.

    Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson sacked Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley in the first quarter.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Defensive line — B-

    The Eagles, to some surprise, rested most of their defensive starters. Their backup interior group looked strong against the Ravens’ No. 2 offensive line. Defensive tackle Byron Young won often up front and got penetration as a run defender and pass rusher. Ty Robinson notched an early sack when he beat the left guard at the snap. The second-year defensive tackle’s name wasn’t called as much the rest of the way, at least until he roughed the passer in the fourth quarter. Gabe Hall played a bunch of snaps at D-tackle and mostly held up.

    Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie started on the edge with A.J. Epenesa. He set the edge on a first quarter Ravens run that netted a couple yards. Epenesa defeated a tight end to make an early run stop. The Ravens took advantage of Epenesa, who had never played in a 3-4 scheme, dropping into coverage with a 29-yard pass downfield. Epenesa nearly had a pick when he dropped the ball in the second quarter. Both edges were done before the half.

    Rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who was playing in his first game at any level, looked like a novice, as expected. Joshua Weru was playing in his first game ever, too, but didn’t seem as raw. The undrafted rookie displayed his burst when he was unblocked off the edge and was credited with a quarterback hit. Outside linebacker Tarron Jackson picked up a late sack.

    Linebacker — C+

    Jihaad Campbell was the only projected starter on defense to play. He had three total tackles and was pulled after two series. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. started alongside Campbell. He had five tackles before the break, including a sack on a delayed blitz. Trotter didn’t play in the second half.

    Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (left) had five tackles in the first half.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Smael Mondon took a few bad angles in the first half as a second level run defender. He had positives, though, and was effective when he blitzed. Mondon shed a block and made a run stop at the line on the last play of the third quarter.

    Cornerback — C-

    Starters Quinyon Mitchell (glute) and Cooper DeJean (groin) were recently added to the injury list, but they wouldn’t have played anyway. Riq Woolen, Mitchell’s counterpart on the outside, was also in street clothes.

    Jakorian Bennett started opposite Kelee Ringo at outside cornerback. He left with an injury during the Ravens’ first drive. Ambry Thomas took Bennett’s place. He did fine. Ringo had an interception in the end zone just before the half. His pass interference penalty a play earlier gave the Ravens first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. But he rebounded. Earlier, Ringo was in coverage when Ravens receiver Ja’Kobi Lane caught a 16-yard touchdown on a dig route.

    Mac McWilliams started in the slot. The second-year corner struggled some. He allowed a few catches in the first half including a 19-yard pass that set up the Ravens’ first points. He was called for holding in the second quarter. McWilliams led the Eagles with 10 tackles.

    Cornerback Shaun Wade got beat and slipped on a short pass in the third quarter. But he got up and punched the ball out for a forced fumble that Thomas recovered. Thomas also had seven stops.

    Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo (left) celebrates after intercepting a pass in the end zone to stop a Ravens drive late during the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Safety — C+

    Marcus Epps didn’t dress, indicating that he all but has the nickel safety spot locked down. Starter Andrew Mukuba didn’t suit up, despite not playing in a game since he broke his leg last November.

    Michael Carter II and Andre’ Sam were the first pair of safeties. Carter had tight coverage early in the second quarter and forced a high throw from quarterback Joe Fagnano. He made an open field run stop later on. Sam was late to help Ringo on the Lane touchdown.

    Special teams — B

    The Eagles allowed a 19-yard punt return, but the cover units were mostly sound. Quez Watkins was first up to return kicks. Ezukanma averaged 25.7 yards on three kick returns. Britain Covey handled punt returns. He had a fair catch.

    Kicker Jake Elliott could have taken the night off, save for one kickoff and extra point. It would have been nice to see him try a few field goals in light of his recent down seasons. Punter Braden Mann was busier. He averaged 47.6 yards on eight punts. Rookie long snapper Rocco Underwood didn’t have any glaring snafus.

    Sean Mannion’s debut as the Eagles OC was unremarkable.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Coaching — C-

    Nick Sirianni has historically placed little emphasis on the preseason, so it wasn’t a shock that he rested most of his starters. The Ravens didn’t suit up most of their top-liners either. But first-year coach Jesse Minter’s team looked better prepared. Nevertheless, keeping key guys healthy is of the utmost importance. The Eagles will get a better gauge of where they stand in joint practices with the Patriots this week.

    Sean Mannion’s first game as an offensive coordinator was unremarkable. It’s difficult to place much stock in his performance with Hurts and Co resting. Sirianni was unlikely to allow Mannion to reveal much. Still, the play calling had little flow and the execution was sloppy. The second unit wasn’t sharp. The third and fourth groups weren’t much better. The offense gained just 76 yards on their first eight possessions. Of note: Mannion called plays from the sideline.

    Vic Fangio had convinced Sirianni to allow his starters to play in his first two preseasons as defensive coordinator. That wasn’t the case the third time around. The defense was more effective than the offense, particularly the second unit. It got uglier the more they were asked to shoulder the load.

  • Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts’ INTs explained; Moro Ojomo and Fred Johnson brawl; cornerbacks on ice

    Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts’ INTs explained; Moro Ojomo and Fred Johnson brawl; cornerbacks on ice

    The Eagles held the 11th practice of their 2026 training camp on Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 11 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10):

    Fight club

    My notes will start at the end of practice and what caused a scheduled 90-minute workout to finish prematurely: The Eagles’ first bona fide fight of camp. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo and tackle Fred Johnson had themselves a good ol’ donnybrook in which fists were thrown, alleged cheap shots were taken and multiple players and coaches did their best to separate the two combatants.

    As with most camp altercations, there was apparently a series of events that led to the ultimate throwdown between the linemen. Ojomo doesn’t typically line up over Johnson, but there are occasions when they will meet, particularly on run plays. In second-unit team drills, Ojomo beat Johnson inside and notched a would-be tackle for loss. He might have had another TFL a set later if Johnson didn’t tackle him to the ground.

    Moro Ojomo took exception to what he felt was a late push by teammate Fred Johnson. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    It all came to a head later on when Johnson gave Ojomo an extra push to the ground. Ojomo popped up, stormed at Johnson and led with a left. Johnson responded and they scuffled until it was broken up. Normally, throwing hands would get you kicked out of the next play or even practice. Ojomo and Johnson not only remained on the field, but faced off again. And, of course, it got physical again. Johnson pancaked Ojomo to the turf, Ojomo came up swinging — this time with a right hook — and then all I could see were bodies flying around trying to stop the melee.

    Tight end in the new Eagles offense is a ‘blue collar job’ that will be key to the team’s success in 2026

    Punching a helmet makes little sense and Ojomo apparently realized as much. My view was obstructed, but I was later told that after breaking free from his teammates, he lunged at Johnson’s lower body. That prolonged the fracas until the two were finally pried apart. Ojomo kept yelling at Johnson, who said to no one in particular, “He tried to take out my knees! I got kids!”

    Coach Nick Sirianni huddled the team together and wrapped up practice 10 minutes early. After two weeks of facing off against each other, the Eagles’ offense and defense will finally face a team in another uniform when they meet the Ravens on Saturday. And again when they head to New England for two joint practices with the Patriots next Wednesday and Thursday. It’s about that time.

    Corner boys

    Quinyon Mitchell (glute) and Cooper DeJean (groin) were the latest to miss practice. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two All-Pro cornerbacks landed on the injury report at the same time. The Eagles have likely seen enough out of Mitchell and DeJean, and as they did with receiver DeVonta Smith, decided to shut down two key players who don’t need camp as much others do.

    With Mitchell out, Jakorian Bennett and Kelee Ringo split reps at right cornerback. Michael Carter II filled in for DeJean in the slot and Marcus Epps took most, if not all, of the snaps at safety. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields might have gotten some looks with the first-unit defense, too, but he was also out with a heel injury.

    Andrew Mukuba’s promising rookie season was cut short by injury. His resurgence is key to the success of the Eagles safeties.

    The following remained sidelined: receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), and Smith (hamstring). Receiver Danny Gray (concussion) was limited.

    Receiver Johnny Wilson (knee) was back in action.

    When Riq Woolen (2) is off the field, Mac McWilliams (22) is often on it. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Hollywood shuffle

    Cornerback Mac McWilliams got some starter’s reps whenever Riq Woolen took a breather. He made the most of his turn during seven-on-sevens when he intercepted Jalen Hurts’ toss to receiver Hollywood Brown in the end zone. McWilliams caught sight of the pass late, but he used one hand to secure the ball against his shoulder and pulled it in for the pick.

    Hurts’ pass didn’t look errant. The timing between a quarterback and a receiver on out routes can be of the utmost importance. Hurts worked with Brown on the route after practice. Lemon was involved, as well. Brown hasn’t really stood out in camp. There could be a host of reasons why. Does Hurts not yet trust him? Is he not a scheme fit? Has he lost a step? Or is it simply too early to make assessments?

    Brown later dropped a screen pass.

    Interpreting interceptions

    Brown was also the intended receiver on Mitchell’s interception from Tuesday. I chose to spotlight the corner’s improved ball skills rather than Hurts’ turnover because it appeared as if Brown wasn’t precise on his dig route. As with most plays in football, there were multiple factors. The Eagles posted the play on their social media accounts and it created a minor stir.

    I understood some of the commotion. The team wouldn’t normally promote anything that would seemingly disparage their franchise quarterback. I think in this case, they simply wanted to give props to Mitchell. The interception had already been reported. It’s not like Hurts — or any player — is perfect. And, in fact, I appreciate that the Eagles didn’t feel like they had to mollycoddle the 28-year old. That hasn’t always been the case.

    Nevertheless, Hurts could end up throwing more interceptions with more projected middle field throws in the new offense. I asked Sirianni if he needed to alter his conservatism when it comes to turnovers because the reward of more over-the-middle passes is worth the risk. His answer in a nutshell was no, but I think there is an alternate reality.

    Nolan Smith Jr. had a strong practice Thursday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Smith locked in

    Nolan Smith was all over the field during the first team period. The outside linebacker raced into the backfield to touch up running back Saquon Barkley after getting by tight end Dallas Goedert’s block. Smith was even more impressive on the next rep when he beat left tackle Jordan Mailata with a push-pull move and strung a run play out. A few plays later, he snuffed out a swing pass to Barkley.

    Smith’s instincts and versatility are strengths. He’s effective in setting the edge against the run and wily when he drops into coverage. His effort is unquestioned. A lot of his pressures and sacks come from dirty work. The one knock, as I see it, is fairly significant: He doesn’t win enough in the pass rush. At least not yet. And there are concerns about durability. He’s still wearing a large brace on his left arm. But the Eagles picked up his fifth-year option for good reason.

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    Fixed Wicks

    Dontayvion Wicks opened camp as one of Hurts’ go-to guys. He wasn’t targeted as much over the last week, for whatever reason, but Thursday’s practice further validated the notion that Wicks should get the second-most number of snaps at receiver once the season starts.

    Hurts and Wicks have developed obvious rapport on certain concepts, mostly on the out route. Wicks knows how to win at the line. He caught a 10-yarder in front of McWilliams early on, and then beat Woolen for a touchdown. Woolen has been one of the best man-press covers in the NFL. But Wicks used a quick shuffle at the line to keep the corner from jamming him. Hurts hit him in stride before the pylon and pumped his fist in celebration.

    Bell power

    Markel Bell took the snaps at right tackle when Lane Johnson got rest. The 6-foot-9 rookie has so far answered some of the questions about his agility in the Shanahan scheme. We know he has the size traits, especially when it comes to arm length in pass protection. But would he be able to get out of a three-point stance in run blocking? Would he be able to climb to the second level and get his hands on linebackers?

    I saw it before in camp, but he had two impressive instances on Thursday when he sealed off linebacker Zack Baun on inside zone runs by Barkley and Tank Bigsby. Guard Tyler Steen — his partner on the right side — had a solid day as well. He once contained defensive tackle Jalen Carter at the point of attack. He later had a false start and may have held Carter on another down, but Steen has solidified his standing this summer.

    Johnny Mundt (83) was a target for Jalen Hurts (1). Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    First down

    Hurts loves his tight ends during sevens-on-sevens. Goedert and Johnny Mundt were his targets on the first three drops. Hurts then tried two corner fades in the red zone — the first to Wicks and the second to Wilson — but Michael Carter and Woolen each recorded pass breakups.

    Ringo took a poor angle on a Barkley run to the perimeter. A year ago, Ringo essentially took himself out of the starting cornerback competition when he missed an open field tackle in the first preseason game. Hurts later found Goedert in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in team drills. Safety Andrew Mukuba was in coverage, but Hurts had all kinds of time in the pocket.

    Tanner McKee should get some run on Saturday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Second down

    Sirianni declined to say who would start at quarterback on Saturday. It’s doubtful that Hurts and Co. play. The guess here is that Andy Dalton will get the nod, but Tanner McKee will play as much. McKee was first up with the second offense on Thursday. His best moment came on a 12-yard hitch to receiver Britain Covey.

    Dalton struggled in his first set. His throw to running back Will Shipley led him just out of bounds. Shipley did his best to drag his feet, and a nearby referee ruled him inbounds, but the replay suggested otherwise. Gray was wide-open in the back of the end zone a play later, but Dalton overthrew him.

    Extra points

    Barkley got dinged at one point and required trainer attention. He should fine, from what I understand. … It was bound to happen. Willie Lampkin missed a block. Defensive tackle Byron Young was credited with a sack when he slipped outside the guard. Lampkin’s error wasn’t physical. He just hesitated a second on his assignment. … Covey, Elijah Moore, Quez Watkins and Brandon Hayes handled punt return duties. Lemon watched from nearby. … UFC’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett watched practice. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Friday. They’re off on Sunday and will return to practice on Monday.