Jalen Hurts has been preparing for this situation.
On Tuesday, the Eagles offense entered its second week of training camp without DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon, two of the top (if not the top) receivers on the team. Both pass catchers have missed time with hamstring injuries. While their exact timelines for return are unclear, their ailments are not considered long-term concerns.
Such is life in the NFL, as Hurts knows. In 2023, for example, he lacked top receiver A.J. Brown for the wild-card blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Smith had 148 receiving yards in that game. No other receiver had more than 32.
Building chemistry with everyreceiver, not just the top targets, is critical for a quarterback’s success in the passing game during a long, unpredictable season, according to Hurts. The injuries to Smith and Lemon are reminders of that reality.
That process of building chemistry doesn’t start during the offseason program, take a break in late June, then pick back up with training camp. Hurts spent time with his receivers, including the tight ends, over the summer for workouts and off-the-field bonding in Orlando, Fla.
“I put an onus on the time that we spend in the summertime, and that’s always been a very important thing to me,” Hurts said Tuesday. “So the time that we’ve been able to take advantage of in that time and carry that on to where we are now, and the game happens, injuries happen, and so in all, it’s about how you respond, who steps up, and who’s able to fill that void.”
A variety of receivers are attempting to fill that void, including newcomers Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore. But perhaps none of the active roster contenders among the receivers corps are more unheralded than Darius Cooper, the 2025 undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State.
Cooper, 24, made the initial 53-man roster out of training camp last year, but his role on the team wasn’t prominent. Nick Sirianni labeled him one of the “dirty work guys” of the Eagles offense last season, primarily responsible for blocking.
He had just 11 targets in 2025, resulting in nine receptions for 92 yards. But with Smith and Lemon absent, Cooper’s targets have exploded in training camp. He had his best day on Monday, when he hauled in several impressive catches that ran the gamut of the route tree.
How good can Cooper be in Year 2?
“I think he’s pretty good already, and I think he’s going to continue to grow,” Hurts said. “I can’t make you a promise and say that he’s going to be X, Y, Z. Just think he’s going to continue to develop into the player he’s shown he is, and he has very strong hands. He’s always been really good at the deep ball from his time back in small-college Texas ball.
“He’s got a hunger and he’s got a diligence about himself. And I think those are great competitive qualities, competitive traits that you can have.”
Hurts also lauded Cooper’s physicality and his “really big catch radius.” Both traits allow him to make contested catches, a skill set he has displayed through two weeks of camp.
“I just think I’m excited to see him grow, continue to grow, and grow with him,” Hurts said.
But Smith and Lemon aren’t out of sight, let alone out of mind, as Sean Mannion irons out the offense. Both receivers have been present on the sideline during camp, often listening to the play calls through a headset during team drills.
The offense is new, but Smith is a seasoned, proven veteran who has missed time during training camp before. Lemon, the first-rounder out of USC, is not. Hurts has been impressed with how the rookie has handled his acclimation to the NFL despite being sidelined.
He noted that Lincoln Riley, his former coach at Oklahoma and Lemon’s coach at USC, told him that the rookie receiver brings an intensity to his preparation.
Hurts can sense that intensity, too, even though he isn’t suited up on the field.
“The way he’s been engaging himself and doing the things that Smitty’s doing, and being right there in the huddle,” Hurts said. “He may not be getting these reps, but am I in the huddle? Am I feeling it? Am I getting that same vibe and that same energy as if I am playing and I do have my pads on? So I just think it’s all in the preparation.”
The Eagles will have to wait until Lemon recovers from his injury for that preparation to pay off.
Hurts, while grateful for the increased reps with his other receivers, was hopeful that he wouldn’t have to wait much longer.
“Hopefully, we can get that ball rolling here soon, get everybody healthy, and see who all we have,” Hurts said.
Eagles radio broadcasts will sound a little different this year.
While longtime announcers Merrill Reese and Mike Quick will be back for their 29th season together in the booth, 94.1 WIP won’t have a dedicated sideline reporter during Eagles games for the first time in more than 15 years.
WIP is shifting to a more limited role within the broadcast, with Reese and Quick turning to another WIP personality when needed.
It’s assumed that Eliot Shorr-Parks, the station’s Eagles beat reporter since 2018, will be the broadcast’s go-to voice for updates, but others could jump in as needed. Shorr-Parks will do a pregame hit from the sideline ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.
“The rest of the role is still TBD,” said David Helm, a spokesperson for WIP’s parent company, Audacy.
Devan Kaney was laid off by WIP in March and has since landed in Chicago. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Devan Kaney, who served as sideline reporter last season and during the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX run, was laid off by WIP in March as part of company-wide cutbacks by Audacy. She had been with the station since 2022 and served as an on-air personality, regularly cohosting WIP’s morning show alongside Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie.
“I had a blast working at WIP and sincerely enjoyed my time there,” Kaney told The Inquirer in March. “But as the old saying goes, when one door closes, another opens.”
Former WIP host Howard Eskin served as a sideline reporter for more than 15 years. dnphoto
Former WIP host Howard Eskin was the station’s first Eagles sideline reporter, with his fur coats and colorful headphones becoming a sideline staple. Eskin covered the team since 1975, but said his first season as Eagles sideline reporter wasn’t until 2011.
WIP has been broadcasting Eagles games since 1969, with Reese entering his 50th season calling games, by far the longest-tenured announcer in the NFL. The station’s current deal to broadcast Eagles games runs through the 2028 season.
Wendell Smallwood Jr. will be by his daughter’s side in her final days after being granted early release from prison.
Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Renard Scott approved a motion to withdraw Smallwood’s guilty plea from last year, on August 7, in order to see his dying daughter, The News Journal reported on Monday.
Mila, Smallwood’s eight-year-old daughter, was diagnosed with diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor, an aggressive and rare childhood kidney cancer, in 2026. After unsuccessful chemotherapy treatments, she is in palliative care and is expected to live for weeks at most, according to the report.
Smallwood, a former running back with the Eagles, Commanders and Steelers, was sentenced to 18 months in prison last September for a COVID-19-related fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to charges of felony wire fraud, conspiracy and tax fraud tied to economic relief programs.
In March, he pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm for possessing an AR-15 rifle in New Jersey. He was sentenced to three years in state prison, concurrent to his federal sentence.
At the time, New Jersey banned the ownership of assault weapons, but a July ruling from the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that New Jersey’s ban on assault weapons was unconstitutional. This provided Smallwood legal grounds to withdraw his guilty plea.
Smallwood’s emergency hearing on August 7 ruled that Mila’s severe illness was a notable reason for granting Smallwood’s motion, which could have seen him released as early as Monday.
Hours before Mohamed Coulibaly was found dead in his Gloucester County home, one of his alleged victims said, the 23-year-old entrepreneur had been desperately seeking a $75,000 loan.
A recent Barron’s investigation alleged Coulibaly defrauded three former NFL players out of $1 million in an e-commerce scheme involving fake Shopify stores. Now others who invested in the venture or lent Coulibaly money were blowing up his phone. They wanted to know if Jalen Carter and several former members of the Eagles, including Nakobe Dean and Terrell Edmunds, were even real clients, a claim Coulibaly made on promotional materials.
Above all, these people wanted their money back.
The morning of his death, July 31, Coulibaly solicited money from a New York man, who agreed to speak with The Inquirer on the condition of anonymity to protect his family’s privacy. He is one of at least 10 people, including the three former NFL players, alleging Coulibaly scammed them out of more than $5 million through phony investments over the last year.
Coulibaly, who lived in Mullica Hill, a section of Harrison Township, promised to send a Lamborghini, two gold Rolexes, and a signed Lionel Messi cleat as collateral for what was to be a weeklong loan.
Coulibaly still owed the man $1 million for a bridge loan due in March. Yet he insisted the additional loan somehow would make it possible to return the initial money owed. His alleged victim said he figured he could only gain from the arrangement — if the collateral proved to be real.
But a driver — not in a Lamborghini — arrived at his doorstep with two fake watches, an unauthenticated signed cleat, along with an insurance card and a bill of sale for the promised luxe car, according to the man.
The man called off the loan.
“[Coulibaly] then started to cry hysterical on the phone,” the victim said. “He said, ‘I’ve lost it all, please help me here, please help me here.’”
Coulibaly was found dead later that day.
Mohamed Coulibaly attends Milan Fashion Week on Jan. 19 in Milan, Italy.Dave Benett/Getty Images
The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation into Coulibaly’s death and declined to comment. No charges have been filed in connection to the alleged scams Coulibaly is accused of spearheading.
Coulibaly’s death has only added a layer of uncertainty for his allegedly defrauded clients, who now believe they were unwitting participants in a Ponzi scheme. New so-called investments went toward paying off other clients. But the chain could not be sustained.
“In terms of his death, it sounds rather brash or harsh, but the only reason I’m upset for his passing is that he’s not able to go to jail and suffer,” the bridge loan investor said.
The Inquirer spoke with four victims, all but one of whom asked to remain anonymous citing lingering shame, privacy concerns, and, in one case, safety considerations. They provided alleged contracts Coulibaly gave them, text messages, screenshots of their purported Shopify store sales, and a whistleblower report sent to federal and Pennsylvania financial regulators.
In hindsight, the business always seemed too good to be true. The young entrepreneur convinced them they could rake in millions each month selling vacuums, printers, desktop humidifiers, and silicone trays on Shopify, an e-commerce platform similar to Amazon.
At first, investors said they had no reason to question Vent Motion LLC, also known as Motion Venture. Shopify alerted the victims to a steady stream of sales through their phone apps.
But at least two Shopify stores victims bought into were fake, full of transactions a Barron’s analysis suggests are also a sham. Shopify did not respond to requests for comment.
The alleged victims say Coulibaly lured them in by highlighting purported investor relationships with wealthy and connected people. His pitch deck listed several former members of the Eagles and the NBA as clients. Representatives for the current and former Eagles declined to comment or could not be reached.
“A selling point [Coulibaly] gave me was, ‘Hey, we only have about 90 to 100 people in this,’ insinuating you can make it behind the velvet rope because everybody involved is celebrities or athletes, and this is just a venture they do,” said another of the defrauded investors, requesting anonymity because family and friends do not know about the scam.
Yet as more victims have found one another in the wake of Coulibaly’s death, it has become clearer the scheme was not limited to targeting NFL players.
It involved everyday investors from Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York who now want to know if any of it was real.
A ‘magnetic’ man with the digital footprint of a business phenom
Coulibaly knew how to sell the image of a successful entrepreneur.
His story always hit the same beats: Coulibaly was a professional soccer player. He made $4 million reselling rare sneakers before he turned 21. His success was largely attributed to “building connections” with athletes and influencers. Grinding was the key to success.
But much of that was embellished.
A database for American high school sports coverage noted Coulibaly played soccer for Roxborough High School.
Coulibaly said he began his professional career with the New York Red Bulls soccer team, but a spokesperson said Coulibaly never had a contract.
A friend from Coulibaly’s days at Temple University said the sneaker venture Heatkickcity was also a scam that swindled students out of thousands. He asked not to be named out of safety concerns, saying Coulibaly often touted relationships with gang-affiliated people.
While Coulibaly told publications he was born in Mali, West Africa, and immigrated to the United States at a young age, while in college, he often intimated that he was a trust fund child and that his parents worked for the French government, the Temple friend said.
He added that may have helped induce so many of their peers to pay a $1,200 membership for monthly access to rare sneakers that ultimately never came.
“He’d be like, ‘It’s stuck in shipping,’ or ‘my assistant forgot to order them,’ or ‘my assistant’s slacking,’ and then he would just keep on extending it, extending it,” said the friend. “If you questioned him in any way, shape, or form about the product that you paid for, then he would switch to angry mode.”
The friend eventually got his money back after pressuring him for weeks but said Coulibaly continued his self-proclaimed pursuit of becoming a billionaire.
“He scammed his best friends,” the friend said. “Nobody was off-limits.”
Coulibaly’s next venture was fashion line Motion Apparelz. It was profiled in Forbes last year, where the author describes Coulibaly’s energy as “magnetic.” In the piece, Coulibaly name-drops artist friends, including rapper YG, who was later listed as an investor in Motion Venture promotional materials.
Rapper YG performs at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in 2019.Amy Harris
YG’s agent could not be reached for comment.
Outside of the glowing profiles, a now-defunct Instagram account also detailed a lavish lifestyle full of run-ins with celebrities, boat jaunts on luxury yachts with city skylines in the background, and snapshots of Coulibaly in or in front of private planes. Often, Coulibaly could be seen wearing gold watches, what appear to be Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets, and diamond-studded chains.
Coulibaly’s digital footprint set the stage for an even bigger business pitch.
A business promising exorbitant returns
When it came to Vent Motion LLC, Coulibaly told clients he operated “factories in China and India with a combined team of 125 full-time employees,” according to a pitch deck he showed investors that was obtained by The Inquirer.
This allowed stores to operate without keeping any inventory and reducing overhead — a model known as drop-shipping.
The savings from eliminating the middlemen, he said, could then be reinvested into artificial intelligence-driven ads and “influencer amplification” to drum up more customers. Coulibaly’s company would set up and manage the Shopify stores on behalf of investors, pushing out additional advertising or swapping out products if sales slowed.
Clients would be charged a 20% to 25% service fee for that work, and even so, Coulibaly dangled extraordinary returns for those who joined the venture.
One Shopify store that began with a $550,000 investment in January 2024 had allegedly generated $2 million in revenue in April and a whopping $23 million in July of that year. By August, this particular store had generated a total of $84 million in revenue, according to the company’s unsubstantiated pitch deck.
Further sweetening the deal was an initial investment “protection” guarantee if their store did not generate profit within six months.
Former Arizona Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim says he was just as much of victim of Mohammed Coulibaly’s alleged scam.Darryl Webb
It’s what got Steve Keim, former general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, into the business.
Keim said he met Coulibaly through mutual Eagles acquaintances and by August 2025 he had bought his first Shopify store, which was recording sales at a pace that had him on track totriple his investment over six months. Keim bought into six more stores the following month, he said. His son and ex-wife would also buy into the business for at least a $1 million investment between all three.
Keim said he was soon offered the role of chief operating officer/chief growth officer, which he now sees as a way for Coulibaly to “legitimize his business.”
“I introduced him to people to sell stores to and that sort of thing,” said Keim, who describes fulfilling a figurehead role with no decision-making power. “He called me the COO but he also made promises to give me health insurance and to have some kind of bonus structure.”
The health insurance, bonuses, and exorbitant returns never materialized. Keim said he never had access to bank records and was never made aware of how many people gave money to Motion Venture. But by the start of the year, Keim claims, a flood of disgruntled investors were asking him for help getting their money back. Around this time, Keim said, he asked Coulibaly to stop using his name in promotional materials and told him he no longer wanted to be COO.
Keim contended he was as much of a victim as anyone else, holding onto hope that he could recover his money until Coulibaly’s death.
“This went downhill fast,” he said. “Not only did I get my name drug through the mud, I lost a lot of money since I was an investor.”
A Dubai deal
As more investors were demanding access to their Shopify funds in the fall, Coulibaly was telling them that the Dubai firm Middle East Venture Partners was interested in buying the operation for $215 million.
All they had to do was reach 175 online stores and meet other benchmarks by Aug. 1.
To back his claim Coulibaly produced a letter of intent dated Aug. 14, 2024.
Troubling for investors: The letter was dated more than a month before the company was registered in Pennsylvania.
The discrepancy was the biggest red flag for Barry Minkow, a convicted fraudster who now investigates scams on behalf of fraud victims. He started poking around the company at the start of the year for an investor who had put up $150,000.
“So here you are looking at a private equity company saying they’re going to buy up this company that doesn’t even exist for $200 million?” Minkow said in disbelief.
Middle East Venture Partners did not respond to an email to asking if a relationship existed with Coulibaly’s Vent Motion LLC.
With the permission of three of the alleged victims, Minkow submitted a 23-page whistleblower report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, FBI, and Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. The report laid out victim accounts and flagged glaring issues with Motion Venture’s business model.
Minkow warned regulators in February thatintervention was essential to “halt ongoing solicitations, trace misallocated funds,” and stressed the importance of doing so “before the scheme inflicts further, irreparable harm.”
Minkow would prove to be right. Motion Venture was still actively recruiting new investors that month.
Picking up the pieces
Coulibaly’s college friend thinks he might have been one of the first victims of the Shopify sometime about three years ago. It involved less paperwork back then, more of a handshake deal. The friend put in $5,000 in a store with an investment protection promise in place, he said. Unlike that time in college, however, the friend only got half his money back.
The friendship with Coulibaly cooled after that.
“People just keep on saying he scammed NFL players,” said Coulibaly’s college friend. “No, anybody with money could be scammed, no matter how small.”
Coulibaly would insist money issues were the Dubai firm’s fault until his death, according to his alleged victims who shared screenshots and voice memos of conversations.
He ricocheted from distraught, lamenting the financial ruin that awaited him if he did not acquire more investors, to defiant, celebrating the Philadelphia 76ers’ LeBron James trade on X as he dodged investors.
When Keim and another investor flew into Philadelphia to meet with Coulibaly in late July, they spent a day and a half trying to figure out how much money was left, to no avail.
It was around that time that Coulibaly was soliciting the New York man for the $75,000 loan.
Coulibaly’s last post on X was a reshare a day before his death. “Trying to be everyone’s friend is a foolish behavior,” it read.
Whether any investor money remains is unclear. A now-defunct GoFundMe page put together by a man claiming to be Coulibaly’s brother raised more than $12,000 for the body’s “international transportation arrangements.”
Investors are also trying to figure out what legal recourse they might have, if any.
Coulibaly’s death has shattered any last remaining hope some victims had that a Dubai firm was to blame for cash-flow issues, and they are now seeking legal help.
It also left them feeling cheated one last time.
Staff writer Ryan W. Briggs contributed to this article.
The Eagles held the ninth practice of their 2026 training camp on Monday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 9 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8):
Taking attendance
Wide receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), and running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) were added to the injury report after recent setbacks. Wilson had stacked solid practices the last few days. Last August, his season ended before it even started when he suffered knee and ankle injuries that required surgery. It’s unclear if he reinjured the same knee. Jones projects as the top reserve outside cornerback. Pierce is competing for a roster spot.
The following Eagles remained sidelined with injuries: receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), and receiver Danny Gray (concussion). Smith and Lemon have now missed a week of camp. Receiver Britain Covey (hamstring) and linebacker Chance Campbell (groin) were limited.
The Eagles made several roster moves before practice. They signed outside linebacker Tarron Jackson, defensive tackle David Blay, and running back Ja’Quinden Jackson. They placed running back Elijah Mitchell, who left Saturday’s workout early, on injured reserve. And they waived guard Jaeden Roberts and tight end Dae’Quan Wright.
Darius Cooper is making an early bid for a bigger role. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Super Cooper
Darius Cooper might have had his best day of camp, which is saying something. The second-year receiver is making an argument that he should be given more than just a roster spot. He’s been getting a lot of repetitions with Smith and Lemon out, and quarterback Jalen Hurts clearly trusts him.
Their best connection came midway through the workout. Cooper got cornerback Riq Woolen to bite on a double move before Hurts hit him downfield. The receiver used a stutter-step to draw the corner in before beating him over top. Hurts’ throw was a touch underthrown, but the quarterback had to be careful with safety Michael Carter II crashing from over the top. Cooper simply turned back and made the grab in the air.
Earlier, Cooper shook Woolen on an out route. He was also Hurts’ favorite target during 7-on-7s and plucked a ball thrown slightly behind him with Carter in the vicinity. In an end-of-game situation, he caught a pass and stayed upright after bouncing off linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Eagles brought in four new receivers to help replace A.J. Brown — Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown,and Elijah Moore — but a returnee is just as viable a candidate.
Lane Johnson was immovable in pass protection on Monday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Quick twitch
Lane Johnson may be nearing the end of his career, but he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. His get-off is still elite. Nolan Smith Jr. stood little chance of getting past the right tackle each time they faced off. By the time Smith was into his pass-rush move, Johnson was vertically set and virtually impossible to get by.
Fred Johnson got the nod ahead of rookie Markel Bell when Lane Johnson rested during team drills. They have been rotating and switching sides throughout camp. There was one notable change on the offensive line. Drew Kendall took all the snaps at center with the second unit. Jake Majors has mostly held that role as Kendall cross-trained at guard. Kendall was still Landon Dickerson’s replacement at left guard with the first offense, but he’s back to his normal position with the twos. Majors dropped to third-team center.
Ty Robinson (95) turned heads on Monday and not just because of his brawl with Tyler Steen. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Tale of the tape
We had what could definitively be labeled the first fight of camp. It came early in the first team drill period, but it had been brewing for days. I had noticed guard Tyler Steen and defensive tackle Ty Robinson mixing it up post-play a few times last week. But they went way beyond the whistle this time.
I didn’t see who started it, but apparently Robinson took exception to Steen blocking him beyond what he deemed necessary. Robinson somehow ended up at the bottom of a pile with Steen and center Cam Jurgens on top. Several players tried to break the scrum up, but there was little budging as it took some time to peel off players.
Robinson has been getting occasional snaps with the first defense. But the second-year D-tackle stood out as a pass rusher with the second unit. He slipped through the interior for an early pressure. And later on, he used his patented club-swim move to beat Majors — who was at guard — for a sack. Robinson has been working on his arsenal and got Majors off balance with a bull rush on the next play.
Quinyon Mitchell logged his second pick of camp on Monday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quinterception
Quinyon Mitchell notched his second interception of camp. While the first came during 7-on-7s a week ago, this one was in team drills. It came during an end-of-game scenario in which the offense trailed by four points. Hurts had to force the issue, but the turnover came on first down. Brown was the intended receiver, but Mitchell jumped his route and punted the ball after the pick in celebration.
The third-year corner is still looking for his first career regular-season interception. He has two in the postseason. He’s not a natural ball-catcher, but the additional JUGS work he’s been putting in may be paying off. Mitchell is already an All-Pro, but more interceptions could result in him becoming the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL next offseason.
To his credit, he doesn’t go hunting for interceptions. Hurts threw one pass up for grabs with tight end Dallas Goerdert in the area, but Mitchell came flying across and batted the ball to the ground.
Mac-man
Like Robinson, cornerback Mac McWilliams didn’t play much last season as a rookie. But the lightbulb could be switching on in Year 2. He’s been getting intermittent looks with the first unit and had a pass breakup on a Hurts toss to Wicks during team drills.
McWilliams’ development could make either Jakorian Bennett or Kelee Ringo expendable, especially if he can play both in the slot and outside. Bennett had a PBU of his own on a Hurts pass to Wicks.
Ringo has mostly been relegated to the third unit. With Jones out, Tariq Castro-Fields took the initial snaps at outside corner opposite Bennett. Ringo has long been a top gunner on special teams, but he’s been increasingly prone to taking penalties. Still, the Eagles may not have a better option. Sydney Brown was the other gunner last season, but he was traded in the offseason.
Elijah Moore (19) and Jalen Hurts have connected during camp.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Moore not less
Moore continued to make the most of his reps in the slot with Lemon on ice. Hurts found him alone on a short crossing route during team drills. The receiver motored into the secondary thanks in part to running back Tank Bigsby’s downfield block on Woolen.
Later on, the offense had one last gasp in another end-of-game situation in which they trailed by eight points. Hurts and Co. advanced into the red zone with two seconds left. With the defense rushing only three, the quarterback bought time and rolled to his right. He threw across his body and Moore elevated over cornerback Cooper DeJean for the touchdown.
Nolan Smith Jr. argued that Hurts would have been sacked — and profanely expressed his frustration — but there didn’t appear to be a defender who got near the passer. The two-point conversion failed, however, when an open Hollywood Brown slipped before Hurts’ throw arrived.
Backup plan
Quarterback Andy Dalton was first up with the second offense in 7-on-7s. It didn’t go well. He missed Moore on his first attempt and Woolen nearly had a pick. He then threw behind an open Cooper and Covey on successive plays. He did hook up with rookie tight end Eli Stowers to end the set.
Dalton had several completions during team drills, but he overthrew receiver Quez Watkins when he found tons of space on a deep corner. I wondered if Watkins’ route was precise, but Dalton waited for his receiver after the play and judging by his body language seemed to think he should have completed the throw.
Tanner McKee was a little sharper. The quarterback short-hopped an early toss to receiver Samori Toure. But he found Watkins at the second level, and later laced a downfield dart to receiver Brandon Hayes. He missed Hayes on the next play, but there was a miscommunication as McKee signaled where he wanted his receiver.
Landon Dickerson helped ignite a breakout run from Saquon Barkley on Monday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
That and this
Dickerson can still move with suddenness, as he showed on a pull block that sprung running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley’s athleticism never ceases to amaze. He got knocked to the ground after a run, did a somersault and vaulted to his feet. He could have been an Olympic gymnast.
Tight end Grant Calcaterra had a couple catches with the first offense. I don’t know if he can make the team with blocking becoming more prominent at his position. But receiving has never been the problem. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell had a tackle for loss.
Linebacker Smael Mondon got a number of opportunities to blitz. Bigsby shielded him off on one attempt, but Mondon found a few creases to McKee. Shaun Wade played some second-unit dime as the sixth defensive back.
Extra points
I’m still not sure if Cole Payton will be the third quarterback. He’s shown more so far than Kyle McCord — another third-day pick — did last camp. But he can be wild. He airmailed a pass over Hayes’ head at one point. But he showed his mobility with a zigzagging scramble during the developmental period. … During punt drills, the returners were in order: Covey, Moore and DeJean. … Long snapper Rocco Underwood’s first snap nearly went over punter Braden Mann’s head, but Mann did well to catch it. Underwood’s next few tries were a little to the right, but he finished strong. He doesn’t have the job locked up by any means. … The Eagles practice on Tuesday and will have a closed walkthrough on Wednesday.
Michael Vick stood on the Eagles practice field Monday, sporting a bright green polo with a Norfolk State Spartans logo on the chest, and soaked it all in.
He made the rounds, talking to general manager Howie Roseman and players including DeVonta Smith. He then watched practice with admiration as the first-team offense looked sharp running a new system under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
After practice, Vick — who is heading into his second season as head coach at Norfolk State — made sure to pick the brains of Mannion, Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
His expert opinion? The Eagles offense is in great shape with this new scheme in place.
“I’m very confident in this offense,” Vick said Monday. “I understand the West Coast system because in 2004, when I was introduced to it, it just changed my whole football life because it’s so structured around footwork and timing. Feet dictate where you’re supposed to go. So I was able to take those principles and play in anybody else’s offense, basically. I could see any route, any concept and break it down and know where I’ve got to go.
“This offense just makes you a smarter player. I’m glad Philly adopted it.”
Former Eagles teammates DeSean Jackson (left) and Michael Vick will face off at the Linc for a second straight season. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
The praise from Vick, who attended practice along with Delaware State coach and former Eagles teammate DeSean Jackson to announce a game between their teams at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 31, didn’t stop there.
Vick understands the pressure that comes with quarterbacking the Eagles. He joined the Eagles in 2009 after serving nearly two years in prison following a conviction on federal dog-fighting charges, and was named AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010. He believes Hurts, now entering his seventh season with the Birds, deserves more credit across the league.
“Jalen is a Super Bowl champion,” Vick said. “That’s all you need to know. When you’re a Super Bowl champion, there’s no disrespect. He’s just got to continue.“
Does he think Hurts will thrive in this modern offense?
“Oh, for sure,” said Vick. “He’s clearly super comfortable with the offense and understanding it. But he understands that he’s got to get better.
“We all know good quarterback play is so hard to get. So when you get one, you’ve got to cherish them. You need to treat them with respect. The Eagles have that in Jalen.”
As for his return to Philadelphia, Vick said it’s “surreal” that he gets to face Jackson for a second straight season in the same stadium where they used to play. The teams faced off last October in the inaugural HBCU Battle of Legends, drawing a crowd of 47,266 fans to Lincoln Financial Field. Delaware State won the game, 27-20.
“We’re blessed to be in this position,” Jackson said. “I’m hoping we can do this [in Philadelphia] year-in and year-out.”
Eagles special teams coach Michael Clay doesn’t think Jake Elliott fell out of love with football, but he did see a kicker last season whose body language was that of a player who was being hard on himself.
It is an isolating position. The snap and hold need to go well, sure, but so much rests on the swing of an NFL kicker’s leg, and the precision with which his foot hits the ball, that any decrease of their confidence level can lead to poor results.
Elliott, the team’s primary kicker since 2017, had one of his worst seasons in 2025. He went 20-for-27 on field goal attempts. That 74.1% conversion rate was his second-worst season-long performance, barely edging out his 73.7% (14-for-19) effort in 2020. Elliott converted 93.8% of his field goals in 2023, which included a 7-for-8 mark on kicks of 50-plus yards. But the two seasons that followed have not been particularly good. Elliott is 48-for-63 over his last two regular seasons, and that 76.2% clip rates as one of the worst marks for a primary kicker in the league.
Elliott may have lost confidence in himself, according to Clay, but the Eagles maintained confidence in their kicker. Elliott, 31, is the only kicker in camp and, barring an injury or the unforeseen, will enter his 10th season as the team’s kicker.
Asked Monday his reaction to the team sticking by him, Elliott said he loves playing for the Eagles and is happy to still be in Philadelphia, but …
“You’re always competing,” he said. “There’s 32 of these jobs in the world, so you’re always competing with everybody.”
Jake Elliott (right) is trying to shake off a 2025 season that was below his usual standard. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The competition is mostly with himself. Elliott said he took his normal approach to the offseason despite coming off one of his worst seasons. He looked back at what happened in 2025 — “We played in a lot of really windy games last year,” he said — and tried to learn from it.
He spent his offseason here. The deep dive into 2025 results found issues with kicking in the wind, so Elliott would do his best to replicate the wind whenever he could. Lincoln Financial Field presents winds that tend to blow into the kicker and left to right, Elliott said, so if he could find that wind, he would. He kicked on high school fields that were particularly open and susceptible to higher winds. He kicked at Penn’s Franklin Field, where the wind swirls.
Elliott showed up at training camp feeling good, and Clay said he noticed.
“You never want to see them kind of get out of sorts in terms of their body language,” Clay said last week. “So, for me and him to have our own personal talks, I think he’s done a really good job since then in terms of his body language, being better and not necessarily getting down on himself on things he can’t control. Control what you can control. If you’re able to be on top of that, there’s going to be things in life you can’t control. You’re not going to be able to control mother nature. You’re not going to be able to control the distance we put you out there.”
Jake Elliott remarked on the impact of windy conditions on his 2025 season, but also missed kicks in better weather like in Los Angeles. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Elliott didn’t lose his love for football, he said Monday. It was a fair question considering Clay remarked in May that Elliott had to “fall in love with the game again,” but the crux of the coach’s comments were about Elliott finding his confidence again.
“A confident kicker is a dangerous kicker,” Clay said in May.
Said Elliott: “I’ve always loved the game. I always will love the game. I don’t think that’s necessarily in question. It’s just, how can you be better?”
That’s what the offseason was about, refining his contact and dialing in on his ball flight.
The result?
“I’m extremely confident in myself right now,” Elliott said. “I feel like I’ve had a great offseason, I’m putting together a good camp, I feel like I’m striking it best I have in a while. Every day is a new day. Just trying to build on it.”
The Eagles have four quarterbacks in training camp, and when you’re the fourth man on the totem pole like rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton, getting on the field for extensive work during 11-on-11 team drills can occasionally be difficult.
The team is committed to Payton’s development, but they’re also learning a new offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion. Jalen Hurts and the first-team offense need as many reps as possible, as do potential backup quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee.
So Payton, a dual-threat quarterback out of North Dakota State, often is on the field late, after practice ends, working with quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier and sometimes Mannion on his footwork and technique. Payton called those post-practice sessions “huge,” but the on-field portion of camp is only part of the on-the-job training Payton is going through as he navigates his first NFL training camp.
Cole Payton is going through his first NFL training camp with the Eagles.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The Eagles were off Sunday, but Payton said he has spent some off days strapping a virtual reality headset on to get “mental visualization reps.” The tool, Payton said, was introduced to him by Frazier, who last year was the pass game coordinator and this year moved to quarterbacks coach. The Eagles, Payton said, had the sets last year, too.
Payton can turn on the VR, select any stadium, go through his play calls, break the huddle, and simulate a real play.
“It’s not live footage, it’s animated, but it’s a really good tool to visualize and see things,” Payton said Saturday.
The VR sets are only part of the visualization tools the Eagles are using as they install Mannion’s new scheme. All through the offseason, Eagles quarterbacks have had an extra piece of hardware affixed to their helmets, giving a first-person view of what each player is seeing on the field. That extra footage is yet another angle for the quarterbacks and the coaching staff to analyze in the meeting rooms.
Hurts said on Wednesday that the cameras provide “insight and accountability in the huddle” and said “there’s an aspect of that that is very valuable.”
Jalen Hurts participates in training camp practice with a video camera mounted on his helmet.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Accountability because the camera is recording sound, too. Wide camera angles of the field often used for film review can’t get inside the huddle to hear the way a quarterback calls a play or what he’s seeing when he makes a check at the line of scrimmage, but the helmet cams can.
“It’s been really cool,” Payton said, “not only for myself but just to hear what Jalen is saying in the huddle, what Andy is saying in the huddle, and Tanner, and the reminders they’re giving to the guys and just how crisp and clean the operation needs to be. We’re working and we’re building.”
The Eagles aren’t the first team to use either technology, despite the tools being new to the building. HBO’s Hard Knocks provided a look at Tua Tagovailoa utilizing the helmet camera technology two seasons ago. Russell Wilson wore one at times when he played in Seattle, as did Kenny Pickett in Pittsburgh. There are other examples, too. The Arena Football League introduced helmet cameras in 2014, and while that usage was mostly for entertainment purposes for the viewing audience, other NFL teams and college programs have been using the cameras for teaching purposes for years.
“I think it was more for the coaches to see where your eyes are at,” Nathan Peterman, who used the technology in college and the NFL, told ESPN in 2023. “And also, some of it, was to get a feel for what goes on in the huddle, for the coaches to see the communication of how things are going. That’s what I know [then-Raiders coach Jon] Gruden was looking at, to see the communication in the huddle and checks at the line.”
Like helmet cameras, the use of virtual reality among quarterbacks has been going on. Tom Brady, for example, used VR when he played for Tampa Bay. Penn State quarterbacks use them. And the latest season of the Netflix docuseries Quarterback gave some insight into Jayden Daniels’ use of the technology, which the Washington Commanders quarterback was open about during his standout rookie season in 2024.
Daniels first started using VR in college at LSU, and he would routinely turn the speed up to force himself to process plays even faster.
“It moves faster within the VR than actual human beings,” Daniels told reporters in 2024. “Once you get out there, everything slows down. I know this is coming. I’ve seen this before, [and] it moved more than 20 times faster in VR.”
His former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury embraced the technology, having used versions of virtual reality while coaching at Texas Tech dating back to 2016. According to The Athletic, Kingsbury changed his daily schedule with the Commanders to spend up to an hour narrating play calls into a recorder so Daniels could hear Kingsbury’s voice in the VR headset.
“[Pilots] don’t go get trained in real planes,” Kingsbury told The Athletic. “They do their flight simulators. … [Jayden] has that thing on all the time. He can see our reads and routes and hears my voice in it. It’s as real as you can [get to] getting game reps, and your mind doesn’t know the difference. Your mind thinks you’re doing it.”
Jalen Hurts is one of a number of recent NFL quarterbacks who has utilized helmet video technology as part of the learning process. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
This offseason, the Commanders, like the Eagles, added the helmet cameras to their toolbox as they implemented a new offense under first-year coordinator David Blough.
In Philadelphia, the helmets are another layer of learning. Hurts hasn’t often taken snaps from under center, but this offense will ask him to utilize play action from under center, which means his back will briefly turn to the line of scrimmage before he gets into position to read the field. The cameras, then, could help Hurts train his eyes to be looking in the optimal spot after the handoff fake.
For Payton, the point-of-view angles could help the rookie continue to work through the struggles of his first training camp. On Saturday, a throw to the sideline that may have been a throwaway attempt resulted in Payton’s fifth interception of camp. Perhaps the camera later would show what Payton saw when he released the ball.
As long as the camera hadn’t been knocked off focus.
“Sometimes the angle is funny,” said Payton, who is wearing a helmet camera for the first time. “You’re seeing the clouds or you’re seeing our feet. When the angle is right, I think it’s beneficial.
After a week and a half of Eagles training camp, it’s time to check the stock market.
Plenty of players have flashed, including the usual notables Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. But who else is turning heads? And who has more work to do to carve out a role on the team by the end of camp and the preseason?
Here are our early risers and fallers:
Stock up 📈
OLB Jalyx Hunt
With Jonathan Greenard sidelined due to a pectoral strain, Hunt has stepped up and taken advantage of his increased opportunities. He has had his pass-rush wins — either in team drills or one-on-ones — against starting tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said at the beginning of training camp that Hunt is “very capable” of having a big year in his third season with the team, and it’s become increasingly clear why.
DT Jalen Carter
The Eagles have high expectations for Carter, as evidenced by their decision to sign him to a four-year, $152 million contract extension at the start of camp. He’s setting the groundwork to meet those expectations, notably after recovering from shoulder procedures last season and sitting out during the offseason program. Carter continues to flaunt his game-wrecking ability, most recently when he beat Cam Jurgens on a rep during Saturday’s mock scrimmage and forced Hurts to scramble. Fangio said Wednesday that Carter is in good shape, which is allowing him to do “the little things better.”
RB Tank Bigsby
Barkley is the Eagles’ feature back, but Bigsby is making his case for more touches in his second season with the team. Most of his reps were with the second-string offense on Saturday, but he has had opportunities to spell Barkley with the starters in the first week and a half of camp. His energetic play style stands out. Bigsby has had his ups and downs in pass protection, and Saturday was a microcosm of that, as he kept a blitzing Ambry Thomas away from Andy Dalton on one play and got beat by Jihaad Campbell on the next.
C/G Drew Kendall
Kendall, the 2025 fifth-rounder out of Boston College, is Jurgens’ likely backup at center, but he has also been cross-training at guard in camp. He has taken reps with the starters, filling in for Landon Dickerson at left guard on Wednesday when the veteran took a rest day. Kendall spelled Dickerson occasionally on Saturday, then took some reps at center when Jurgens exited the field early and headed indoors with a trainer. Kendall hasn’t looked out of place. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis said on Friday that Kendall has displayed a “tremendous” amount of growth since his rookie season.
WRs Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore, and Darius Cooper
DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon have missed time with hamstring injuries, leading to opportunities for other receivers. Wicks, Moore, and Cooper in particular have had their standout moments. Wicks has popped from the start as he makes his case for WR2, highlighted by his leaping grab over a pair of defensive backs on a deep ball from Hurts on the second day of camp.
Moore and Cooper are more unlikely risers. Moore had a relatively quiet start to camp, but his chemistry with Hurts is steadily growing. He was wide open in the end zone for a successful catch on a two-point conversion during a red zone period on Saturday. Still, Moore has his work cut out for him to make the initial 53 in a crowded room.
Cooper, the 2025 undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State, has been a reliable option for Hurts. He has made several impressive plays, including a diving catch on a pass over the middle of the field from Hurts in 7-on-7s at the outset of camp. The 28-year-old quarterback noted that Cooper is a “strong-hands guy” in an interview with the NFL Network on Wednesday.
Fred Johnson (74) will have to withstand some tough competition for the swing tackle role. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Stock down 📉
This section comes with the caveat that the Eagles are in the early stages of training camp. Just because a player’s stock might be trending downward at this moment doesn’t mean it’s time to sound the alarm.
OT Fred Johnson
Johnson has been the Eagles’ top backup swing tackle for the last few seasons. This year, he has a competitor. Markel Bell, the third-rounder out of Miami, has asserted himself as the first tackle off the bench, primarily to fill in for Lane Johnson at right tackle. On Saturday, the elder Johnson was still ramping up after he missed four practices for personal reasons, so Bell occasionally filled in for him during the scrimmage. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Eagles want their third-round pick taking those snaps with the starters, especially in light of the 36-year-old Johnson announcing Saturday that this is “probably” his final season.
WR Makai Lemon
Perhaps the best characterization of Lemon’s stock is neither up nor down. The first-round receiver out of USC has missed the last four practices with a hamstring injury. While that may put him behind compared to his peers, offensive coordinator Sean Mannion acknowledged on Saturday that Lemon has been “super engaged” in the meeting room and in walkthroughs as he follows along with the script.
Lemon isn’t the first highly touted Eagles rookie to sustain an injury during training camp. Cooper DeJean missed most of the summer in 2024 with a hamstring injury and made his preseason debut in the third and final game. Smith missed time during training camp his rookie year with an MCL sprain, returning for the second preseason game.
DT Ty Robinson
Robinson, the 2025 fourth-rounder out of Nebraska, had a slow start to camp, taking reps early on with the developmental group. He has fared better lately, including on Saturday when he won a rep in one-on-ones against Kendall. Preseason will offer more opportunities for Robinson to prove why he deserves a roster spot with Carter, Davis, Moro Ojomo all locks ahead of him.
The Eagles held the eighth practice of their 2026 training camp on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 8 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7):
Beef Jurgens
Cam Jurgens left practice early for a second straight day. He wasn’t listed on the Eagles’ injury report because he started Saturday as a full participant. But Jurgens walked off late into the workout with a medical staffer. He was dealing with some heat exhaustion, from what I understand. It’s been oppressively humid the last two days. The Eagles moved practice up 30 minutes partly due to weather conditions and a planned two-hour scrimmage. Running backs Dameon Pierce and Elijah Mitchell also departed early.
The following players remained out: wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), receiver Britain Covey (hamstring), edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Receiver Danny Gray was also absent after suffering a concussion on Friday. Linebacker Chance Campbell (groin) was limited.
Line ’em up
Lane Johnson was back in team drills a day after returning from a four-practice absence. The right tackle, who later announced that this season would likely be his last after 13 years, split time with rookie Markel Bell. Left guard Landon Dickerson took a few more repetitions than Johnson, but he was spelled by Drew Kendall.
Here’s how the lines looked during the scrimmage:
Kendall played center after Jurgens left and will likely be his backup when the season starts. The Eagles have had him mostly at guard in camp.
The Eagles have likewise had Willie Lampkin more at guard recently, already knowing his abilities at center.
Tackle Hollin Pierce, for whatever reason, didn’t participate in the scrimmage, as far as I could tell.
Battle royal
We got our first extended set of one-on-ones between the linemen. Here were some standouts on the offensive side:
Mailata effectively steered edge Nolan Smith beyond the pocket on an outside speed rush, and then balled him up when Smith tried to go inside on the second rep.
Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata got the best of Nolan Smith during Saturday’s one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bell didn’t cow to edge Jalyx Hunt. Bell handled a power move on the first rush. On the second, he got his hands quickly on Hunt, but lost his grasp. It’s early, but Bell could be the future at right tackle.
Lampkin has held up at guard despite his size disadvantage. He owned defensive tackle Gabe Hall on back-to-back reps. He later won at center vs. Zion Wilson. Lampkin’s footwork is superior.
John Ojukwu had relative success against Hunt. He got knocked off balance at the top of Hunt’s rush, but recovered. You can see why the Eagles have him ahead of projects like Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams.
Mano a mano
Here were some of the defensive line standouts in one-on-ones:
Hunt appeared to get Lane Johnson with an inside move before he faced Bell. I think we can chalk the future Hall of Famer’s apparent loss up to rust.
Defensive tackle Ty Robinson used a club-swim move to get past Kendall. He tried something similar on the next turn, but to little avail. Byron Young seemed to get the upper hand vs. Jake Majors on both attempts.
While the starters generally don’t go as hard as the backups — there’s almost an unwritten code about showing the other up in one-on-ones — I thought there was good back-and-forth between Jalen Carter and Tyler Steen, Jordan Davis and Jurgens, and Moro Ojomo and Landon Dickerson.
Smith had more success against Fred Johnson than he did against Mailata. Smith disengaged quickly from the tackle’s attempt to lock him up with his hands on their second clash.
Smith may not be the best rusher in isolated matchups, but he’s violent setting the edge, effective when he drops in coverage, and always gives effort. He notched a sack in team drills that could partially be attributed to his relentlessness.
Eagles linebacker Zach Baun intercepted Jalen Hurts during Saturday’s scrimmage. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Linebacker corps
Jihaad Campbell popped off the screen in the early portion of the scrimmage. The linebacker completely knocked Jurgens on his rear on an early run play. Later, Campbell fended off Steen at the second level and touched up running back Saquon Barkley. On the next play, he two-hand touched tight end Dallas Goedert after a sliding catch.
I counted three more run plays in which Campbell was involved during the set. He did get washed out by Jurgens at one point. And in the “backed-up” period, he hesitated on a run blitz, and Barkley simply cut to the left and ran through the vacated gap.
Zack Baun was equally impressive. He made the stop on Barkley’s first tote. He often teamed up with Campbell on other run stops. Baun also intercepted quarterback Jalen Hurts on a deflected pass in a two-minute drill. He correctly anticipated a later throw and nearly had another pick, but receiver Elijah Moore somehow escaped with the catch.
Barkley appeared to be energized by the scrimmage. It was tough sledding on the ground early on against maybe the best interior D-line in the league (more on that later), but he had his moments. He motored up field after a Goedert wham block on a split zone run. He powered inside the 10-yard line and kicked the ball forward when it was spotted shorter than he liked. On the next play, Barkley ran from Carter and into the end zone. Was it a touchdown? He celebrated like it was. Carter just laughed.
Eagles running back Saquon made some standout plays during the scrimmage, including a touchdown run on Saturday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Tank Bigsby found daylight when he got time with the first unit. He fumbled an exchange with Hurts on one play, though. Cooper DeJean pushed him to the ground on a later rush. Bigsby pancaked cornerback Ambry Thomas with a block in the backed-up period. But on the next play, Bigsby got knocked to the ground by the blitzing Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He held onto the linebacker’s leg for dear life, but coach Nick Sirianni saw the whole thing and flagged him for holding.
Passing brass
Hurts had another solid day as a passer. While receiver Dontayvion Wicks was a favorite target early in camp, Moore has recently seen a lot of throws come his way out of the slot. I still feel the receiver has an uphill climb with Lemon assured a roster spot. It’s not like Moore can play on special teams.
Hollywood Brown had several grabs, too. Hurts found Wicks downfield on an in-breaking route. It was a good call vs. the coverage. A play later, the quarterback checked down to tight end Johnny Mundt off a naked bootleg.
Hurts rebounded from the pick to Baun. He squirted outside after the pocket collapsed and threw a jump ball that Goedert pulled in over Campbell in the end zone. On the two-point try, Hurts benefited from good pass protection and found Moore alone for the conversion.
The Eagles’ D-line, led by Jalen Carter (98) dominated at times on Saturday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Interior defense
As mentioned earlier, the D-line dominated at times. Carter has been scary good. He didn’t bite on misdirection and pressured Hurts into a throwaway. Carter later slipped Jurgens and forced an erratic throw.
Davis clogged the middle on several runs and penetrated past Steen to get to Barkley in a backed-up situation. Ojomo may have had the best day. He pressured Hurts on rushes that could have resulted in sacks.
It almost isn’t fair when Ojomo lines up with the second unit. He got to Pierce in the backfield for a loss. A few plays later, he put Michael Jordan on skates with a bull rush. He beat Majors a set later and hurried quarterback Andy Dalton out of the pocket.
This and that
Marcus Epps took most of the snaps at safety alongside Drew Mukuba, but Michael Carter II continued to get looks. Carter had an early pass breakup with the second unit. Robinson got some first-team snaps. Arnold Ebiketie has consistently rotated in with the starters, but A.J. Epenesa also got some time at edge.
Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers (left) had four catches on Saturday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Dalton was first up with the twos over Tanner McKee. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers had an early drop, but rebounded and finished with four catches. Receiver Darius Cooper made a diving grab near the sideline on a Dalton pass, but was ruled out. McKee found Cam Latu a few times, one time when the tight end released after initially blocking an edge. Safety J.T. Gray had a tackle for loss.
Extra points
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton tried to throw the ball away during the third-team period, but safety Maximus Pulley somehow reeled in an interception. Payton responded later by marching the offense to a touchdown when he hit running back Carson Steele out of the backfield. … The defense won the scrimmage, 54-45. … Jake Elliott was a perfect 6-for-6 on kicks ranging from about 33 to 47 yards. He’s missed just one attempt in organized periods. … Owner Jeffrey Lurie attended his first practice of the summer. … Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and his family were guests, as was former Phillie Shane Victorino. … The Eagles are off Sunday. They return to practice on Monday.
