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  • Better than it looked? Four biggest film observations from the first preseason game of the Sean Mannion era

    Better than it looked? Four biggest film observations from the first preseason game of the Sean Mannion era

    Much like Sean Mannion’s first-ever play-calling experience in an exhibition atmosphere at the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year, the first-year Eagles offensive coordinator’s debut on Saturday night didn’t offer detailed play designs nor gaudy production.

    The Eagles’ 24-7 loss to the Ravens did, however, give the 34-year-old an opportunity to call and sequence plays at the NFL level and provided a glimpse into the many influences that could ultimately shape what the offense, in full, will look like during the 2026 regular season.

    And there were encouraging signs that the offense has been modernized this offseason to keep pace with some of the league’s potent attacks.

    Here’s what the film showed in Mannion’s first stab at calling plays for the Eagles:

    Outside zone leads the way in run game

    All spring and summer, there was an expectation that the Eagles would move toward running the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan outside zone run scheme as a key tenet of the run game, and the results from the preseason opener backed that up.

    Six of the 12 called run plays (including those that included post-snap penalties) were of the outside run variety. Four of them gained 8 yards (and two were called back for holding), and one went backward for a 3-yard loss because of a missed block.

    There will be growing pains implementing the new blocking style, which requires the offensive linemen and tight ends to create vertical seams to allow the running back to find a lane and go while stretching the defense horizontally.

    With the Rams, McVay paired the duo run to his patented outside zone run scheme, thriving when implementing it from under center.

    The Eagles ran duo three times from under center on Saturday, and it was the second-most called run scheme on a night where the ground game was hardly present in the second half. The run scheme allows the back to get downhill quicker and opens up play-action passing opportunities.

    For the other three runs, the Eagles sprinkled in under-center split zone with tight end Eli Stowers coming from the back side of the formation to block the play side edge rusher, inside zone from shotgun, and a zone-read keep from Cole Payton with a tight end leading the way on the edge.

    That last run should be particularly noteworthy should Jalen Hurts reemerge as a key part of the running game.

    Pre-snap motion limited, but effective

    Across the entire game, there weren’t many pre-snap motions or shifts as Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee got the offense set on their respective drives. In fact, of the six pre-snap motions that occurred, it was McKee who signaled them the most, accounting for five that Mannion dialed up.

    There were flashes of success because of how it made the defense react. On McKee’s 13-yard pass to Darius Cooper, he motioned Stowers away from a bunch set on the left side of the formation to align at tight end off the line to the right, and changed Baltimore’s off-ball linebacker from a second-level defender to a standup edge rusher. It opened a lane for Cooper to get hit in stride on a slant route.

    On another occasion, in the quick passing game, Cooper went from McKee’s right to his left on a motion, bumping the corner aligned over Stowers to outside the numbers, creating room for McKee to find the rookie tight end for a short gain.

    There was also an example of the offense changing its formation after breaking the huddle. After coming out in 10 personnel (one running back, zero tight ends), Carson Steele motioned to outside receiver, creating an empty backfield for McKee. It forced Baltimore to show its blitz and McKee was able to identify it and get the ball out.

    Compared to last year’s offense, there already seems to be a different approach to formation presentation. The more an offense can confuse the defense with motions and shifts, the more answers it can provide to a quarterback and keep defenses guessing.

    Generating ‘layup’ throws

    Under-center play-action throws have been an element of the offense the Eagles have shown during training camp, and carried over into the preseason opener.

    Dalton, McKee, and Payton each had an opportunity to run play-action from under center, with the first two quarterbacks running bootleg actions off it.

    The route combinations off the bootleg action — a deep corner route, a back side crossing route, and short flat route — are part of the McVay/Shanahan style of offense and can stress a defense that must respect the wide zone run threat.

    As teams prepare for that threat of play-action, the other route options will open up if the Eagles can generate those types of easy completions that weren’t always available for Hurts last season. Those quick-hitting throws on the move also allow for receivers to generate big plays in space.

    Grizzard’s pass game influence

    As the Eagles were deciding their next offensive coordinator hire, Josh Grizzard, who previously worked as a the Buccaneers’ pass game specialist, then was promoted to offensive coordinator, was among the candidates.

    Mannion has mentioned the offense would be a “blend” of various approaches and Grizzard, who was hired as Eagles pass game specialist, appears to have his fingerprints on the passing game — especially in third-down situations.

    A play Tampa commonly ran in 2024, when Grizzard presided over the third-down offense, featured a bunch formation that had two receivers clear out and created space for an option route for the third receiver to sit in a vacant area in zone coverage, or take advantage of a defender’s leverage in man coverage.

    On a couple of third downs in the preseason opener, the Eagles showed a similar type of play design: The two receivers ran in- or out-breaking routes and the tight ends got close to the first down line or found vacant space to turn and prepare for a pass to come their way, which was often a tight end.

    Another play Grizzard has seemingly brought from Tampa is mesh rail, which features two inside receiver shallow crossing routes, a route sitting over the middle of the field behind the mesh action, an outside receiver running a deep route, and a running back running a wheel route out of the backfield.

    The Bucs would catch teams off guard by quickly lining up and running the play while the defense was still getting set. The Eagles utilized this vs. the Ravens as they moved down the field on their lone touchdown drive.

    While the Eagles’ offense was vanilla with the objective of not revealing much, Mannion’s scheme change appears to match the expectation of the style of offense the team intends to run. The key will be the execution, and limiting the mistakes that prevented Mannion and the offense to get into a true game flow on Saturday night.

    We won’t see the offense in full until the season opener, but Saturday offered a glimpse of what the long-term vision can look like when plays are executed.

  • 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: Dontayvion Wicks likely WR2; Truth-telling Vic Fangio; Eli Stowers’ education

    Eagles practice observations: Dontayvion Wicks likely WR2; Truth-telling Vic Fangio; Eli Stowers’ education

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

    Roll call

    Tackle Lane Johnson missed a fourth straight practice for an excused noninjury related reason. He’s expected to return soon, from what I understand. Landon Dickerson took a non-injury-related rest day. The Eagles will be careful with their oft-injured left guard. Dickerson was spotted jogging midway through practice with a sleeve on his left leg.

    Wide receiver Britain Covey was a new addition to the injury list. He left Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. The following remained injured and out: receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), edge Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring).

    Rookie guards Micah Morris (shoulder) and Jaeden Roberts (calf contusion) returned to practice, but were limited.

    Vic Fangio noted that defense has traditionally had the upper hand early in Eagles training camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Vic’s secret

    After two straight days in full pads, coach Nick Sirianni dialed the intensity back. Players wore only shells for a 75-minute session — the shortest of camp thus far. Sean Mannion’s offense, overall, executed better after a difficult Tuesday vs. Vic Fangio’s defense.

    “I told him, we obviously got the best of yesterday’s practice by a long shot,” Fangio said when asked about Mannion’s play-calling. “But that’s the way it’s been the last two years in training camp. The defense has gotten the best of the offense. So, not to be too concerned.”

    More than a week into Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts and the new-look offense are ‘calibrating’

    I don’t think Fangio was puffing his chest out or anything. He was just being the truth teller that he can often be. He was also adding context. Defenses are traditionally ahead early in camp, especially when the offense is new. But I’m not so sure about his last comment. I’d be concerned if there were any similarities to last year’s offense.

    Michael Carter II got some run with the first unit on Wednesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Cast and crew

    Mannion’s first unit likely benefitted from four key defensive starters — linebacker Zack Baun, defensive back Cooper DeJean and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen — being held out of team drills. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Michael Carter II, Jonathan Jones and Kelee Ringo played in their spots.

    With the offense down three starters, it might have made sense to even the playing field. Rookie Markel Bell and second-year offensive lineman Drew Kendall filled in for Johnson and Dickerson at right tackle and left guard, respectively.

    Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee are in a competition for QB2 duties. And they’re trying to embrace it.

    Receiving race

    It’s been a by-committee approach at receiver, especially with the bona fide No. 1 sidelined. Dontayvion Wicks has thus far made the best case to be Smith’s No. 2. He may have a leg up on the others, having played in the Kyle Shanahan-style scheme Mannion brought with him from Green Bay. But there has also been obvious rapport between quarterback Jalen Hurts and the former Packers receiver. Hurts delivered a 20-yardish strike to Wicks just ahead of arriving safety Andre’ Sam in seven-on-sevens on Wednesday.

    Darius Cooper has looked good early in camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    If the receiver competition was based on the first week alone, Darius Cooper would have the edge on the other combatants. I said this to someone the other day: “If Lemon was having the camp Cooper was having, every reporter would be hyping the first-round rookie.” The Eagles have to take everything into account, of course. Veterans Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore have been unspectacular in camp, but also have proven track records, even if both have seen their numbers decline in recent years.

    Cooper should be a lock for the roster, though. I know some have viewed the fifth receiver spot as a toss-up between him and Johnny Wilson. But Cooper has more upside, despite Wilson’s size and Sirianni’s appreciation for his blocking. Cooper didn’t make any splash catches on Wednesday. Hurts dropped a beauty to him in the back corner of the end zone, but the receiver couldn’t stick the landing after he dove for the ball.

    Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were heavily featured on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Tighter ends

    On cue, Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were featured in the passing game a day after I noted that they’ve been relatively quiet in that regard. Hurts went to tight ends on his first two dropbacks in seven-on-sevens. Goedert hauled in the first on a slant, while E.J. Jenkins couldn’t on a similar route from the other side of the formation.

    Goedert caught another pass during the period on a short buttonhook and he was again Hurts’ first target in team drills. The tight end hung on despite linebacker Jihaad Campbell being in close quarters. Campbell later reached out and broke up a pass to receiver Samori Toure.

    With Johnny Mundt often the second blocking tight end in under-center scenarios, Grant Calcaterra has gotten receiving opportunities on third downs. He appeared to short-arm a toss from Hurts with Ringo in the vicinity.

    Eli Stowers opens up about early camp struggles: ‘It’s a mental challenge’

    Stowers hour

    Even Cam Latu has seen more passes thrown his way than rookie tight end Eli Stowers. The Eagles are clearly not rushing their second-round draft pick. He’s low on the depth chart and has mostly run with the third offense. Stowers is a relative newcomer to the position. He switched from quarterback to tight end just three years ago and he wasn’t asked to block a ton at Vanderbilt.

    Eli Stowers’ (87) acclimation to NFL-style blocking technique has been slow. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    So he has a lot to digest, beyond just the Xs and Os of a new scheme. Stowers is on the smaller side so learning the proper technique in blocking will be crucial. It could be some time before he’s placed in those circumstances. But he could get on the field on obvious passing downs. I found it interesting that he was split wide in the development period. The ball came his way, but cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was on his hip and broke up a pass that was thrown slightly behind.

    Running on empty

    There was a fair amount of run game activity. Saquon Barkley didn’t have much room to operate on his carries. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo knifed past Kendall on one Barkley carry. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt set the edge and helped contain the running back on an outside zone run. Nose tackle Jordan Davis easily defeated center Cam Jurgens one-on-one and picked up a tackle for loss.

    Linebacker Jalyx Hunt defended the run well on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    I hesitate to mention Jurgens in the negative because he’s otherwise had a strong start to camp. He’s poised to bounce back from last season’s setback. Tank Bigsby had a few touches out of the backfield, as well, but he’s been featured more as a receiver than Barkley. He got Campbell to commit pass interference with a double move in the open field.

    Running back Will Shipley had a shaky start to camp, but I thought he showed up on Day 6, particularly in the run game. He had two strong rushes up the middle when he got skinny through his blocks. He also picked up Trotter’s blitz later on.

    On the bubble

    Michael Carter II got a strong endorsement from Fangio before practice. I’m not sure if he’ll beat out Marcus Epps for the nickel safety spot, but he could have the sixth defensive back role in dime personnel locked down. Speaking of locking down, he ran step for step with receiver Danny Gray on a corner route into the end zone. When he ball sailed out of reach, Carter popped up and gave Gray a double thumbs-down.

    Fangio said not to sleep on linebacker Chance Campbell’s chances of making the 53-man roster. Tackle Cam Williams took Campbell out at the second level on the run play and that was the last I saw the linebacker until he was walking with a trainer to the medical tent. He seemed fine later on, but didn’t return to play.

    Tanner McKee (16) has not looked sharp at times while working in the new offense. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Quarterbacking up

    Tanner McKee was first up with the second unit offense in seven-on-sevens, but Andy Dalton took more team repetitions. The quarterbacks continue to slug it out for the backup spot. Dalton found Wilson open on a crossing route. He hit Quez Watkins on a short pass and the receiver hit the afterburners when cornerback Ambry Thomas took a bad angle. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson pressured Dalton into a throwaway.

    McKee just hasn’t looked as sharp as he did last camp. He doesn’t have the luxury of working with the same unit as he did a year ago. That’s no excuse, but he has struggled to throw the ball downfield, especially with the third unit. He finally found an open man down the seam, but tight end Stone Smartt dropped the ball like he had hands of brick.

    Extra points

    Hurts had a couple dashes into space on the ground — once when he kept the ball on a run-pass option and another on a scramble when his receivers were tied up in man coverage. … Tempers flared for a second straight day. Linebacker Smael Mondon and tackle John Ojukwu got into a brief altercation, as did tackle Fred Johnson and edge A.J. Epenesa. … Gunslinger Cole Payton tossed another interception when he heaved a pass into a crowded area and the ball deflected to Castro-Fields. … Former Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin attended camp. He said it was the first time he’s been back at the practice facility since he was a player. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Thursday before returning to practice on Friday.

  • More than a week into Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts and the new-look offense are ‘calibrating’

    More than a week into Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts and the new-look offense are ‘calibrating’

    Jalen Hurts had his strongest showing of a young Eagles training camp on Monday, the fourth day of practice. And after connecting with Elijah Moore near the end zone on a deep post that went for about 40 yards, Hurts celebrated a little more than he normally would during a practice rep.

    It wasn’t the play itself, or even his perfect throw, that had the quarterback feeling good, Hurts clarified Wednesday. The emotion came because of a “mishap” between the two new teammates earlier in practice. Moore, who was getting extra reps with first-round pick Makai Lemon dealing with a hamstring injury, ran the wrong route earlier that practice during seven-on-seven work. The end result was a Quinyon Mitchell interception that would have been an easy pick-six.

    “I just think that was an example of responding,” Hurts said. “That’s what I was so proud of and happy about; not the throw, but that he was able to play the next play, show up in the right window at the right time and rip it in there for a touchdown down the middle of the field.”

    It was the highlight of the day during what was a clean — besides the Mitchell interception — and efficient day from Hurts and the offense, and it showed Hurts’ willingness to throw the ball in the middle of the field, a characteristic of his game that he’ll need to show when the real football begins to silence those who say he isn’t willing.

    Jalen Hurts has had both hot and cold moments within the new offense in the early days of training camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The new-look offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion is still in the early days of installation. While it got the best of Vic Fangio’s defense Monday, the defense has the upper hand so far through six days of practice.

    Wednesday’s practice was a run-heavy day, and it was a shorter practice compared to Tuesday’s session that ran nearly two hours. For Hurts, Wednesday was another chance to “continue to take strides.” It isn’t supposed to be easy to install a new offense against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

    “I like to think of the term calibrating,” Hurts said. “This is a time where we’re kind of putting it together and finding out who we are. We’ve got a lot of new pieces, an entirely new approach and MO, philosophy, to our offense. Being able to put that together and make it our own, I’m excited about where we are.”

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    The Eagles have a walkthrough on Thursday that is closed to media before returning to regular practices on Friday and Saturday, ending what will be the busiest practice week of training camp. Mannion’s unit has shown a lot of new wrinkles. Hurts is taking more snaps from under center. The run and play action plays are looking the same. The wide-zone blocking scheme is being installed. Hurts has kept the ball on more designed quarterback runs, including a read option Wednesday that he smartly pulled away from the running back and ran up the left sideline for a nice gain.

    Hurts said it was “too soon to answer” how those designed quarterback runs mesh with the new offense. “I think we’re still installing things and putting all aspects of our offense in,” he said. “We haven’t finished installing. There’s still more to come.”

    That’s important context to avoid overreacting to media reports and social media chatter about the offense during camp. Certain days have certain themes. The offense is brand new for most of the roster. There are components of it still not being repped. Lemon, Lane Johnson, and DeVonta Smith have missed multiple practices. Mannion is going through his first training camp as a coordinator and play caller. Oh, and Wednesday was just Aug. 5, more than five weeks ahead of the first meaningful snap.

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    There are a lot of adjustments for Hurts, but perhaps the biggest is going under center and using play action from under center. Asked Wednesday how that change impacts the way Hurts goes through his reads, Hurts said that nothing changes.

    “It’s all going to my feet,” he said. “When I’m playing with my feet and I’m getting my eyes to the right place, you just play the position. I just think that’s more of a flow thing. … It’s a sequencing thing. In the end, you’re still playing the position. You want to play the position the same way: play with your feet, sweep through your reads, know exactly where you’re supposed to go with the ball, where your alerts are, whether it’s down the field or a man alert, just trying to play fast.”

    Hurts said he is “letting curiosity lead me” during camp. He has long talked about wanting to know the why behind what he’s being asked to do. With the fresh scheme, he’s also learning about what each player’s responsibility is on a given play and even how Mannion “is seeing the game from a sequencing standpoint” when it comes to calling plays.

    Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion watches the offense during training camp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Mannion said on Saturday that Hurts “asks really thought-provoking questions.”

    “It’s been a constant back and forth,” Mannion said. “Jalen’s had a ton of success in this league and has played in a lot of games. I always want to know the things that he feels comfortable with and if there’s something that maybe we need to go into more detail on for him. There are so many things that you love to dive into, the really nitty-gritty of a play, and help him with total mastery. A lot of it is, for me as a play-caller, getting a feel for what are his comfort calls? What are the things that on a second-and-long he feels super confident in?

    “It’s been a great partnership with Jalen since we got here.”

  • Eagles practice observations: Defense brings the camp fire; O-line woes; DeVonta Smith and who else?

    Eagles practice observations: Defense brings the camp fire; O-line woes; DeVonta Smith and who else?

    The Eagles held the fifth practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 5 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3 and 4):

    Receiving line

    The Eagles were without wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon due to hamstring injuries. Lemon left Monday’s practice early, while Smith appeared to finish the workout. The team doesn’t expect either player to be out for an extended period. Both receivers were present Tuesday, which was a positive sign.

    I wouldn’t be worried about Smith. He might have tweaked something, but the educated guess here is that the Eagles shut him down for the time being. They’ve been careful with him before, just as they were with A.J. Brown last year at camp. Smith is far and away the best receiver on the team and the Eagles can’t afford a needless injury with the drop-off relatively steep.

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    Lemon is another story. The rookie needs the reps. It also doesn’t help that he suffered a hamstring strain in the spring. While it’s unclear if he hurt the same one, two soft tissue injuries in the span of six weeks isn’t likely how he wants to start his career. Lemon has been quiet in the early going. He’s yet to make a play that screams “first round draft pick,” but it’s also very early.

    Lane Johnson speaks with reporters during the first day of training camp on July 29. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Paving the Lane

    Lane Johnson missed a third straight practice for an excused non-injury-related reason. The Eagles have declined to offer more detail on their right tackle’s absence. Johnson’s only other extended absences that didn’t involve injury came in 2014 and 2016 when he was suspended for performance-enhancing drug use and in 2021 when the team granted him a leave to address his mental health.

    The following Eagles remained injured and out: outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), guard Micah Morris (shoulder), guard Jaeden Roberts (calf contusion) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Tackle Cameron Williams (knee contusion) was back to full participation. Receiver Britain Covey walked off the field with trainers late in the workout.

    Sean Mannion (center) did not oversee a sharp day from his offensive unit. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Offensive offense

    It was a tough day for Sean Mannion’s offense after it appeared to make strides in the bubble on a rainy Monday. The Eagles were in full pads for a second straight day and the outside environment and intensity seemed to benefit the defense. It’s long been understood that NFL defenses are typically ahead in the early portion of camp. Coordinator Vic Fangio’s seasoned unit is also facing an offense that is still learning a new system.

    As I’ve written here since the spring, there are going to be growing pains. It’s better to fail now rather than later. It also didn’t help that Smith was out. But I don’t think there was an offensive position group that could be happy about its performance on Tuesday, especially the O-line. Chris Kuper was without Johnson again, and the O-line coach juggled his units some, but there was too much sloppiness up front.

    We also had our first few skirmishes of camp. Guard Tyler Steen and defensive tackle Ty Robinson got into a brief skirmish after several plays of facing each other. Safety Andrew Mukuba and receiver Dontayvion Wicks mixed it up after the former didn’t appreciate the latter’s downfield run blocking. There’s nothing wrong with a little extra fire between teammates, as long as no one gets burnt.

    Landon Dickerson is among the offensive linemen trying to adjust to a new blocking scheme. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Blocking it out

    The new wide-zone run blocking scheme will require an adjustment period for a starting group that had done it a different way under former O-line coach Jeff Stoutland. Johnson and left tackle Jordan Mailata shouldn’t be that affected. They could thrive in any system. Center Cam Jurgens and Steen should, theoretically, benefit because of their athleticism.

    Left guard Landon Dickerson, though, could struggle the most. He’s not as nimble as the others and has had well-documented series of injuries that have put his future in question. Whenever he’s been asked to work to the perimeter on outside zone runs, it’s apparent he just doesn’t have the motor he once did.

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    That doesn’t mean he can’t get by or even flourish if healthy. But staying healthy has been an obvious issue, and he admitted earlier this week that he’s had to reconsider how he’s previously played through injury. That could place a greater emphasis on the backup guard spot. Drew Kendall appears to be the leading candidate right now. He took some first-team reps at left guard on Tuesday.

    The Eagles know Kendall can play center. He’s Jurgens’ likely backup. But can he hold up in the interior at 308 pounds? He seemed to hold his ground against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo when he was with the starters. And he did well to pick up a Jeremiah Trotter Jr. blitz later with the second unit. But the tests will keep coming.

    Jalen Hurts (1) did not have his best day of camp. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Hurting for certain

    Objectively, Jalen Hurts was sharp on Monday. The opposite could be written a day later. The O-line problems didn’t help, and neither did occasionally poor pass catching. I thought Hurts threw a catchable deep ball to Quez Watkins, but the route wasn’t crisp and the receiver’s dive came up short. Hurts then floated a dime to Will Shipley after he was schemed wide-open on a wheel route. But the running back stone-cold dropped a would-be explosive play.

    Hurts made some head-scratching decisions on throws downfield, though, some of them vs. the second defense. There was a heave to a double-covered Hollywood Brown that safety Michael Carter II intercepted after surviving a collision with the ground and a slight bobble. There was a tight-window toss to Wicks on the next play that cornerback Jakorian Bennett got his hands on.

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    Hurts later chucked another one up for grabs to Wicks that was only slightly overthrown past a few pursuing defenders. In the red zone, he hitched off play-action and still threw to a covered Wicks. Mukuba was in Wicks’ pocket, but cornerback Quinyon Mitchell came over and got a hand on the ball.

    There were some good moments, too. Hurts had Brown alone in the end zone after a scissor route concept caught cornerback Jonathan Jones sleeping. Wicks shook cornerback Riq Woolen on an outside release and the ball arrived in time. Hurts had excellent ball placement on a pass to Wicks that required he throw it away from the lurking Mitchell.

    But there just wasn’t much rhythm to the passing offense — not to mention the run game. Hurts, on several occasions, had no one open and had to either eat the ball or throw it away. During one pass play, after he went through his reads and the pocket collapsed, he simply dropped the ball to the ground.

    Moro Ojomo (97) was among those who excelled on defense Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    D-light

    The good news is that the defense could be dominant this season, barring significant injuries. Cornerback Cooper DeJean briefly ran off the field after dinging his left hand — a reminder that the game can take anyone — but he appeared fine after getting checked out by trainers.

    Fangio has new faces on his side of the ball, but the biggest upgrade to last season’s very-good-but-not-great defense could be a 100% Jalen Carter. He seems to make a few eye-popping plays every practice. He bested Steen on back-to-back reps. Carter gave him the finger wag after stopping a Saquon Barkley run near the line, and then clubbed him to the helmet on the way to a would-be sack.

    Moro Ojomo watched fellow defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis get paid. He’s using it as motivation.

    Moro Ojomo was a menace at defensive tackle as well. He jetted past Dickerson and might have caused Barkley to bobble a pitch that resulted in little gain. The Eagles’ depth at D-tackle allows Ojomo to face the second unit at times, and it can be unfair. He made quick work of tackle John Ojukwu and notched a run stop near the line.

    And then there were missed blocks that gifted the front four. Carter was mind-bogglingly granted a free pass to Shipley on one rush. Defensive end Jalyx Hunt notched a unblocked sack when left tackle Fred Johnson appeared to have his eyes in the wrong spot.

    Jihaad Campbell is making his presence felt at linebacker. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Back off

    The off-ball linebacker group is pretty good, too. Jihaad Campbell still has lots to prove, but his talent is evident. He jacked running back Tank Bigsby onto his back and blew up a Barkley inside zone run near the goal line. Zack Baun lined up on the edge at one point and beat Ojukwu with an outside rush to record a sack. He also broke up a pass to tight end Dallas Goedert.

    Trotter blitzed once and steamrolled Shipley. Smael Mondon had maybe his best practice of camp and made multiple tackles, including a run stop after he shook the pulling to Williams.

    Dallas Goedert (88) and the tight ends have not been much of a factor in the passing game thus far in camp. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Tight lies

    I mentioned recently here that the tight ends haven’t been featured as much as the receivers and that trend continued. I recall past years when Goedert would be Hurts’ favorite target, but that has yet to happen. It could certainly change. But tight ends have more blocking responsibilities in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay scheme.

    New guy Johnny Mundt will be key, with more need to block defensive ends at the point of attack. Goedert isn’t the blocker he once was, but he has the wherewithal, even as he enters his ninth season. Cameron Latu may have a roster spot based on his special teams capabilities. He trucked receiver Darius Cooper during kick return drills. But he’s a physical blocker and displayed as much when he wham blocked Hunt out of a run play.

    Neither Tanner McKee (16) nor Andy Dalton (14) got much of a leg up on Tuesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Under center

    In the backup quarterback competition, it was a relative draw in which neither Andy Dalton nor Tanner McKee was very consistent. As with Hurts, they were hardly all to blame for the offensive inefficiency.

    Dalton did find tight end Grant Calcaterra for a nice pickup after a naked bootleg fooled the first unit defense. And Cooper made a splendid one-handed grab on one of Dalton’s red zone throws. But the receiver was unable to get both feet in the back of the end zone. Later on, Cooper ran an in-breaking route when Dalton’s ball went outside to an empty space.

    McKee had a couple hookups with receiver Samori Toure. But like Hurts, he took sacks or simply ate the ball when the clock ran out on a fruitless play.

    Jake Elliott (4) was perfect on Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Extra points

    I’ve written a fair amount about rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard’s trials and tribulations as he tries to make it in the NFL. But there’s another neophyte from Africa in camp: undrafted edge Joshua Weru. He plays a different position than Bernard, but he’s looked more fluid. He still has a ways to go, but there’s some potential there. He had a pressure during the developmental period. … Jake Elliott was a perfect 6-for-6 during the kicking period. He was good from 33, 38, 42, 44, 50 and 52 yards. He also split the uprights from 44 yards out later during team drills. … The Eagles practice again on Wednesday and have a closed walkthrough on Thursday.

  • Eagles practice observations: Makai Lemon feels it; Jalen Carter dominates; how much will Jalen Hurts run?

    Eagles practice observations: Makai Lemon feels it; Jalen Carter dominates; how much will Jalen Hurts run?

    The Eagles held their third practice of their 2026 training camp on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 3 (and links to Day 1 and 2):

    Taking attendance

    The Eagles had four excused absences for noninjury related reasons: tackle Lane Johnson, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, wide receiver Elijah Moore, and defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham. Campbell, it appeared, missed practice to return to Alabama for graduation after completing his degree.

    Tackle Cameron Williams (knee contusion) and rookie safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring) were the first entries on the Eagles’ injury list. Williams left Thursday’s practice early. They’ll likely be joined on the sideline by guard Micah Morris, who walked off the field on Saturday and didn’t return. Fellow rookie guard Jaeden Roberts suffered a more significant injury and could be out for an extended period. His left leg bent back awkwardly when he got pushed back into another lineman during the last play of the development period. He was carted inside after trainers stabilized his leg.

    Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took Jihaad Campbell’s first-team reps Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Flip-flopping

    Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took Campbell’s spot at inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun. Nakobe Dean’s offseason exit in free agency was predictable, once the Eagles selected Campbell in the first round of the 2025 draft. But Trotter was another luxury that made it easier to part ways with Dean. He has starter capabilities and flashed again on Saturday (see below).

    Fred Johnson filled in for Lane Johnson at right tackle, which allowed rookie Markel Bell to switch from right to left tackle with the second-unit offense. Also notable: outside linebackers Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt swapped sides for the first time this camp, with the former on the right and the latter on the left. Left tackle Jordan Mailata had more success vs. Smith than he did vs. Hunt in the first two days of camp.

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    Lemon take

    Makai Lemon was targeted more than he was in the first two days, but that didn’t mean the receiver had more receptions. During seven-on-sevens, safety Andrew Mukuba was quick to Lemon on a stick route and nearly had an interception after running through the rookie. Later in team drills inside the red zone, a good play call got Lemon matched up against a linebacker on a short crosser in the end zone. Trotter hooked Lemon to the ground and was flagged for pass interference.

    Later, Jalen Hurts went to the receiver on a deep route out of the slot. Nickel cornerback Cooper DeJean initially was a half-step behind, but he closed on Lemon as the pass sailed out of reach. Lemon faced predraft concerns about his ability to get separation downfield. I don’t think those questions have been close to answered either way. But he clearly knows what he’s doing on underneath routes and carries himself with confidence, even if he got knocked around some on Saturday.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted rookie receiver Makai Lemon frequently on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Welcome back, Carter

    Vic Fangio’s defense had another solid performance, which is to be expected as offensive coordinator Sean Mannion installs his new offense. Jalen Carter stood out again. The defensive tackle batted an early Hurts pass incomplete and got to the quarterback after bouncing off guard Tyler Steen on an inside rush.

    Hunt beat Fred Johnson for another likely sack during red-zone drills. Safety Marcus Epps had tight end Dallas Goedert in his pocket when Hurts was forced to float a deep ball out of harm’s way. Baun knocked a pass to the ground a play before Carter got his mitt on one of Hurt’s throws.

    Trotter had impressive moments in the red-zone period. He beat Steen to running back Saquon Barkley on an off-tackle run. And he got a hand on a checkdown to Barkley two plays later. Hurts was forced to scramble several times in the early portion of practice. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when he motored into the secondary on one play. But the offense functions better when Hurts is hitting his first reads.

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    Running on empty

    We hadn’t seen much of Hurts and the zone-read game, which partly compelled me to ask Mannion his thoughts on the quarterback as a runner before practice. He said there’s room in the offense for that element, although more of Hurts under center naturally will make him less of a plus-one factor.

    Hurts didn’t run as much last season, nor was he as effective when he kept the ball on the ground. The Shanahan-McVay offense is designed to be run-based, so ideally the Eagles won’t need their quarterback to run as much. Protecting Hurts is of the utmost important, but his mobility is often what made him dynamic in his first six seasons.

    Right on cue, Hurts kept on a run-pass-run option in the red zone and waltzed into the end zone ahead of a half-hearted Smith on Saturday. The plays are scripted before practice, but I’ve convinced myself Mannion called that play to appease me.

    Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion addresses questions before practice on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Screen chores

    We also saw our first glimpse of the screen game. Barkley didn’t have much room after Carter beat Steen to his spot. But Goedert had space and lead blockers later in the red zone. It’s still to be determined how much Barkley and the running backs will be featured in the passing game. Barkley said he thinks there are opportunities for him to be more prominent as a receiver in this system.

    He was asked to stay in and help with protection more last season. A lot of that had to do with injuries on the offensive line. But blocking has never been a forte. Mannion didn’t reveal much when asked about running backs in the pass game, but he clearly would rather have Barkley run routes than block. Defenses are going to send extra rushers at Hurts, so the running backs will need to help. Tank Bigsby did well to pick up a DeJean blitz off the edge during the third-down period.

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    Hello to Hollywood

    Mannion’s offense did have its moments. Hurts hit receiver Hollywood Brown on a deep cross in team drills. DeJean was the trailing defender, but he had no inside assistance when Mukuba dropped deep. Brown ran a nifty route that turned corner Ambry Thomas around when the second units met.

    DeVonta Smith had a relatively quiet day, although he hauled in a floater ahead of corner Mac McWilliams at one point. Hurts had solid pass protection and maybe an unrealistic amount of time, but he hung in the pocket and delivered a strike. The quarterback later ripped one to Britain Covey on a deep cross, but the receiver couldn’t hang on. Covey otherwise was reliable when targeted.

    Receiver Dontayvion Wicks gave slot corner Michael Carter II a little hesitation shake on a slant route and picked up a first down during third down.

    Eagles cornerbacks Riq Woolen (right) and Mac McWilliams work out at practice. McWilliams’ role with the Eagles is unclear so far as he enters his second season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Mac Man

    McWilliams remains a bit an unknown. He didn’t play much last season as a rookie. It’s unclear if the Eagles see him more as a slot or boundary corner. He’s been at the former for most of camp so far. He had a couple of pass breakups while covering rookie tight end Eli Stowers during third down. Quarterback Tanner McKee appeared to be a touch off on the first throw, but McWilliams made sure Stowers couldn‘t secure the second.

    Cornerback Jakorian Bennett dragged down receiver Quez Watkins for pass interference after getting beat on a deep release. He rebounded later when he ripped the ball from receiver Johnny Wilson on an Andy Dalton dart over the middle. McKee and Dalton continued to split snaps with the second unit.

    Cole quarter

    Cole Payton bounced back from an unfortunate second day in which he tossed three picks. The rookie quarterback is no Checkdown Charlie. On his first drop, he uncorked a seed to receiver Danny Gray. He later called his own number twice on plays with an option draw.

    One quick aside: We haven’t seen tight ends featured as receivers much in the offense so far. It could be just the plays Mannion currently is installing or how the cookie crumbled in terms of pass distribution. But it’s no secret that the Shanahan-McVay offense often deploys a blocking tight end. Johnny Mundt has a clear edge in that role.

    Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell greets military members before practice on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Extra points

    Covey was first up in fielding punts, but DeJean, Lemon, and Watkins also took turns. … The Eagles went with a rookie at long snapper this offseason, but Rocco Underwood isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. He’s looked fine so far, although he had a few high snaps in punting drills on Saturday. … The Eagles had many servicemen and women in attendance during Military Appreciation Day. … Sunday is an off day for players. The team returns for three straight practices starting Monday. Tuesday will be the first in full pads.

  • Saquon Barkley says he loves the challenge of ‘learning a new language’ in Sean Mannion’s offense

    Saquon Barkley says he loves the challenge of ‘learning a new language’ in Sean Mannion’s offense

    Saquon Barkley has long been an admirer of the wide zone run scheme. He’d study film of running backs like Todd Gurley — who thrived with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay — and think about what he might look like in an offense like that.

    Now he doesn’t have to daydream.

    The Eagles held their first training camp practice of 2026 on Wednesday, which means Barkley and Co. got another important taste of life under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, whose playbook looks similar to McVay and Kyle Shanahan’s. It’s only Day 1, but the play calls were a major deviation from the inside zone-heavy Eagles offenses of the past. This was evident from the very first play, when Jalen Hurts — lined up under center — ran a stretch toss in “12″ personnel (1 running back, 2 wide receivers, 2 tight ends).

    How fired up is Barkley about these changes? He spent nearly a minute lauding them after Wednesday’s practice.

    “I’ve always been intrigued with this kind of system,” Barkley said. “Watching it kind of from afar and seeing a lot of guys have a lot of success in it. The thing that changes for me is we coach it a little bit different. Outside zone and wide zone, the read is pretty much the same, but just trying to get more of a one-cut mindset.

    “I feel like naturally in my career, unless you are in a system like in college, most of us come from gun and playing shotgun. … You’re more natural to a duo, or to like an inside zone. Then, when you get into the NFL, you see a lot of guys struggle with outside zone in the beginning, but I’ve been working on that the whole time and just having that one-cut mentality, but still doing it in a way that I like to get out of the cut and being efficient and being aligned with the offensive line and in the play and making it work.”

    Saquon Barkley’s ability to click in the running game will take pressure off Jalen Hurts (right) and the passing attack. Chris Szagola

    Barkley’s excitement for a new system likely stems from his struggles (relative to his usual success) in the Eagles’ offense last season. The 29-year-old rushed for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns under OC Kevin Patullo, as the Eagles went 11-6 and lost to the 49ers in the wild-card round. This came one year after Barkley’s dream first season in Philadelphia, during which he became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 yards and logged 13 rushing touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl crown.

    Of course, it’s only Day 1. Growing pains and adjustments are inevitable. But with Mannion in the mix, Barkley feels rejuvenated — even if it means “starting from scratch.”

    “I think it’s pretty cool that you start it from scratch again,” Barkley said. “Learning a new language, getting familiar with a new system. It’s fun. The way you take notes is a little bit different than you would … It’s going to put you in a spot to do something new, something you may not be used to. But as a competitor, you welcome that challenge.”

  • Eagles practice observations: Sean Mannion’s offense starts clicking; Jalen Hurts under center; Jalyx Hunt hunts

    Eagles practice observations: Sean Mannion’s offense starts clicking; Jalen Hurts under center; Jalyx Hunt hunts

    The Eagles held their first practice of training camp on Wednesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 1:

    Healthy Birds

    The Eagles announced that outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list just before practice. He apparently strained a pectoral muscle while lifting prior to camp. Greenard isn’t expected to be out long-term, but starting him on PUP allows the team to save a roster spot if he’s going to miss more than a month in the regular season.

    It’s unclear if the injury had anything to do with his recovery from December shoulder surgery. Greenard didn’t practice much in the spring after he was acquired via trade during the draft. He’s learning a new defense, but he’s been around the block a few times and shouldn’t be held back once healthy.

    Jonathan Greenard (right) was present on Wednesday but will remain sidelined indefinitely with a pectoral injury. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The Eagles were otherwise full-go. I don’t recall them being as healthy entering camp in all my years on the beat. Every player passed Tuesday’s conditioning test, as coach Nick Sirianni suggested before practice. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell (shoulder), wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) and several other players who were limited in the spring were back in action.

    Campbell, by the way, switched his jersey number from 30 to 11. That should end all talk of the former Eagles wide receiver who previously wore the double ones. Right?

    Positional battles

    There’s really only one “starting” spot up for grabs and it technically isn’t a full-time job: safety. Cooper DeJean is expected to “start” at safety in base personnel alongside Andrew Mukuba. DeJean was there again on Wednesday. Marcus Epps filled the primary nickel role, however, with a splash of Michael Carter II at times. Those two appear to be the frontrunners. General manager Howie Roseman won’t be shy about trading for an upgrade if needed.

    There are some intriguing competitions further down the depth chart. Jonathan Jones was the first cornerback up when starter Quinyon Mitchell took a breather during team drills. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon were the backup inside linebackers behind Zack Baun and Campbell.

    A handful of receivers will be vying for the snaps that became available when A.J. Brown was finally traded to the Patriots. DeVonta Smith is the bona fide WR1, but new faces like Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Lemon, along with returnees like Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson will be contending for playing time.

    Line ’em up

    The first-unit offensive line is set, but swing tackle along with a few other backup spots are up for grabs. New O-line coach Chris Kuper will work some reserve linemen at various positions to create versatility. Here’s how the units looked on Wednesday:

    A few notes:

    Jordan is new after the Eagles signed the veteran guard at the conclusion of minicamp in June. Bell was back in the lineup after sitting out the last day of minicamp. He and Fred Johnson are presumably battling for the swing tackle role, although Kuper could have both active on game days. Hollin Pierce and Jaeden Roberts were with the third unit at left tackle and left guard, respectively, during the period for developmental players.

    Mannion mirror

    New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion continued to implement many of the concepts we saw from the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme he brought to the Eagles in the spring: a lot of under center sets, play-action and motion. I’d estimate that more than half of the plays came with the quarterbacks lined up under center.

    Jalen Hurts continued to learn the intricacies of the new offense on Wednesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Jalen Hurts has improved from under center since entering the NFL, but he hasn’t done much of it, at least compared to rest of the league. There will be more of him turning his back to the defense on play action and naked bootlegs. An early awkward pass across Hurts’ body to Lemon illustrated that there will be some growing pains.

    Hurts to be…

    There will be an adjustment period for all involved, but mostly Hurts. He’s endured other previous changes in play-calling and scheme with varying results. The offense wasn’t sharp during the spring practices open to reporters. That came as little surprise, and neither should struggles during the summer.

    Hurts’ first pass of camp was a wobbler to Wicks that Mitchell nearly intercepted. But he had some strong moments in the later team portions with good ball placement on a toss to Wicks with cornerback Riq Woolen in coverage and a strike to a crossing Smith just over Mitchell.

    The catch of the day came during seven-on-sevens when Hurts hooked up with Cooper. The receiver got behind DeJean out of the slot and made a diving grab over the middle.

    Saquon Barkley’s ability to adapt to the wide-zone blocking scheme will be worth watching. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Run it back

    The Eagles won’t be in full pads until the fifth practice of camp on Tuesday, but they were able to incorporate more of the run game into team drills. Some of the biggest changes on offense will come with the move to more wide-zone blocking. Lane Johnson said the new system is “O-line friendly” and should theoretically place less stress on the group in pass blocking situations.

    Running back Saquon Barkley took the first handoff of camp and ran behind Johnson off tackle. He was met near the line of scrimmage by Baun on his next carry. Backup Tank Bigsby’s first touch came on a rush up the middle after Steen climbed to the second level. Could we see more of Bigsby as the inside complement to Barkley this season?

    Hunting season

    Greenard’s absence pushed Jalyx Hunt into the starting spot at right outside linebacker opposite Nolan Smith Jr. Hunt will likely play as many snaps as the other two this season. There’s an argument to be made that he should get more playing time than Smith. Nevertheless, he took advantage of his opportunities with Greenard out.

    Hunt shot into the backfield unblocked and forced Hurts to check down to Cooper on one play-action pass that came from under center. He blew up tight end Dallas Goedert with an edge rush and Hurts had to hurry a dump to Bigsby that wasn’t caught. And he beat Jordan Mailata on back-to-back rushes — one with an inside move and the other from the outside — that blew up pass plays.

    Dallas Goedert (right) rebounded from an early drop in Wednesday’s practice. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Sloppy go droppy

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio enters his third season at the helm with little turnover on his side of the ball. He’s always evolving and will introduce new ideas, but the core of his unit remains intact. The defense should have the upper hand in competitive periods, especially with the offense still ironing out details.

    Mannion’s unit had a couple of false starts from Mailata and Landon Dickerson. Brown lined up illegally at one point. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, fresh off his contract extension, was flagged for offsides at one point. He slipped by Steen for a would-be tackle of Barkley in the backfield earlier in the session.

    Goedert dropped an early pass, but rebounded later on a short crossing route. Hurts and Barkley had a miscommunication on a botched handoff.

    Andy Dalton (14) is vying for the No. 2 quarterback job. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Back it up

    Quarterbacks Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton continued to split second unit snaps, much as they did in the spring. McKee’s first completion during seven-on-sevens went to rookie tight end Eli Stowers. Dalton hit Wilson over the middle with a pass only the 6-foot-6 receiver could reach.

    Trotter had a couple of run stops, one time seemingly filling a gap out of nowhere to stop Bigsby in his tracks. Former Texans running back Dameon Pierce was relatively quiet in the spring, but he had a nice cutback on an inside rush.

    Extra points

    Rookie quarterback Cole Payton had his ups and downs in the spring, but he continued to display a willingness to throw downfield a month later. He ripped a pass to receiver Quez Watkins during seven-on-sevens, and found receiver Britain Covey on a deep corner route. … Second-year defensive tackle Ty Robinson was relegated to snaps during the developmental period. Not a good sign. … Lemon fielded punts behind Covey and Elijah Moore. … The Eagles return Thursday for practice and will have a closed-to-reporters walkthrough on Friday.

  • The six biggest roster battles as Eagles training camp gets underway

    The six biggest roster battles as Eagles training camp gets underway

    The Eagles reported to training camp Tuesday and hit the field Wednesday for their first official workout of the 2026 season.

    The Sean Mannion era is here, the A.J. Brown era is over, and Nick Sirianni’s sixth training camp is underway as the Eagles again have a roster capable of making a deep playoff run.

    Good teams like theirs mean fewer opportunities to get on the initial 53-man roster, which means there will be plenty of competition in camp. And while most of the starting jobs are spoken for, this Eagles training camp still has its share of intriguing position battles to pay attention to.

    Here’s a closer look at six of them:

    It’s Marcus Epps’ (right) job to lose at safety, but he’ll be pushed. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Safety: Will Marcus Epps hold off the field?

    It’s worth starting with safety because it’s one of the few spots on the field where a starter is written in pencil and not pen.

    If you’ve been paying any attention to the Eagles since the spring, you know that Cooper DeJean is slated to move from nickel to safety in base defense. But the Eagles, like most NFL defenses, use nickel and dime packages much more often than base. So the spot next to Andrew Mukuba mostly will be manned by someone not named DeJean.

    The Eagles enter training camp with a number of intriguing storylines. We ranked their importance.

    Vic Fangio indicated that Marcus Epps is in the pole position for the job to replace Reed Blankenship, but the 30-year-old will have to earn it. There will be competition from converted nickel Michael Carter II, seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, veteran special teamer J.T. Gray, and long shots like Andre’ Sam, Kapena Gushiken, and Maximus Pulley.

    Don’t count out another roster addition, too, if Howie Roseman decides the Eagles need to upgrade the safety spot.

    The progress of Hollywood Brown (0) in training camp figures to have an impact on the wide receiver depth chart. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Wide receiver: Who gets the final spots?

    The top of the depth chart is basically set. Life after Brown means DeVonta Smith is WR1, but the order behind him needs some sorting out.

    The Eagles were in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) nearly 60% of the time in 2025. There’s a new coordinator in town, and the Packers were slightly below the Eagles in that type of usage, but expect some of the same in 2026.

    Eagles training camp starts this week. Here’s a reset of everything you might have missed this offseason.

    Who joins Smith on the field in three-receiver sets? In a perfect world, the Eagles would want Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon to get the bulk of those reps, but Hollywood Brown was brought in to be a vertical threat and should force his way onto the field. Those personnel packages will work themselves out.

    Smith, Lemon, Wicks, and Brown are locks. It’s beyond them where the real training-camp battling begins.

    Will the Eagles keep five receivers or six? Sirianni loves the “dirty work” Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson do, but is keeping them both redundant? Can Elijah Moore prove he’s worth keeping around? Britain Covey, meanwhile, still wants to show he’s the best kick-returning option in camp.

    What’s the vision for Andy Dalton (left) as the depth chart stacks up behind Jalen Hurts?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Quarterback: Will Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee back up Jalen Hurts?

    The Eagles have a quarterback controversy. Sort of.

    Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee alternated reps with the second-team offense during the offseason program, and it’s unclear which is the preferred backup to Jalen Hurts.

    The team also drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round, and it seems pretty unlikely they make room for four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster given the talent elsewhere.

    So, what gives?

    The Eagles would love to find a trade partner for McKee, who is entering the final year of his contract. But if they can’t, does that put Dalton in jeopardy of being cut (or traded)? Payton is a bit of an unknown, but he has an intriguing athletic profile, and while the Eagles cut a sixth-round draft pick last year (Kyle McCord), they probably would be hesitant to expose Payton to waivers given his traits. Otherwise, maybe he joins Clayton Thorson as a recent fifth-round pick who hits the chopping block.

    Third-round tackle Markel Bell has a chance to make an immediate impact. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Swing tackle: Can rookie Markel Bell supplant Fred Johnson?

    Considering how much time Lane Johnson missed last season, and Jordan Mailata’s stint on injured reserve in 2024, the swing tackle is a pretty important job.

    The Eagles brought back Fred Johnson in free agency because they know how important the backup tackle position is. They then used a third-round pick on Markel Bell, the 6-foot-9 tackle out of Miami. It was a bit surprising the Eagles waited until the 68th pick to select a tackle, but they like Bell a lot, and the big man has plenty of upside.

    Which tackle will be first up if Lane Johnson or Mailata misses time? It was Bell who got the first nod filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs, but Bell missed the final minicamp workout of the spring due to an undisclosed injury.

    Who will emerge from camp as the preferred option?

    A.J. Epenesa was a solid edge contributor on a generally strong Bills defense in recent years. Gary McCullough

    Edge rusher: Will A.J. Epenesa show his worth?

    This group is pretty similar to wide receiver. The Eagles are set at the top. It’s Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith Jr. Sure, there’s some interest in which of Hunt or Smith gets more snaps, but the top three edge rushers will see plenty of the field.

    Behind them is where it gets interesting. Arnold Ebiketie signed a deal that could be worth around $7 million and is the clear No. 4 as camp begins.

    Will the Eagles keep five or six here? They kept five last year and six the year prior in Fangio’s first season.

    Nick Sirianni’s ability to adapt again will be put to the test in year six with the Eagles

    The Eagles made an interesting signing at the end of the offseason program in June, agreeing to a one-year deal with A.J. Epenesa.

    Epenesa’s sack total fell from six in 2024 to just 2½ last season, but he had a better pressure rate (10.6%) in a reduced role with the Bills. He is the biggest edge rusher in the building by 2 inches at 6-6, a size that could be useful in helping set the edge against the run.

    Epenesa will be in competition with seventh-round pick Keyshawn James-Newby, an undersized but speedy edge, as well as Jose Ramirez. The Eagles also have Joshua Weru, an International Pathway Player, in camp.

    Kelee Ringo (left) is among those seeking a corner job. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Cornerback: Can the Eagles find a trade partner for a bottom-of-the-depth-chart corner?

    The Eagles could have the best cornerback trio in the NFL this season in Quinyon Mitchell, DeJean (nickel), and Riq Woolen, but behind them at corner are jobs up for grabs.

    Veteran free-agent signing Jonathan Jones probably is a lock to take a roster spot given his 10 years of experience and inside-out versatility. Who claims the remaining spots will be determined in part by how many corners the Eagles decide to keep. They kept six last year, but could a player at a different position — like reserving a roster spot for defensive tackle Uar Bernard to not expose him to waivers — force them to go with five?

    That would leave one spot for Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, and Mac McWilliams.

    Ringo probably would be the preferred candidate there given his special-teams talent. The Eagles could also keep six and have spots for two of them.

    It’s also possible that Roseman finds himself looking to offload one of them via trade in August.

    Why Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata ‘absolutely loves’ the new offensive scheme

    Honorable mention

    Fullback: Is it 1996? The Eagles may have a fullback competition in camp between Carson Steele and Cameron Latu. Latu is listed as a tight end, but he’s more of an H back who blocks well and plays special teams.

    Interior offensive line: Who would be first in line to back up Landon Dickerson or Tyler Steen? Right now, it’s probably Drew Kendall, who also is the backup center. After that, veteran guard Michael Jordan will try to edge out a group that includes sixth-round pick Micah Morris. Keep an eye on Myles Hinton, too. The second-year lineman took some reps at guard after entering the league as a tackle. The back end of the offensive-line group will be a fun battle to track.

    Tight end: Dallas Goedert and second-round pick Eli Stowers are locks. Johnny Mundt’s blocking skills should lock him up a spot, too. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Grant Calcaterra, intriguing UDFA Dae’Quan Wright, or Stone Smartt earning a job, especially given the aforementioned skills that Latu brings to the table.