Philly Leader

During Tuesday's individual drills at the Eagles training camp, the focus was on defensive backs showcasing their ball skills. Each player engaged in a drill requiring them to backpedal, flip their hips, and sprint to track deep balls thrown into the middle of the field. The safety groups also practiced matching various route combinations in the secondary.

In 1-on-1 drills, running back Saquon Barkley stood out with his impressive pass protection. During team periods, notable plays included Jalen Hurts connecting with DeVonta Smith for a long catch-and-run and Reed Blankenship nearly intercepting an errant throw downfield.

The offense emphasized the run game in subsequent team drills. Will Shipley and Barkley both made significant gains on quick runs. However, young defensive tackle Moro Ojomo made a notable tackle for loss, while Patrick Johnson succeeded in an all-out blitz against Kenny Pickett.

Later sessions saw Devin White making key tackles against Barkley and Jalen Carter disrupting plays upfront. Josh Jobe also made several defensive plays after returning from a concussion.

Special teams saw placekicker Jake Elliott, punter/holder Braden Mann, and long snapper Rick Lovato continuing their strong performance from previous seasons. The preseason will be crucial for evaluating new kickoff rules aimed at increasing returns.

Injury updates included absences from LB Oren Burks (knee), WR Parris Campbell (groin), S C.J Gardner-Johnson (shoulder), CB Mekhi Garner (hamstring), and LB Brandon Smith (concussion). Limited participants were C Cam Jurgens (illness), G Tyler Steen (ankle), and WR Austin Watkins (illness).

Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore praised Jalen Hurts' performance: "He's been phenomenal." Moore highlighted Hurts' communication skills and collaboration within the team. Moore also noted that both Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee are performing well in practice without many turnovers.

Kenny Pickett expressed appreciation for working with Moore: "He sees it through our lens cause he's played." Tanner McKee emphasized daily improvement as his goal during training camp: "I'm just trying to prove that every day."

Jake Elliott commented on adapting to new kickoff rules: "It's so new...we don't really know how it's going to look yet." CB Kelee Ringo spoke about his competitive relationship with Isaiah Rodgers: "We come out to work every single day."