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It was only day 2 of Eagles Training camp. It was only ONE play...........But man was it glorious....... As a member of the Eagles Season Ticket Advisory Board, I got a sneak peak at the 2021 Eagles in person today. Watching a training camp practice can be difficult, three fields and a bunch of drill going on. It has a lot of moving parts, you need to keep your eyes moving to catch all the action. However, the highlight of any camp practice is eleven on eleven with the the first teams.
Today was the first day both one's play against each other outside the red zone. As soon as it happened, we saw a glimpse of the future...... And OMG was is glorious. 1st Round pick DeVonta Smith lined up as the left outside X receiver. Matched up against newly signed CB 2 Steven Nelson, Smith ran a stutter go fly route up the left sideline. WIth over the top help from K'Von Wallace, Jalen Hurts lofted a 45 yard pass down the sideline. Smith battling the double coverage, snared the ball out of the air, landed untouched and glided another 25 yards into the end zone. Jaws dropped, fans applauded and we got see how special Smith is going to be in Eagles Green. That one single play was the talk of the day. It didn't matter what else happened. All you heard walking around. "Did you see what Smith did?" ...."How about the catch by DeVonta."
Just like that a thousand or so fans saw our future. It looked bright. It almost felt like the nail that put 2020 behind us. We can look forward. We do have a foundation to build upon. We just me be good again real soon. It felt good to see something positive for the Birds. It left me wanting more!
Notes from camp:
Coach Siranni runs a crisp practices, he moves from position to position, always seems like he is teaching. The practice has a lot of energy.
QB turned TE Tyree Jackson is HUGE, listed as 6'7" he stood taller that Jordan Mialata standing side by side. Jackson will have a tough time making the 53 man roster, but if he can make the transition he has all the tools to be an excellent Tight End.
With Alex Singleton starting camp on the Covid 19 list, 2nd year linebacker Davion Taylor received a lot of reps with the 1st team defense. He is by far the fastest of the Eagles linebacker, lots of raw talent. He could be the surprise of camp... I will write up a little more later on Taylor
Starting Right Guard Brandon Brooks entered the medical tent in the first 10 minutes of practice, after about 20 minutes of being evaluated he left for the locker room. Not a good sign early in camp.
Photo Credit: Glenn Erby