Training Camp Continues As The Birds And The Patriots Meet This Week. What Are The Top Takeaways From The Eagles Joint Practices With The Team?
The Eagles joint practices kicked off this week against the Patriots. This is an interesting time in the offseason as teams start to test their metal against other rosters for the first time in the new season. The work put in this week culminates in a preseason matchup tonight at 7 p.m.
So, how have the Eagles been faring so far this week against the Pats in practice? Should fans expect a strong showing against them or are there areas of improvement?
The Birds Looked Strong
One of the biggest sighs of relief for the birds is that cornerback Cooper DeJean, who was expected to miss extended time with a hamstring injury, returned to practice, per Eagles Wire. This is a strong reason for fans to be optimistic. The team has high hopes for the rookie corner. The Eagles drafted him in the second round with the expectation that he will help lead the teams secondary in the future along side fellow first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell. DeJean’s return also begs the question, who gets pushed out in the secondary? Guys like Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo made strong impressions to start camp and look to be potential starters.
Does a guy like James Bradberry become the odd man out? We’ll have to wait and see. The report mentioned other continual points like Jalen Hurts still looking sharp and DeVonta Smtih putting on a “route running clinic,” but there were other key points of optimism, too.
Kellen Moore was showing a lot of pre-snap motion in his plays. This was a common criticism of the offense last year that seems to be improving. The linebacking core also surged, with Nakobe Dean starting to earn first-team reps after a solid preseason effort against the Ravens. However, the most dominating point was the defensive line.
According to Eagles Wire, the Eagles recorded seven sacks on Jacoby Brissett and four stuffed runs from a tweet made by Phil Perry. This pressure also caused costly throws which Brissett throwing two picks.
As For The Patriots?
As the previous section alludes to, there wasn’t much to smile about for the Patriots. The offensive line struggled all practice and The Providence Journal reported that “(Drake) Maye struggled to even get off a pass,” and that it was “an absolute disaster” for the young quarterback.
However, it wasn’t all bad. The report suggests while the whole of the practice was a struggle for the offense, Maye excelled when he actually had time to throw. He started the practice going 9-9 on passes, and the defense competed as well. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez had a slow start, especially covering wide receiver A.J. Brown, but rebounded in the second half of practice and “shut things down” in the second half.
Another thing the article points to is that this is a rebuilding year for the Pats at the end of the day. It’s just that that doesn’t make things easier to watch in the short term. If things remain consistent, the preseason matchup should be a strong showing for the Eagles roster.
Main Image: Brian Fluharty – USA Today Sports
