2020 Eagles training camp observations day 2: let’s talk about Jalen Hurts legs

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The Eagles were back for Day 2 in the pads and they are starting to move up here as training camp continues.

The first day was a lighter 10-10-10 practice, but the day was definitely more competitive.

I went through the mandatory temperature control to go into practice with a 97.8 today after 98.9 yesterday. A cool morning for me.

Let’s move on to the observations:

1. As always, let’s start with injuries. Derek Barnett and Javon Hargrave were still not practicing. Their injuries are more serious, although they would have a good shot to be ready for the opener.

There was good news on Tuesday as Jason Peters (lower body), JJ Arcega-Whiteside (lower body) and Duke Riley (illness) all returned to training. Peters and Arcega-Whiteside were limited and did not do any team exercises. Peters was involved in the group’s period of settling into the right guard.

Riley looked like a full participant.

It was also a veteran maintenance day for Jason Kelce, DeSean Jackson and Malik Jackson.

2. A few depth chart notes:

• Without Kelce and Peters, the Eagles’ first team offensive line looked like this (left to right): Andre Dillard, Matt Pryor, Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, Lane Johnson. It’s interesting that the Eagles chose to have Pryor work on the left guard instead of the right. I guess they are making contingency plans.

• Without Jackson and JJAW, the top receivers were Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward and Deontay Burnett. Reagor gets starting rehearsals, but they also limit him because of how much he plays in special teams.

• In defense, Avonte Maddox was CB2 for the second consecutive day. Jim Schwartz always claims it’s a competition, but it looks like that job is up to Maddox to lose.

• At the start of training, the guys returning from the kicks were: Reagor, Boston Scott, Marcus Green, Quez Watkins and Adrian Killins Jr.

3. In the first two days of training we saw Jalen Hurts get a ton of reps as a third-string quarterback and he even had second-string reps at times against Nate Sudfeld. It’s a big change from last year, when third rookie Clayton Thorson barely made it onto the pitch.

And Hurts is clearly an electric player. He made some great throws early in camp, but his running ability stands out even more. On Tuesday he showed his legs in the red zone.

In a red zone / goal line period, Hurts has shown his legs on four straight games. The first was a sprint to the right and he was able to enter the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The second play he sprinted to the right, cut inside to miss a guy and scored a touchdown. The third game he escaped to the right, rolled, then sprinted into the end zone. And on the final play, he rolled right like he was going to throw it, but then threw a perfect pass to Josh Perkins for a touchdown.

It’s a weapon there.

4. During 11v11, Wentz punched Zach Ertz in the seam for a huge play that felt like a touchdown. But… in a real match, Avonte Maddox would have had the opportunity to hit Ertz. The ball hung in the air and Maddox straightened up before hitting it.

Maddox joked after practice that if it was someone else he might have delivered a blow. He said Ertz was too important and they had to keep each other healthy.

5. We saw a few interceptions today: two for Wentz and one for Hurts.

• The Hurts intercept was a bullet he flew over a receiver and fellow rookie K’Von Wallace sat down and fell to retrieve it. Nice job from Wallace to watch it and do the play.

• Wentz’s first INT was not his fault. He threw a catchable ball at Corey Clement, but it hit Clement in the hands and appeared to Nathan Gerry, who caught it the other way around for a pick-6.

• Wentz’s second INT came after a blitz. He tried to get rid of the ball, but instead Jalen Mills read the entire game and took it off. He took it on the left sideline. But give Wentz credit; he found it.

It wasn’t Wentz’s best day. In fact, after a scrapping, he threw away his helmet in disgust.

6. Yesterday we talked about Reagor’s explosiveness but I don’t want people to think he is just a deep threat. In fact, he dropped a deep bullet that he probably should have had on Tuesday.

But we also see him working well in these short and middle fields. Everyone has made a big deal about Reagor’s 40 times on the combine, when he inexplicably showed up at 207 pounds, but we haven’t talked enough about his 3-cone drill. He ran the 3-cone in 7.31 seconds, which places him in the 5th percentile among receivers. But already, we can see him working in smaller spaces and he understands how to use his body in small spaces. We have seen it today in individual exercises.

7. TJ Edwards today made the type of play that really explains why the coaching staff love him so much. He might not be the fastest or most athletic linebacker, but his instincts are great. The Eagles put on a cool game of misdirection that started with Wentz sprinting to the right and sending a screen back to the left side of the field. But Edwards recognized it and was there to detonate it.

8. Perhaps the best catch of the day came from Deontay Burnett, who was sort of the forgotten catcher of the peloton. In the red zone, Wentz sprinted forward and launched a rocket at a Burnett diving deep in the end zone. During the first two days, Burnett did a few plays. The big problem for him is that the Eagles drafted three receivers, but he has an outside chance to stay on the 53-man roster and a really good shot to make it up to the practice squad.

9. It’s pretty cool to see Connor Barwin and Darren Sproles, both now front office staff, helping to coach the players on the pitch. Tons of experience there.

ten. Two days of training, two big wins for rookie linebacker Shaun Bradley. On Day 1, he beat Dallas Goedert, sending the tight end to his back. Today he knocked out Burnett in the penultimate play of the day. The blow sent the defense wild, to the point where Doug Pederson had to sideline these guys.

11. The last play of the day was a beauty. Wentz dropped a handsome penny to a Hightower streaking for a touchdown before the final whistle.

12. Some chances and end of cornerback: I thought Sidney Jones had not had a good day. I was beaten a few times and missed a chance at what would have been a great INT… But Rasul Douglas made a few plays; he was especially physical on a rep against Hightower … I watched WR vs. DB 1-on-1 today instead of OL vs. DL … Cre’Von LeBlanc was really tough with the receivers of machines at under inside … I also saw a 7- over 7s game, where Darius Slay was on a rookie (forget which one) and tried to bait the QB in a pitch, but Sudfeld didn’t took the bait. A savvy Slay veteran.

Stupid observation of the day: Don’t expect Reagor to be taking quarterback reps anytime soon. He tried to throw the ball for a long time today, missed and hit Ertz in the helmet. Doh.

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