Eagles training camp notes: Young player's bad summer has become a nightmare. Can he recover?
With the regular season almost two weeks away, things are becoming clear.
Here are NJ Advance Media's five takeaways from Tuesday's practice:
Nothing is final as of now, but a front runner has emerged at the Eagles' second cornerback spot.
For the second straight day, Adoree' Jackson received the starting nod, and he helped his case by playing well. He had good coverage on undrafted free agent Darius Cooper near the left sideline, which forced quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw the ball out of bounds. He also had a couple of PBUs.
Jackson's name didn't appear in my notes very often for a positive reason. He was steady in coverage throughout practice and looks to be the team's most reliable No. 2 CB option.
Jackson has not played great during training camp, but he has outplayed Kelee Ringo.
Nobody has had a worst outcome than Ringo, who began today with the third-team defense and later received reps with the 2's.
Once considered the favorite to start, Ringo might be out of the running now.
He didn't receive first-team snaps for the second consecutive practice and has seemingly been demoted.
He also practiced during the developmental period — not a good sign. On one of the last plays, Elijah Cooks beat Ringo toward the sideline for a catch.
The Eagles must be disappointed with the third-year cornerback.
Jackson has to hold off Jakorian Bennett for CB2, but he has the slight advantage because he's been in the defense longer. But once Bennett feels comfortable — the former Raiders cornerback was traded to the Eagles two weeks ago — he could become the starter. The Eagles gave Bennett first-team reps in red-zone drills.
Bennett could raise the ceiling of the defense, but Jackson is the safer choice.
Don't forget about Mac McWilliams. He might not beat out Jackson and/or Bennett, but the Eagles could turn to him at some point. The fifth-rounder sacked quarterback Kyle McCord on a blitz.
Second-year slot CB Cooper DeJean could play on the boundary in base looks. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio put him on the outside in consecutive days.
We are at the point of the year where it's better to be safe than sorry. The Eagles are taking a cautious approach with their injured players (there are many).
Eagles WR A.J. Brown (hamstring), CB Tariq Castro-Fields (hamstring), S Lewis Cine (groin), OG Landon Dickerson (knee) and CB Brandon Johnson (groin) missed practice again. OT Jordan Mailata (concussion), backup QB Tanner McKee (finger) and DeVonta Smith (groin) suffered new injuries and were out. Tight end Dallas Goedert (groin) was also limited.
McKee's finger injury doesn't need surgery, but it's not clear when he will return. A long-term absence would be concerning.
It's important that Brown, Smith, Goedert, Mailata, Dickerson and McKee are available for most of the season.
The injuries piled on during today's practice. Rookie safety Drew Mukuba appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during an individual drill and never returned to practice. Second-year wide receiver Johnny Wilson got rolled up during a team drill and couldn't put pressure on his left foot. He was later carted inside.
The new Eagles wide receiver caught McCord's pass over the middle for a large gain and later caught a quick throw from Hurts.
Metchie's short-area quickness is a plus. He could be a solid possession WR for the Eagles' offense this season and might grew into more. With Wilson down, the Eagles need Metchie to step up. He had one bad drop during practice but was good otherwise.
On more than a few occasions, the rookie linebacker tackled Philadelphia's RBs for short gains. He matched the speed of Saquon Barkley — most NFL linebackers can't do that. The first-rounder from Alabama shut down running lanes on runs from Barkley and Will Shipley, and he quickly got out to the perimeter on passes. Campbell is grasping Fangio's scheme and seems ready for a big role
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter batted down Hurts' pass during a team drill and wagged his finger to celebrate. Jeremiah Trotter. Jr blew up a shovel pass to Barkley, and backup safety Tristin McCollum ended practice with an interception on McCord.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele may be reached at CSteele@njadvancemedia.com
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