Seven takeaways from Eagles minicamp: Offense remains a force, Tyler Steen a front-runner, and more

New York Times

a day ago

PHILADELPHIA — The summer has officially arrived. After six workouts during OTAs, the Eagles fielded perfect attendance in their one-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. The reigning Super Bowl champions will break for just over a month before training camp begins in late July, kick-starting the official beginning of their title defense.
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A series of important questions awaits a franchise seeking to extend its golden era. Nick Sirianni, whose contract was recently extended, oversees a coaching staff managing two major transitions. First-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is still fleshing out his first system with a pool of assistants that includes new-hires Parks Frazier and Scot Loeffler. Vic Fangio, who's entering his 22nd season as an NFL defensive coordinator, is still sorting out those who'll replace eight key members of a top-rated defense that helped win the city's second Super Bowl.
Tuesday's viewing of minicamp afforded indications of the answers. In a numbered sequence, here are my takeaways from the final look at the Eagles before the summer begins.
1. The Eagles offense appears empowered by its roster stability. Charting completions and yards per rush is a fruitless exercise in May and June. That Jalen Hurts led a smooth operation throughout workouts is as promising a sign as the Eagles can expect, given the uncharted portions of Patullo's playbook. Hurts said Tuesday that it's 'too early' yet for him to have even spoken to Patullo about the way he intends to call plays in 2025. The Eagles are 'far from what we're going to be' in terms of their offensive identity, Hurts said. But the core elements are clear. Saquon Barkley at age 28 still embodies the strength of what has been a run-oriented attack, and, as if not to be forgotten, Hurts unfurled a long touchdown to DeVonta Smith along the left sideline (with rookie linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. chasing) during Tuesday's 7-on-7 drills to demonstrate the potency that still remains in the passing game. The only apparent hiccups were in the offense's roster holes. Right guard is the only position without a returning starter, and starting center Cam Jurgens is still sidelined while recovering from offseason back surgery. During team situation drills, backup center Brett Toth skipped a snap to Hurts, killing the play, and, on the first-team rep, right guard Tyler Steen was flagged for a false start. The seniority of this unit suggests it will remain a substantial force.
2. Speaking of Tyler Steen… It's evident Steen is the front-runner to start at right guard for yet a second summer. He was the first-team right guard throughout OTAs and in minicamp. Will Steen hold onto the job this time? I asked two-time All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson what he's seen from Steen this offseason, and Johnson was quite complimentary of how much Steen has developed, particularly with his strength. 'He's just a physically gifted dude, man,' Johnson said. 'He's a lot stronger than what he was when he first arrived. So, I think his playing strength is starting to show, and I know he's ready for camp to start. And yeah, man, he's just been putting in work, and I think you've seen traits of him where he can be a dominating player.' Johnson has started beside 10 different right guards in the last five seasons. Steen, a 2023 third-round pick, has started in two games next to Johnson. Steen's top competition appears to be Matt Pryor, who started in five games next to Johnson in 2020. Pryor took second-team snaps at right guard on Tuesday. Kenyon Green, the player portion of the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade package, has been taking third-team snaps at left guard — his primary position with the Houston Texans. Training camp will reveal more about how much further Green has to go.
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3. Kelee Ringo finished the offseason with a strong practice. The Eagles entered the offseason knowing they'd need a succession plan for parting with Darius Slay, and their subsequent low-investment additions at cornerback, plus Fangio's hybrid plan to keep Cooper DeJean at nickel, underlines how the organization has confidence that Ringo can become a competent option opposite Quinyon Mitchell (in non-base packages). Ringo was the first-team outside cornerback in 7-on-7 and team drills on Tuesday — his most flashy workout of the offseason. Ringo held his own while isolated against A.J. Brown during a team-drill rep; Hurts checked down to Barkley. Later, working with the second-team defense during team situation drills, broke up two passes: one intended for Danny Gray, the other for Terrace Marshall. Ringo has long possessed the physical traits to be a quality NFL cornerback. It's too soon to suggest he's acquired a proper grasp of the techniques required to play in Fangio's defense. But his offseason performance, particularly on Tuesday, offers promise. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles handle a summer in which veteran cornerbacks such as Jaire Alexander and Jalen Ramsey could hit the market.
4. Drew Mukuba was deployed in dime for the first time. The Eagles have been fairly emphatic about how they view Mukuba foremost as a safety. Indeed, he played his best collegiate football at Texas while playing free safety, and he was the ACC's rookie of the year while playing safety as a true freshman at Clemson. It's not hard to understand why the Eagles wouldn't spend a second-round pick on Mukuba only to start him out at nickel, the position in which his trajectory flatlined during his sophomore and junior seasons. But those two years of experience still factored into the front office's decision to pick Mukuba. The departure of Avonte Maddox hasn't been a major storyline this offseason. Cut last offseason, re-signed to a team-friendly, one-year deal, Maddox still supplied 345 defensive snaps for the Eagles in 2024 — often as the team's second slot corner in dime packages. Mukuba played dime for the first time on Tuesday. It's notable that Sydney Brown, one of Mukuba's competitors in the safety battle, was paired with Reed Blankenship at safety during those reps. It signals that the Eagles believe in Mukuba's coverage skills more, at least in slot matchups. It also revealed how much flexibility the newest members of the secondary are affording Fangio in 2025. DeJean to corner in base? Mukuba to the slot in dime?
5. Jihaad Campbell wore a helmet during individual drills for the first time. This was a notable sign for the No. 31 overall pick, who has been gradually increasing his workload since undergoing pre-draft labrum surgery. He still hasn't yet participated in 7-on-7 or team drills, but he'd only before observed individual drills during OTAs. Tuesday didn't suggest that Campbell is ahead of schedule in his recovery. (Fangio said last week that Campbell 'won't hit the practice field' until 'sometime in August'; Sirianni wouldn't offer a timeline on Tuesday.) But it's important to discuss how Campbell's recovery is different from DeJean's last year. DeJean, drafted as a corner, suffered a hamstring injury while working out in the summer, and returned Aug. 13 on a learning track that took him until Week 6 to start at nickel — 'a drastically different position' from outside corner, according to Fangio. Campbell's focus has only been at inside linebacker. Fangio also said he's personally taken Campbell to the side to do individual drills, 'that's suited to what he can do right now.' Linebacker, of course, is a complex position, especially if Campbell is to fill in for Nakobe Dean as the defense's Mike. There's also no substitute for reps, of which Campbell is projected to miss at least July's portion. But how quickly can Campbell acclimate himself after being given a full summer to mentally absorb Fangio's system? Sooner than Week 6?
6. Trevor Keegan was taking snaps at center during individual drills. The right guard battle is crowded. Steen. Pryor. Green. The Eagles also added Hollin Pierce as an undrafted free agent; the 6-8, 341-pound Rutgers product has been seeing time at right guard with the third-team offense. Keegan's Tuesday work at center during individual drills shows how he can solidify his spot on the 53-man roster. He's a 2024 fifth-round pick who spent almost the entirety of his rookie season inactive. (He had 35 snaps in his Week 18 debut against the New York Giants.) Steen is the apparent front-runner at right guard, and Pryor offers the Eagles versatility as a seventh-year veteran who can also play offensive tackle. What else can Keegan add as a reserve lineman? Long-time position coach Jeff Stoutland regularly cross-trains his linemen. While not new in general, it's interesting involving Keegan. Three-time Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson has been Philadelphia's backup center. Could Keegan distinguish himself from other linemen, like Brett Toth, and offer reliability behind Jurgens?
7. Do the Eagles have a No. 4 WR? The Eagles may be weary of the years-long discourse about whether they've secured a No. 3 wide receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. General manager Howie Roseman increased depth by acquiring Jahan Dotson in a training camp trade last year. Dotson, who had 19 catches and 216 yards in 2024, has an opportunity to silence the WR3 discussion after his first full offseason in Philadelphia. Tuesday offered a glimpse at another opportunity that might supply the Eagles with a new wrinkle in their 2025 system.
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During 11-on-11 drills with the first-team offense, Terrace Marshall, who signed a one-year, $1.05 million deal in the offseason, caught a short crosser with DeJean in coverage and sprinted for an explosive gain. Later, during 7-on-7s, Marshall hauled in a long completion against Adoree' Jackson, who's competing with Ringo for the starting job at outside cornerback. Both plays reflected why Marshall, 25, was chosen by the Carolina Panthers No. 59 overall in 2021. He'd come to prominence during LSU's 2019 national championship season as Joe Burrow's third option behind Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Marshall's 731 yards in seven games during a COVID-shortened 2020 season suggested he might capture some of the success Chase and Jefferson have since secured in the NFL.
The Panthers were dreadful while Marshall failed to find his footing during his three-year tenure there, and, after they cut him in training camp last year, he saw nominal playing time after finding work with the Las Vegas Raiders in October. Can Marshall revamp his career in Philly? DeVonta Smith, an Amite, La., native who grew up playing 7-on-7 with Marshall, said Marshall's big frame (6-2, 200 pounds) adds 'versatility' to their room. Can Marshall afford the Eagles more than one reliable backup (which the Eagles have needed with both Smith and Brown managing injuries in each of the last two seasons)?