Play of the Day

Jalen Hurts' best throw of the day came in the third team session as he found Dallas Goedert on a deep corner route for a touchdown. Hurts showed good touch to Goedert on a throw over the shoulder, leading him to the pylon for a score. Goedert's speed showed up on that play as he got on top of the linebackers and ran away from the defense in the process.

Position Spotlight: Cornerback

As Training Camp opened, news broke that second-round draft pick Cooper DeJean would miss some time with a hamstring injury (he has been placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury List), a setback for a player who the Eagles believe has a chance to impact the cornerback position in his first season. As DeJean works his way back from the injury, the coaches will have plenty of reps to go around to a very deep and talented room.

Head Coach Nick Sirianni and Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman made it clear that the competition is open and that is how the team would proceed. Pro Bowl standout Darius Slay is a clear-cut favorite to start on one side, and second-year man Kelee Ringo is taking reps with the 1's on the other side with veteran Avonte Maddox inside at the nickel position.

Of course, everything is fluid. The Eagles are going to take a long, long look at first-round draft pick Quinyon Mitchell and evaluate every step of his development, and they have a group of second-year players who are expected to take the next step forward in their careers – Eli Ricks, Mario Goodrich, and Mekhi Garner. Josh Jobe, an outstanding special teams player along with a developing young cornerback, is here to compete, as is Zech McPhearson, healthy after missing last season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Then there is the case of Isaiah Rodgers, on the field after missing last season due to an NFL suspension for violating the league's gambling policy. Rodgers had a stellar spring and is very much in the 53-man roster mix, competing with Ringo for the starting spot opposite of Slay.

Tyler Hall signed in free agency to compete at the nickel position and James Bradberry is set to take more reps at safety to show off his versatility in an ever-changing secondary.

Did You Know?

There were 55 credentialed media on hand for the first day of Eagles Training Camp at the NovaCare Complex.

Fran Duffy's Key Takeaways from the Field

• As the team took the field for the first practice of the summer, I had my eyes on the defensive front. This is a group experiencing a bit of a transition after the departures of productive veterans Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick. One thing that stands out is the length of the edge rushers. We know about Josh Sweat's arm length (34 5/8"), but it doesn't end there. Even players who are a bit shorter than Sweat, like Bryce Huff or Nolan Smith, have impressive wingspans. Rookie Jalyx Hunt looks like a pterodactyl.

• The entire team gathers for its first 11-on-11 action of camp, and the entire media corps is scrambling to take note of who is lining up with the first team. Landon Dickerson is not practicing due to a toe laceration, so Mekhi Becton is at left guard with second-year man Tyler Steen working opposite him on the right side of center Cam Jurgens. Parris Campbell manned the third receiver spot for the majority of the morning. Up front, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams worked together in the base defense. The linebackers rotated with the first-team unit throughout the session, with Devin White, Zack Baun, and Nakobe Dean all getting first-team snaps in multiple different combinations. The same type of rotation could be found at the right cornerback spot, where Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo took turns manning that role on Day 1 on the other side of Darius Slay.

• While certain things change from year to year, there are always others that you can count on to stay the same. Take, for instance, Brandon Graham. Entering his likely final season in the NFL, the veteran took the field with the second-team defense, and as he ran out onto the field for his first snap of camp, he looked over at the opposing sideline and began barking right away. Known as one of the most active and effective trash talkers in the league, Graham was up to his old tricks as practice began.

• Saquon Barkley was an active participant in his first practice in front of fans, catching several balls from Jalen Hurts in the flat and breaking off a couple of runs over the course of the morning. On his final snap of the first team period, Barkley caught a checkdown from Hurts in the flat and ran down the sideline, drawing applause from those in attendance that were excited to see one of the biggest signings in the NFL this offseason.

• Kenny Pickett had an impressive throw in the first team period, threading the needle to Grant Calcaterra on a deep crossing route in tight coverage. Pickett got the majority of the second-team reps on offense behind Jalen Hurts, working with second-year quarterback Tanner McKee as well. Pickett, who grew up an Eagles fan in South Jersey, drew loud applause after the pinpoint pass.

• Parris Campbell ran some sharp routes in team sessions, snapping off breaks and creating separate from whatever corner was lined up across from him. Campbell's ability to line up both inside and outside allows for guys like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to move around the formation, so creating that separation on those reps was important to see.

• In 7-on-7 action, the best defensive play came courtesy of Zack Baun, who had an impressive PBU against tight end C.J. Uzomah in the intermediate middle of the field between the hash marks.

• Rookie undrafted tight end McCallan Castles flashed a bit in his first Training Camp practice in the NFL. The rookie from Tennessee is built like your prototypical H-back, listed at 6-4, 250 pounds, but he showed some juice late in the 7-on-7 period running away from the defense on a route along the far sideline. Castles had a catch later in the morning as well.

• In the second period of 11-on-11 action of the day, the two sides traded exciting plays. The defense chased down a jet sweep in the flat for a potential loss on the second snap of the period, and the defense enjoyed that play. With the energy level raised on that side, the offense had to bounce back, and they did just that. Hurts kept an option run, faking out the defender in the hole and running through the first level of the defense into the open field. The offense, and the fans in attendance, thoroughly enjoyed that play.

• Jalyx Hunt's movement skills flashed in a big way to me on the sideline. A high-cut edge rusher with long arms and legs, Hunt is extremely explosive off the ball. He made a play in the run game on the back side where he pressed the tight end and found the ball. Soon after, he was unblocked on the back side of a pass play and FLEW into the backfield for what would have been a sack in a game. Pickett is lucky that was not live action.

• Devin White's speed and range showed up multiple times on Wednesday morning. There's no question this guy can still run, and he's such a thick, dense athlete that if he meets a ballcarrier in the hole it will result in a big collision. On one play, both he and Barkley were 1-on-1 in the run game and, if it were live action, it would have been worth the price of admission. I'm excited to see those guys go toe-to-toe throughout the summer in drills.

Injury Update

The Eagles announced that three players – tackle Gottlieb Ayedze, wide receiver Shaquan Davis, and defensive back Cooper DeJean – will start Training Camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list, while safety Sydney Brown begins on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered late in the 2023 regular season.

In addition, guard Landon Dickerson did not practice due to a toe laceration and tackle/guard Brett Toth missed practice with a hamstring injury. Neither injury was considered serious enough to enter Training Camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.

Like Peanut Butter and Jelly?

WR A.J. Brown on how it works with fellow WR DeVonta Smith: "We have a special group who cares about each other. Me and DeVonta, we're peanut butter and jelly. Really good friends – not even friends, we're like family. My success is his success, his success is my success. We're happy for one another. We know we're going to get taken care of at the end of the day and we look at it as competition, too. Whoever gets the ball, whoever gets going, we feed off that energy. I can't speak on anyone else's (around the league) and I'm not, but I'm happy to have a partner like that alongside of me who pushes me, who is selfless."

Ready for the Journey

QB Jalen Hurts on the beginning of his fourth season as the starter: "You go through an offseason and put a lot of work in, and I think all the things that we went through last year, all the opportunity we had last year, everybody's hungry. Everybody's hungry. There is a ton of opportunity in front of us this year. I'm excited to be back. I'm excited to go through this journey and go through this season with everyone here – everyone. I truly, truly trust Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie, I trust Howie (Roseman), I trust Coach (Nick) Sirianni to lead us in the right direction. I know there are different roles in place. Everybody has different responsibilities. There may be more demands from some than others, but I think to win championships, to be the team we want to be, everyone has to buy into their role and everyone has to be fully committed to doing their part and helping the team. So, I'm excited to go on that journey."

Saquon Feeling like a Rookie All Over Again

RB Saquon Barkley reacts to his first Training Camp practice as an Eagle after six seasons with the rival Giants: "Everything's different, it's like I'm a rookie, you know, I'm asking BG (Brandon Graham), I'm like where are the families going to be at. My family isn't here today, but usually they come to all the practices, so I was like where the family gonna be at? You see how the fans are, in New York it was different they're (fans) in the stands and it was gated, they're (Eagles fans) really right there close and personal. It's different, the fields are different, everything's new to me so, come in, feel like a little kid, you know, first thing I said to A.J. (Brown) was I can't believe they pay us to do this, to come out here and play football."

From Big Play to Mentor

CB Darius Slay on the youth in the cornerback room: "Just try to get better every day, one percent, and then make sure they are still enjoying the game. I always try to make sure they have fun and are enjoying it, but also remembering this is your job. Once it's not fun no more that's when you stop putting the work in, so I always told them enjoy this game, I'm here to teach you everything I know and I hope each and every one of them succeed, so that's the goal for me, just make sure I lead these guys in the right direction to be successful in this league."