Position Spotlight: Linebacker

There is a tendency, even at this early point in the summer, to anticipate how things are going to play out at the linebacker position for the Eagles, but here is the reminder: The pads haven't yet gone on (that starts on Tuesday) and there hasn't been a lick of "live" action and full-on tackling (look for that in the preseason games).

So ... it's still very much a wait-and-see proposition for the linebackers, a position that appears to be on the verge of a real facelift for the 2024 season. If it seems to be developing late, understand the process: Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio continues to implement the scheme, so the learning phase continues.

"I really like his scheme," Zack Baun said. "Like I said in the spring, a lot of similar things to what I did in college, and it protects guys in a lot of different areas and also allows a lot of guys to do a lot of different things and disguise coverage and you don't really know what we're doing."

That echoes what Devin White said, indicating that the feeling-out portion of the alignment continues as Fangio learns about his players and his players learn about the scheme.

"I'm very confident that Coach will put us in the best positions," said White, a veteran who played five seasons in Tampa Bay before joining the Eagles in free agency. "There is a lot of flexibility here and we're able to show what we can do. It's complex and we have a lot of players who can do a lot of things, so we're all going to play a part here."

The Eagles have rotated their first-team reps, primarily featuring combinations of Baun, White, and Nakobe Dean, who is healthy and hoping to have a breakout campaign in his third season. Oren Burks was a key special teams player and a starter for San Francisco in February's Super Bowl, so he's going to push for a role. Then there are younger players who will get plenty of time to show out in the preseason: Brandon Smith, Ben VanSumeren, and rookie draft pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Smith was a fourth-round pick by Carolina three seasons ago and spent 2022 there and then most of last season with the Eagles on the practice squad, with two elevations on gamedays. VanSumeren started last season on the practice squad and ended 2023 on the Eagles' active roster.

There is competition and there is opportunity. Once the pads go on and, most likely, once the preseason begins, we will get a clearer picture of the linebacker group and how it might play out. – Written by Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro

Fran Duffy's Key Takeaways

• For individual periods on Monday, I had my eye on the offensive line, which featured some new faces this morning. Lane Johnson (toe) and Tyler Steen (ankle) were out of practice, so the new-look right side had Fred Johnson at right tackle and Mekhi Becton at right guard. The group worked on various combo blocks for much of this period, working on precision with their timing and hand placement. The tackles and tight ends worked in one group while the interior linemen worked in another. Soon after, the guards and tackles worked in unison as the entire group continues to jell together.

• The first team period is underway and with some new faces up front on offense, the defense worked to take advantage. Jalen Carter got into the backfield on the very first snap for what would have likely been a sack of Jalen Hurts. Saquon Barkley was also not on the field on Monday (personal reasons), meaning that Will Shipley and Kenneth Gainwell split the first-team reps at running back.

• With Barkley out, both Shipley and Gainwell had the opportunity to shine in 7-on-7 action. Both backs came through. Shipley catches the first pass of the period from Hurts along the sideline before getting shoved out of bounds by Devin White, but he bounces back immediately on the next play and catches a perfectly placed wheel route down the near sideline for a huge gain. On the next rep, Hurts hit Gainwell on the same exact route for a touchdown. Hurts would hit Gainwell again underneath before finding A.J. Brown for a pair of receptions to end the first-team offense's set of plays in the session. Shipley got an additional rep with the second-team offense and won on a route from the backfield, carving up the linebacker in the process.

• The run game was featured heavily in the next period, an 11-on-11 session. Carter wrapped up Gainwell early on the first snap. Dallas Goedert was out in front blocking linebacker Zack Baun on a long Hurts run. Hurts came back the next snap and got a hand from Grant Calcaterra on the edge against Quinyon Mitchell. On the final play for the ones, Milton Williams got into the backfield for what would have likely been a sack of Hurts before the quarterback launched a deep throw to DeVonta Smith on a corner route for a touchdown over the shoulder.

• A brief break in the scripted action as the ones and twos each ran one play. Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a quick in-breaker for the first-team unit before James Bradberry nearly came up with the first interception of camp, jumping a Kenny Pickett throw and diving for the near pick.

• The interior defensive line continued to shine at the start of the next period with Carter, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams all getting penetration and disrupting plays. Davis joined up with Brandon Graham on a "sack" of Hurts that got blown dead, and then Hurts responded by hitting Smith along the right sideline with a frozen rope on the run. Nolan Smith also joined in on the party on consecutive snaps, showcasing tremendous bend to get pressure on Hurts.

Injury Update

• RB Saquon Barkley missed practice for personal reasons.

• LB Oren Burks missed practice with a knee injury.

• T Lane Johnson missed practice with a toe injury.

• G Tyler Steen missed practice with an ankle injury.

• T/G Brett Toth was a limited participant with a hamstring injury.

Nick Sirianni's Week 2 message: 'We have to be in great shape'

Nick Sirianni met with the media on Monday ahead of Week 2 of Training Camp at the NovaCare Complex. It was the first solo press conference of camp for Sirianni, who was joined by Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman ahead of the first practice last week.

The fourth-year coach gave praise to quarterback Jalen Hurts early in the press conference as the new-look offense continues to develop with four practices now under their belt.

"I think he's looked really sharp, he's been in complete command of the offense, you know, I've really liked some of the plays he has where it's not the, obviously you've seen him on the deep ball, the intermediate, the short passes, some of the ones that I really like is that there's a little bit it of a pressure, he slides his feet and he hits Saquon (Barkley) on a checkdown or Kenny (Gainwell) on a checkdown," Gainwell said.

"I think he's had a really good camp so far. I'm really excited for him to continue that, you know there's ebbs and flows of camp and he's been on the high end for the last four days, and so we're really excited about him and how he's looked so far."

Hurts has looked good early on in camp, playing very clean with few incompletions and not many missed throws. He's had a number of tight-rope tosses to DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, and as Sirianni mentioned, Hurts has made good use of his newest weapon Saquon Barkley, hitting him on quick checkdowns in open space throughout camp.

Both sides of the ball have had their moments throughout practices and the energy has been high.

Conditioning is a huge part of the Eagles' preparation for the season under Sirianni, with attention to detail being portrayed all around the field. At the end of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 reps, players run through the end zone no matter the result of the play. While that may seem like a small thing, it goes toward the values of the organization and wanting to become the best day in and day out.

"One thing that's really important to us is that we play with relentless effort and great toughness and with great detail. All those, you know, toughness, detail, those are part of our core values, and you can't play with relentless effort without being in great shape. You can't play with great detail without being in great shape. You can't have population to the football on defense where they're constantly running to the football without being in great shape, and so we've made a push there as far as doing some extra conditioning," the head coach said.

Outside of the emphasis on conditioning, Sirianni had high praise for this year's wide receiver unit, so much so that after beginning his sentence by saying "without going into detail of all the guys," he proceeded to name every single rostered receiver on the team and what they bring all within the same quote.

Sirianni called it "one of the best groups I've had one through 13 in my time in the NFL," with each player bringing a different set of skills that the Eagles are eager to see the way it shakes out.

Before circling back on the conditioning process to end, Sirianni spoke about the flexibility in the pass game with the running backs being used in different ways, noting that the main guys will still be the likes of Brown, Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

In regard to the James Bradberry safety switch, the head coach is excited for the new opportunity for the veteran.

"I'm excited for this opportunity. He's done some good things out on the field, he's really picked it up, and he's a really smart player," Sirianni said. "The depth chart, he's working with the twos right now, but you know, that's fluid. That can change and you're always going to need depth and there's always going to be competition, and so, I'm excited for this opportunity for him, and he's handled it great. He just wants to continue to contribute, and he still has the ability to do things at corner, so that versatility will play well for us in the secondary."

Getting back to the value of toughness, Sirianni pointed out guys like Patrick Johnson, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt who show a "relentless effort" on the field.

The best is still to come

Edge rusher Josh Sweat on why 2024 will be his best season after career highs of 75 pressures and 23 QB hits last year: "I know how I approach my offseason every year so I know I got better. I will be better. I added to the routine a little bit, maybe a little bit more recovery, body care. I got really focused on what I fell short on last year, just trying to work on that."

Setting the tone

Guard Landon Dickerson on conditioning and putting in extra work without the coaches: "There's been an emphasis on not only summer conditioning coming back in the best shape that we've been in, but also during practice where it's in between drives, at the end of drives ... running and finishing in the end zone, even now, you know, guys after practice out here working on little stuff whether it's running routes, extra conditioning, ball security stuff, catching balls.

"The emphasis is not really coming from the coaches at this point, like right now you see there's no coaches out here. This is all player stuff. It's just a mindset you know for the rest of the guys on the team. We understand it can't come from the coaches if we want to be great. It's got to start with us."

New guy, old school

Linebacker Nakobe Dean on Vic Fangio's coaching style: "He's old school, I feel like everybody loves him. Everybody loves his kind of straight-forward attitude, how he just tells you straight up if he liked that, if he didn't like it. It's not too much gray area with him if you ask him a question. That's what I like and that's what I've just been honing in and taking on his teaching, you know, he's been coaching longer than I've been alive."

An offseason of change

Linebacker Zack Baun on becoming a first-time father this offseason while adjusting to a new team: "I'd be lying if I said it was completely smooth. Having a baby, fresh newborn baby, and then moving three weeks after is not an easy task. But it's been a good transition for me, opened my eyes to a lot of new different things and opportunities. Obviously, having my son (Elian) is a big blessing and being here is a big blessing, so it's all good."