Good morning, Eagles fans! Welcome to the first "live" day of Training Camp! The expectation for today is for things to get much more physical and intense on the field. Practice will begin at 9:15 a.m. and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will speak to the media at 11:35 a.m. Both events will be livestreamed here and on our social media platforms. Before tackling the day, let's recap what happened on Monday.
1. Practice Notes: DeSean Jackson takes flight
The players kicked off the first full week of Training Camp with a padded practice Monday at the NovaCare Complex. Fran Duffy, Ben Fennell, and Chris McPherson offered 20 takeaways from the session.
Here's one from Fran: A 7-on-7 period was up next, and the second snap may have been my favorite play of the day. DeSean Jackson lined up in the slot and ran a deep corner route. (Carson) Wentz hit him perfectly in stride about 40 yards downfield, perfectly placing the football over the defender, only where DeSean could get it. It was the first huge hookup of the day for those two, and as DeSean sprinted to the sideline, he ran through a crowd of fans. One fan, in particular, was there to greet him. I had the pleasure of watching a chunk of practice alongside Ethan, who wowed me with his knowledge of both the team and the players. As he called out formations and tried predicting playcalls and who would get the ball, I couldn't help but compliment both he and his father, Jeff. Watching DeSean come off the field after a huge play and high-five Ethan was probably my favorite moment of the morning.
2. Observations, notes, and news early in Training Camp
Tuesday will be the first "live" period of practice which means the physicality and hard-hitting plays will increase as players will be tackled to the ground. Dave Spadaro dives into what has happened up to this point, with nine big-picture takeaways.
"The work in offensive line/defensive line one-on-one drills is fascinating to watch because there are so many dynamics at work. So let's focus on some of the young guys. On the defensive side, players like Shareef Miller, Joe Ostman, and Daeshon Hall take some reps and come off the ball fast and transition from speed to power in an impressive fashion. And then you see offensive tackles like Jordan Mailata and top draft pick Andre Dillard move their feet and look so athletic and use their leverage well and stone the pass rush. It's a great watch every day in practice." – Dave Spadaro
3. Orlando Scandrick eager to make his mark in Philadelphia
The newest Eagle, Orlando Scandrick, entered practice Monday with excitement and a purpose. The 12-year veteran signed with the Eagles on Saturday and wants to get back in a competitive environment as soon as possible. Aside from wanting to help the Eagles win, Scandrick is thrilled to be on the same team as his childhood friend DeSean Jackson. This two grew up together in the football world, but this is the first time they will be on the same team. Check out what Scandrick and Jackson had to say about being reunited.
"Great friends since childhood," Scandrick said. "So, when this was coming down, we kind of talked about it. I stressed that I would like to play with him. We have never got the chance to play together and we've known each other since we were seven, eight years old. I'm really looking forward to that."
4. Ray Didinger's award-winning play, Tommy and Me, returns to Philadelphia
Tommy and Me, the award-winning play about Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Tommy McDonald, is coming back for a fourth summer engagement. There will be 19 performances at the Fringe Arts Theatre on Columbus Boulevard. The play opens on Friday, August 9 and runs through Sunday, August 25.
The play is produced by Theatre Exile. It was written by Ray Didinger, the author of Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition, and it is directed by Joe Canuso. The four actors are Tom Teti, who played the older Tommy McDonald; Frank Nardi, Jr., who plays young Tommy; Matt Pfeiffer, who plays Ray, and Simon Kiley, who plays Ray as the little boy who befriends McDonald at Eagles Training Camp in 1957. For ticket information, go to theatreexile.org.
