The first three days of Organized Team Activities afforded Andy Reid an opportunity to finally see the fruits of his offseason planning. How would the rookies integrate with the veterans? Would depth chart changes and position switches provide early signs of success? Does it look like Mike Kafka can hold down the backup quarterback position? Reid dished on those topics and more following Thursday's practice, adding that he expects Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, both absent this week from the voluntary workouts for separate reasons, to be here for next week's editions of the OTAs.
With Babin out, one of the more intriguing players on the practice field was 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham, who was afforded an opportunity to get reps with the first-team defense. Graham is fully healthy for the first time since tearing his ACL late in his rookie season, and the dividends look to be paying off.
"I think he's done well," said Reid. "It looks like he's in really good shape and there is zero effects of the knee right now. He's moving fast. I don't know if you'd call it a chip on your shoulder, but he wants to do well. He wants to prove that he's a quality NFL player and I think he's on a mission to do that."
Elsewhere on the defensive line, 2012 first-round pick Fletcher Cox got work with the first team, as did linebacker Mychal Kendricks. How did the rookies look in the defense?
"You've seen them – maybe not so much with the defensive line because they can't (make contact), but with a linebacker, you're able to see Kendricks make plays and cover people, which is good," said Reid. "This is really more of a passing camp than it is a running camp, so we're not in any team periods running the football."
One of Kendricks' fellow linebackers is DeMeco Ryans, who is back manning his preferred 4-3 middle linebacker role. When Ryans was first acquired, Reid pointed to his abilities as a leader. Have those qualities shined through already?
"Yeah, you can (see that)," said Reid. "We're throwing a ton of motions and shifts at him. He just has that calm about him. He's able to get everyone lined up, so getting that influence in there is a plus."
As for the all-important quarterback position, Reid was impressed with the third-year quarterback out of Northwestern.
"I think he has a better feel of the overall offense," Reid said of Kafka's growth since last summer's training camp, adding that he's received the second most reps among the quarterbacks. "He's been up here every day working, so it's just getting where people are placed and the timing down with different receivers. I'd tell you that with pretty much all the quarterbacks. We've got a wide variety of receivers out here, and obviously we're a timing and throwing offense. It's just a matter of getting his timing down."
Meanwhile, the rookie quarterback, third-round pick Nick Foles, has opened some eyes. Reid said he's been hard at work.
He's working on "lots of little things," said Reid. "He's completing balls and his completion percentage is way up there. He's doing a good job with that and knowing the limited amount that he knows right now. He's a smart kid and we're throwing a ton at him right now. We really like his attitude."
But with all that new information, the best phrase to come out of Reid's mouth for Eagles fans was a simple two-word statement: "No injuries."
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @EaglesInsider.