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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles camp opens with a notable shift on the offensive line
There isn't much of note that can be gauged from a training camp practice in July. The Philadelphia Eagles are in shorts. No one is wearing any pads. Contact is impermissible. That reminds us of something Nakobe Dean said last summer. "These T-shirts and shorts are cute, but we play football in pads". We are joking about some issues here. It is completely understandable why the NFL has its rules regarding these matters. Nothing is more important than player safety, nor should it be. However, this makes it more challenging to assess what we are witnessing. We were informed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio that Jihaad Campbell wouldn't practice until August. What should we gather from him being on the field for Philadelphia's first training camp practice? Can we collect any information if there are no pads and no contact? Then, there's the offensive line. Brett Toth is one of the players here who has been under Jeff Stoutland for the longest time, but he can't snap the football. Don't look now, but rookie fifth-rounder Drew Kendall is already taking snaps with the second team offense. It was only one practice. There's still so much to iron out, but that is worth noting. He lined up alongside Kendall Lamm, Matt Pryor, and Darian Kinnard. Toth lined up as the left guard with that same unit. We shouldn't be surprised. He's the only other center listed on the Eagles' preseason depth chart, alongside Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens. We'll have to see if he makes any significant contributions. This situation could mean anything—it may not matter at all, or it could have implications. One thing is for sure: it's definitely worth keeping an eye on. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles quietly reshuffle the line on first day of training camp
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Eagles training camp: Nakobe Dean placed on PUP, Jihaad Campbell returns
PHILADELPHIA — The first day of Eagles training camp was the manifestation of major developments, presumed and unpredicted. General manager Howie Roseman disclosed the first before even beginning his first news conference of the season: Nakobe Dean will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. If the Eagles needed more than rhetoric to remind themselves that 2025 will be its own challenge, Dean's official absence supplies something tangible. Advertisement Dean's sidelining isn't a surprise. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said in OTAs that his starting middle linebacker wouldn't 'be back any time soon' from the torn patellar tendon Dean suffered in the NFC wild-card round. A league source at the time said Dean could miss the start of the 2025 season while recovering. That the Eagles traded up a spot to draft Jihaad Campbell No. 31 overall solidified how the organization felt about its depth at the position entering the title defense. The lingering question was who would fill in for Dean — and for how long? A possible answer emerged Tuesday morning: Campbell practiced fully for the first time in Philadelphia. His return was ahead of schedule. The first-round pick out of Alabama was limited during OTAs while recovering from offseason labrum surgery, and Fangio said at the time that Campbell wouldn't 'hit the practice field' until 'sometime in August.' But there Campbell was, helmet donned, slapping dummies to the turf one arm at a time with a ferocity that suggests his left shoulder is in pristine condition. The benefit of Campbell's availability is evident. The former comparison to Cooper DeJean's timeline no longer applies. DeJean, who debuted as the team's starting nickel cornerback in Week 6 of last season, didn't return from his offseason hamstring injury until Aug. 13. Campbell was officially listed as limited in the team's practice report, but there didn't appear to be any restrictions for a phase that doesn't involve full contact. The rookie linebacker participated with the second-team defense in both seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills. The hurdles in the way of Campbell potentially starting in Week 1 aren't so much health-based anymore. Can he learn Fangio's defense? Can he be more effective than Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the second-year linebacker who played opposite Zack Baun with the first-team defense on Tuesday? 'You're gonna see him out there today,' Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of Campbell. 'It'll be fun to get him out there and start working with him. He looked like he had a great summer — excited to have him out there working.' Advertisement Campbell's 6-foot-3, 235 frame is considerable for a rookie. The strength and quickness that made him a top-10 player on the Eagles draft board set him apart during individual drills. In a drill that featured four standing dummies, Campbell slammed each one to the ground with alternating arms, then swarmed an assistant coach in a simulation of tearing a football loose from a quarterback. He later looked fluid in both coverage and run defense — although this first phase of training camp doesn't feature full pads or full contact. He spent the entirety of seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills at off-ball linebacker, but Campbell also worked with Jeremiah Washburn — who coaches the team's edge rushers — during Tuesday's practice. Roseman has resisted putting Campbell's role in a box from the start. The Eagles like Campbell's skills as a pass rusher, and it behooves them to start developing those skills even if Campbell is at first a fill-in for Dean. Even if Campbell eventually starts at off-ball linebacker, his distinct skills warrant a different usage of that position. The Eagles have resisted player comps, but it's not hard to imagine them eventually deploying Campbell in a versatile role in the likes of Micah Parsons and Andrew Van Ginkel. Tuesday was only the first view of what Campbell will become. Fangio disclosed in June his plan to keep DeJean at nickel and experiment shifting him to either cornerback or safety in base packages. DeJean only shifted to cornerback in base during OTAs. On Tuesday, DeJean only shifted to safety in base. It was the first sighting of the former second-round pick in that role. It's too soon to grade his play at the position. He was not challenged in the passing game, and the run game can't be properly evaluated until the Eagles are in full pads and conducting live drills. But Fangio is following through on his plan to keep one of his best defenders on the field at all times. DeJean played plenty in 2024; the Eagles played nickel at the league's third-highest rate last season (80.5 percent), according to TruMedia. It's a trend that will likely continue. But 19.5 percent is too many snaps for Fangio to not feature the defender who broke Super Bowl LIX open with a pick-six against Patrick Mahomes. Fangio has three preseason games to find an appropriate arrangement for DeJean. It's possible Fangio still experiments with DeJean at cornerback, the position he played as a unanimous All-American at Iowa before shifting to the slot in Philadelphia. The DeJean Experiment is now in full swing. Advertisement During OTAs, I wrote about the complications of DeJean's versatility. As I wrote then, the issue isn't what DeJean's secondary position will be. It's what his primary position remains to be and what Fangio's experimentation says about the strength of the rest of the secondary. It's arguable DeJean is the team's second-best cornerback; cornerbacks wouldn't be leaving the field in base packages if he weren't. So, it's noteworthy to monitor the position battle at the vacancy the Eagles created by releasing Darius Slay within a series of cost-cutting moves. Kelee Ringo opened team drills as the first-team cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell. He shifted to second-team cornerback during seven-on-sevens behind veteran signee Adoree' Jackson. Ringo had a rough day in coverage. During seven-on-seven drills with the second-team squads, backup quarterback Tanner McKee struck Terrace Marshall deep along the right sideline with Ringo giving chase. Later, in a fourth-and-5 situational drill featuring the first-team units, Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown down the left sideline with Ringo grappling for the football. McKee hit Marshall again on a medium-range throw to the sideline against Ringo in a subsequent team drill. One day won't define the position battle at cornerback. But Ringo, a fourth-round pick in 2023 who has the physical tools to become a starter in the NFL, must soon prove himself to be reliable. Mitchell remains dynamic. Hurts challenged the second-year cornerback on his fifth throw of seven-on-seven drills, unfurling a deep ball to Brown along the right sideline. Mitchell dislodged the ball just yards away from the pylon. Mitchell later defended a pass intended for Marshall during team drills at the end of practice. The defense's return to dominance in 2024 can be largely attributed to the secondary's dramatic improvement. The Eagles went from surrendering the league's third-most passes of 15-plus yards in 2023 to the fewest in 2024, per TruMedia. Breaches like those Ringo surrendered on Tuesday are what will lead the unit to regress. Starting defensive tackle Jalen Carter and recently acquired guard Kenyon Green did not practice Tuesday. Carter has a shoulder injury, according to the team; Green, a knee injury. Roseman had said Dean would be the only player not on the field. But it's my understanding that the Eagles are not concerned about Carter's or Green's status. Carter's role on the team is substantial. A runner-up for defensive rookie of the year in 2023, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024, Carter could establish himself as one of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen in 2025. The Eagles spent the offseason performing maintenance on their budget, partly in preparation for the contract extension they'll be cleared to negotiate with Carter once his third league season ends. Starting center Cam Jurgens returned to practice in a limited capacity on Tuesday. He'd missed OTAs while recovering from a procedure on the back injury that plagued him throughout the postseason. Jurgens fielded a low snap to Hurts during the second set of 11-on-11 drills, but he otherwise operated with apparent ease. Backup Brett Toth gave Jurgens a rest during a later period of 11-on-11 drills, but Jurgens returned the following series. Sydney Brown and second-round pick Drew Mukuba shared first-team snaps at safety opposite Reed Blankenship. Brown was deployed first and appeared to accumulate a majority share. Fangio has been reserved in his previous public assessments of Brown. The seven-time defensive coordinator noted at the time that he hadn't seen much of Brown at safety. Brown started in six games as a rookie under former defensive coordinator Sean Desai, and he missed the subsequent offseason recovering from an ACL injury that would sideline him until Week 7 of the 2024 season. Advertisement Still, it'd be presumptuous to say that Brown being deployed first in Tuesday's practice suggests he's the Week 1 starter. Rookies rarely begin training camp with first-team reps. That the Eagles picked Mukuba with the 64th pick demonstrated both the urgency they felt about the vacancy the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade created and the value they saw in Mukuba. The Eagles last chose a safety in the second round in 2011, when drafting Jaiquawn Jarrett at No. 54. At the very least, an early depth chart was revealed. Brown is, for now, the first safety out, with Mukuba rotating in. Tristin McCollum, whom Fangio notably included in the mix during OTAs, spent Tuesday with the second-team squad opposite either Brown or Mukuba. Tyler Steen started at right guard: This is no surprise. Steen was the first-team right guard during OTAs. He is the front-runner to start for yet a second summer. It is his best opportunity yet. The second-team offensive line was as follows: LT Kendall Lamm, LG Brett Toth, C Drew Kendall, RG Matt Pryor, RT Darian Kinnard. The third-team offensive line: LT Myles Hinton, LG Laekin Vakalahi, C Kendall, RG Trevor Keegan, RT Cameron Williams. Jordan Davis' stamina was notable: I don't think I saw Davis leave the field once during 11-on-11 drills with the first-team defense. Davis openly discussed his conditioning for the third straight offseason during OTAs. He said all the right things. But that time, he was backed by Fangio's confirmation. Fangio said he thought Davis was 'in the best shape that he's ever been in.' After a summer of further conditioning, Davis' stamina is now notable on the field. As with Carter, Fangio will likely keep Davis on the field as long as his endurance and efficiency allow. He played 37 percent of the defense's snaps during the 2024 regular season, 21 percent during the playoffs. Fangio's previous nose tackles had a higher range, between a 45 and 53 percent snap share. Can Davis reach that bar? Quote of the day, (Jordan Mailata on defending their Super Bowl title): 'We're not defending nothing. I hate hearing that. I think it (equates) to a Super Bowl hangover. And, yeah, I'm not trying to be hungover, man.' (Top photo of Jihaad Campbell, left, and Zack Baun: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
5 Philadelphia Eagles players to watch in 2025 training camp
The Philadelphia Eagles officially start the defense of their Super Bowl championship this week, as the team reports to training camp today. Over the next six weeks, the Eagles will prepare for the start of the regular season and figure out which players will start in their revamped defense. Gone are five starters from last season's top-ranked defense, yet in comes a unit that may not have a single starter over 30 years old. The Eagles enter training camp with the second-youngest roster in the NFL (average age of 25.4) and still have their core players on the offensive side of the ball to make another Super Bowl run. Even with this training camp being a quiet one following a Super Bowl title, there are always players to watch in training camp. Here are five players worth keeping an eye on over the next month. The most notable position battle is at safety after the Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans this offseason. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has three candidates for the starting safety job opposite Reed Blankenship — Mukuba, Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum. The Eagles hope Mukuba can seize the job, as they selected him in the second round of this year's draft. They are hoping he can develop into a playmaking safety, similar to what they had with Gardner-Johnson in Fagio's scheme last year. Mukuba had five interceptions with Texas last year (his lone year with the Longhorns), earning third-team All-SEC honors. The Eagles selected Mukuba because of his position versatility and playing ability. He'll get his shot at a starting spot, even if he won't be with the first team right away. An opportunity arose for Ojomo this offseason when Milton Williams departed in free agency, as he'll get the chance to play significant snaps on the defensive line. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are the starters, but Ojomo flashed his tools as a pass rusher last year when he was given the opportunity. The 2023 seventh-round pick had 31 pressures in 255 pass rushing snaps last season, a pressure rate of 12.5%. The Eagles value pressure rate in getting to the quarterback, which Ojomo certainly provided as the fourth defensive tackle last season. This is a year for Ojomo to showcase his development. The Eagles signed Uche to a one-year deal, as he'll be battling for playing time in a pass rush that has its question marks. Uche can provide some answers to the pass rush and has already flashed in minicamp. Signed to a one-year deal for just $1.9 million, this training camp is critical for Uche — not just to earn playing time but a roster spot as well. Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson said in the spring he believed Uche was really going to help the team. This training camp is massive for Uche's future in the NFL. This summer will provide enough practice reps for the Eagles to get a full evaluation on Trotter Jr. at off-ball linebacker and whether they can rely on him to play meaningful snaps with the first-team defense. Nakobe Dean (torn patella tendon) will eventually be back, but he'll need time to get back up to full speed. Same with first-round pick Jihaad Campbell (shoulder), and it will be a race to see who returns first. In the meantime, Trotter Jr. will be getting all the reps next to Zack Baun this summer. He'll even get the opportunity to start Week 1 based on the status of Campbell and Dean and how long it takes both players to ramp up. There is an opening at one of the outside cornerback jobs, and Ringo is certainly a contender to snatch the spot. Ringo and Adoree' Jackson are competing for the starting cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Cooper DeJean can also play at outside cornerback in a base defense, but the Eagles are in nickel more than 80% of the time. DeJean will slide into the slot, leaving Ringo and Jackson to battle for the job. The Eagles selected Ringo in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, as he's performed well in coverage when called upon over the last two years (46.3 passer rating allowed in coverage as the primary defender). Ringo has an opportunity to prove he can be an everyday starter. Keep in mind, he is still just 23 years old.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Philadelphia Eagles sign 2025 2nd-round pick Andrew Mukuba on eve of players' training camp report date
The Philadelphia Eagles and 2025 second-round pick Andrew Mukuba agreed to a four-year rookie contract on Monday, one day before the Super Bowl LIX champions report to training camp. Mukuba was the last of the Birds' 2025 draft class to sign. Mukuba was selected 64th overall in the 2025 draft out of the University of Texas. The 22-year-old will come to camp with an opportunity to win a starting safety job in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense. After spending his first three collegiate seasons at Clemson, Mukuba transferred to Texas and registered a career-high 69 tackles, 11 passes defended and a team-leading five interceptions in 2024 for the Longhorns. Drafted as a safety, Mukuba is a versatile defensive back with experience playing in the slot and possessing ball-hawking skills. With the Eagles trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, the 2024's No. 1-ranked defense has an opening at safety opposite Reed Blankenship. The Birds didn't add any additional safety help via free agency, though that could still be an option. Mukuba will battle 2023 third-round pick Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum for the starting job. Cooper DeJean, another D-back with versatility, could also see time at safety this season when the Eagles are in base defense. Eagles rookies and veterans report for training camp Tuesday, and their first practice is scheduled for Wednesday.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
7 breakout candidates to watch at Eagles training camp
With the first practice hours away, we're looking at seven breakout candidates to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp. It's the start of training camp in Philadelphia. For select rookies and veterans, it offers an opportunity for key contributors and under-the-radar talent to secure a regular-season role through intense effort and standout performances during joint practice sessions and preseason games. The Eagles suffered several losses in the secondary and defensive line, but managed to improve in the short term, while accumulating potential All-Pro talent in the draft. The first wave of free agency saw Josh Sweat (Cardinals), Milton Williams (Patriots), Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers), Mekhi Becton (Chargers), and Oren Burks (Bengals) all depart. Vic Fangio's defense saw Darius Slay (Steelers), Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings), Avonte Maddox (Lions), and James Bradberry (UFA) all depart a Super Bowl roster. Philadelphia possesses one of the strongest rosters in the NFL, with very few weaknesses or personnel gaps. They will return to the NovaCare Complex entirely motivated after facing an offseason filled with slights and trash talk from their rivals, but with recently earned championship rings. With the first practice hours away, we're looking at seven breakout candidates to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp. DB Lewis Cine Reunited with his former Georgia Bulldog teammates, it's now or never for Lewis Cine. Cine was selected by Minnesota 32nd overall in the 2022 draft and joined the Bills' practice squad after being released by the Vikings last summer. He broke his leg during his rookie season and was limited to playing 10 defensive snaps in 10 games over his two years in Minnesota. OLB Azeez Ojulari Like Uche, Ojulari could cash out with a big season rushing the passer in Philadelphia. In his first year in the league, he broke the Giants' record for sacks by a rookie with eight. In four years in the NFL, Ojulari has compiled 37 QB hits, 22 sacks, and 21 tackles for loss in 46 games. At just 24 years old, the savvy edge rusher has a chance to make an impact for Philadelphia within Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound player posted six sacks in 11 games in the 2024 season. WR Johnny Wilson Wilson, whom the Eagles selected in the sixth round of last year's NFL Draft, made 16 regular-season appearances during his rookie season in Philadelphia. Wilson finished with five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. He played on more than 50 percent of Philadelphia's offensive snaps just three times last season, and will look to carve out a role in 2025. DB B.J. Mayes At 6-1 and 195 pounds, Mayes is a versatile nickel corner with the size and speed to play on the outside. Mayes played one season at Texas A&M, leading the team with four interceptions in 2024, which ranked fourth in the SEC. Before his time with the Aggies, he spent two seasons at Incarnate Word and one at UAB. OL Kenyon Green The Eagles acquired the former first-round pick in a trade with the Houston Texans this offseason. The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Green (6-4, 325) has started 23 games in his career and will look to have a breakout season finally. DB Tristin McCollum Philadelphia selected Drew Mukuba to pair with Reed Blankenship at safety, but if the rookie isn't prepared to hit the ground running, McCollum could be a candidate to start. McCollum, 26, saw an expanded role last season with Sydney Brown recovering from injury. He appeared in 14 games with two starts, totaling 33 tackles and two passes defended. WR Elijah Cooks Cooks offers size at 6-4, 215 pounds. He was a rookie free agent signing with Jacksonville in 2023 out of San Jose State. Cooks signed with the Eagles' practice squad on Jan. 14 after spending most of the 2024 season on the Jaguars' practice squad. The 26-year-old wideout is a player to watch.
