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The DiCecco Daily: Intel on Eagles 8th Training Camp Practice · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

0:08
Speaker 1: What's happened? Everybody. Welcome into another edition of the check
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O Daily. Andrew Decheco here bringing you all of the
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news and notes from day eight. That's right, Day eight.
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I had to think about that of Eagles training camp,
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and it was a eventful practice, always really fast paced
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and well orchestrated, but it ran for about an hour
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and forty minutes and it was deemed yellow. The Eagles
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were in shorts and shells today and believe it or not,
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the preseasons right around the corner. Thursday, the Eagles open
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preseason play with the Cincinnati Bengals. So they'll practice Sunday, Monday,
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and Tuesday this week and it's going to be a
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very eventful and fast paced start too this week. And
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I'm one of those guys. You guys have followed me
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long enough now that you know that I enjoy preseason play.
1:01
I really find it interesting in terms of which players
1:05
are going to make the most of their opportunity. Who's
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going to take what they've done on the practice field
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and translate it over looking at certain position battles, the
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depth places in terms of safety, corner, defensive line, who's
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going to rise to the occasion on special teams. These
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are all things that I look for. A lot of
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these players that are going to be playing in these games,
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you have to remember, are those that I've scouted or
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evaluated during the pre draft process over the past few years,
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and have seen and evaluated in training camp. So I'm
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curious to see how some of these guys are going
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to fare in their first extended opportunity in an NFL game. Okay,
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So Sunday status report. Linebacker Zach Bond didn't practice, wide
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receiver A J. Brown didn't practice. Safety Lewis Scene didn't practice,
2:00
or did running back Montreal Johnson, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan,
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wide receiver Terrace Marshall, cornerback Mac McWilliams at fullback Ben
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Van Sumeran for Brown seen Johnson Junior and Keegan their
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new additions. Brown actually stood and watched Sunday's practice from
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the sideline. Good news there, but he actually sat out
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the second half of Friday's practice, whereas McWilliams and Ben
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Van sumer And were sidelined for their second consecutive practice.
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Limited for the Eagles were linebacker Jahad Campbell, long snapper
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Charlie Hewlett, tight ond EJ. Jenkins, safety Drew mccooba, wide
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receiver DeVante Smith, and edge Nolan Smith. Mccoopa was withheld
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from team drills, and Smith Junior didn't partake in eleven
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on eleven's, but he did log some reps during seven
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on sevens. All right, so let's get right to it. Defensively,
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the Eagles opened in nickel today. If you remember back
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to my notes leading up to this point, the Eagles
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have opened in base Cooper dejen was playing safety with
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Red Blanketship, and then when he moved in to nickel,
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that's where you saw Sidney Brown come on. But today
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it was a little bit different. Their unit included Jalen
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Carter and Jordan Davis on the defensive line, jay Loox
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Hunt and Azizo Jilari, who aligned on the left side
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were your overhanged players Jeremiah Trotter Junior and Jahad Campbell
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at linebacker, and the safety tanem of Reed Blankenship and
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Sidney Brown. As I mentioned, the cornerback trio was comprised
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of Quinya Mitchell, Cooper Dejeen and Adri Jackson. Now, if
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you're keeping score, that now makes five practices in which
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Jackson has aligned opposite Mitchell at the start. Keey Ringo
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also mixed in today as well. Again, this is something
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that's going to persist likely through the preseason, so be
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be on high alert for that. And I don't necessarily
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know if one players ahead in this race. If so,
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it's very narrow. But you have five practices where Jackson's
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started with the ones. Three for Ringo. Wide receiver DeVante
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Smith actually returned to practice today in a limited capacity
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as I alluded to, but he missed someone with a
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back injury. But he picks up right where he leaves
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off and early in the session Jay when Hurts connected
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with Smith, who found the saut spot in coverage between
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Trotter Junior and Brown, it was a really nice crosser
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off to the left for a nice pickup. He is
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such a smooth criminal, that's what I refer to him
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as when getting in and out of breaks and creating separation.
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Smith also reeled in a nifty sideline grab during seven
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on seven's with Nolan Smith in coverage. This was fun
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because during an eleven on eleven period, Jayalen Hurts went
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for the juggular at one point, heaving a pass in
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the direction of a streaking Jehan Dawson. Now Johan Dotson
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had about three or four steps on a Dori Jackson,
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but he wasn't in position or he was in position
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to bring in the catch, but Jaywen Hurts put too
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much on it and it rendered the past incomplete felt
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just in front of him, and at one point Johan Dotson,
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who did have a nice day to day, he shook
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cornerback Eli Rix at the line with a sort of
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a crossover move and took off towards the middle of
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the field, had a lot of distance there, but Jaywhen
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Hurts overshot him. But I'll also say this because this
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was one of the better connections of the day, because
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Jaywen Hurts did eventually convert a perfectly executed back shoulder
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throw along the left side line to tight end Dallas Goddard,
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who really showcased impressive body control on that. And the
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coverage wasn't bad. Rookie linebackers Smile Mandan Jr. Was right there,
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so I thought that the coverage was pretty tight. But
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the sequence epitomized the rapport between Hurtz and Goddard that
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has been evident throughout the summer and without Brown and Marshall,
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Smith was actually on a limited basis. Mind you, Goddard
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was definitely peppered with targets more so than normal. Perhaps
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one of the more fun defensive plays which definitely sort
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of supplies some energy. There was edge rusher josh Usha,
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who hits a power rush off the right side, showcasing
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those active, violent hands. And he's really known more as
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a speed rusher, but he showed good power here and
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he strikes veteran left tackle Kendall Lamb and bowls him
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over in pursuit of Tanner McKee and McKee is flushed
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and eventually he doesn't find anybody and he has to
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throw the pass away. Look, and I've said this on
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different podcasts, the reality of the situation is is while
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Oujilari opened practice as the starter with Jay Walks Hunt,
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Osha has made more of his opportunities and every time
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he's on the field, more often than not hold something
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that'll catch your eye. Whereas o Jelari, aside from maybe
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the quote unquote sack of Jay when hurts on Friday,
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hasn't necessarily strung together too many impressive reps to the
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point where you feel comfortable anointing him as the third
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edge rusher in this rotation. Jahat Campbell had an active morning,
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while at times proving a bit vulnerable in coverage. I
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think that's fair to say, but he's also continuing to
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grow within the system. He did smother wide receiver Ania
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Smith on a short Hurtz toss over the middle to
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deny completion. He charged downhill and completely blanketed him on
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the play and Annius was unable to come up with it.
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And he this time working with the second team. In
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this instance, he swarmed EJ Jenkins on a short completion
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over the middle. EJ caught the pass, but I think
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it's important to note that Campbell was right there and
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he charged in to make the play. E J Jenkins
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returned to practice today after missing two with the hamstring
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injury and caught a couple of passes earlier in the session.
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And if I were to gauge the kickoff coverage alignment,
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and yes, I am one of those guys who I'm
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jotting down all the numbers of the players who are
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working on the first team. It looks like will Shipley,
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Sydney Brown, Key Lee Ringo, and Avery Williams are going
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to be core contributors. Now the first unit today also
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featured some interesting names of players who were vying for
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roster spots, such as linebacker Patrick Johnson, tight end Kylin
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Grantson in safety Andre Sam more on Sam. A little
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bit later, during a situational period, the Eagles attempted a
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hail mary pass with quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson. The pass
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actually reached the end zone, but it was batted down
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and it was a heads up play by Reed blanket
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hip good, good presence of mind to make sure that
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you're not trying to come away with the interception. He
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swatted it down and then they moved on to the
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next period. It was really just a one time hail
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mary heave and that's the way that it went. And
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while we're on the subject of Thompson Robinson, the third
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year quarterback, piloted an offense during his during the situational
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period and the waning moments of practice, faced with the
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fourth down scenario, Thompson Robinson attempted to thread to pass
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in over the middle that was picked off by linebacker
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Dallas Gant and that play ended practice and the defensive
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his defensive teammates were fired up and came over to
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agreet him. As for the offensive line, we know who
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the starters are on the first team, but the second
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team offensive line from left to right left tackle Kendall Lamb,
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left guard Brett Toath, center Drew Kendall, right guard, Darren Kenard,
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right tackle Matt Pryor. Matt Pryor and fourth year pro
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Darren Kennard continued to flip flop at right guard and
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right tackle, but in my estimation, it seemed like Canard
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acounted for more reps at right guard and prior at
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right tackle. This is a player we don't talk about
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a lot, so this may act be the first or
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second time you're hearing his name, but maybe jot this
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one down. Undrafted wide receiver Darius Cooper he saw a
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lot more snaps than usual today because the Eagles had
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a shortage at wide receiver with no Aj Brown and
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no Terrorist Marshall, and he had some nice moments. During
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a seven on seven period, he was able to shake
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Dallas Ganton coverage and create some separation to rill in
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a Tanner McKee crosser, and he also pulled in another
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McKee throw, slipping past cornerback Eli Rix down the right
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sideline during a situational period and McKee drops a beautiful
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pass right in the bucket, and I think that may
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have been the best throw of the day all things considered.
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That rival is the one that Hurts had on the
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back shoulder to god her. But I thought that Tanner
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McKee had a really nice practice today by the way,
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just accurate, poised and is able to make all the throws.
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So for a number two quarterback, the Eagles are in
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a very good position with Tanner McKee there. He has
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had a series of really strong practices and you can
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see that his ability uplifts the second team offense because
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you have a capable quarterback who can make all the
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throws and you're able to see, you're able to get
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a better assessment of what that second unit looks like
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when you have a capable quarterback navigating it. But the
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day wasn't completely without a blemish because Cooper did fail
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to corral another McKee pass the ball went through his hands.
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But he did also have a long kickoff return during
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a special team's drew as well. So a series of
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good plays one bad. I know earlier in last week
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there was a time where I think it might have
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been Tristan McCollum knocked the ball out of his hands.
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He's got to have that. But I think for a
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younger player like that to step up and make some
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plays when you have those opportunities as something notable, I
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would expect him to get considerably a lot of reps.
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During the preseason game. One of the more entertaining matchups
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has been between wide receiver Elijah Cooks and Rix. While
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Cooks has turned some heads this summer Sunday absolutely belonged
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to Rix. During an eleven on eleven period, McKee attempted
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to connect with Cooks on a corner out to the left,
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but Rix broke on the ball, defended the pass, and
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Rix did climb the ladder and close quarters in the
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end zone during I think it may have been a
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red zone period and prevented a McKee jumpball to Cooks
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in the back of the end zone. And then on
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the ensuing play, McKee went back to the well once
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more to Cooks and Rix again rejected the past, this
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time it was a lower one than he dove for
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to break it up. Rix, earlier in the practice also
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closed in over the top to deny a completion to
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tight end Nick Muse as well. Eli Rix has quietly
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had a nice training camp. He's playing with more confidence.
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I have a story coming out on Eli Rix on
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Inside the Birds dot Com. It'll be out on Monday.
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But carrying himself with more confidence in bravado and you
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see that he's playing faster on the field as evidenced
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by these pass breakups, and he's just seeing the game
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a lot differently. It appears to me, at least that
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the game has slowed down for him. Another good day.
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Another player who had a good day, I should say,
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is safety Tristan McCollum, who collected a pair of pass
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breakups during the session. The first was during a situational
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period where McCollum extended to break up a McKey pass
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to Granson along the far sideline. That's tight end Kylon Granson,
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and then later Thompson Robinson tried to fit one into Muse,
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but McCollum was there for the deflection. Probably should have
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picked that one off, but he still got the PBu.
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That was at least two on the day that he had.
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Andre sam I mentioned him in terms of the kick coverage.
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He had an impressive breakup at the goal line during
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a situational period where he converged to prevent the touchdown.
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I think Samile Smile Manden may have been there as well.
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But sam is a player who often to me at
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least appears to be in the right position. Keep an
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eye on him this preseason as well. He's someone who
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I believe is going to get a lot of playing time.
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And then I want to round things out by mentioning
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a player who I've talked a lot about on this podcast,
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or at least I've mentioned him on this podcast and
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I wrote about him as an under the radar player
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to keep an eye on. Don't look now, but second
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year defensive tackle Gabe Hall, one of my pre camp
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under the radar players to watch, is beginning to stack
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some productive sessions. I've noticed him in the backfield on
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a handful of occasions, including once today, at least once today,
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and Hall also showcase some impressive power Friday during the
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offensive line and defensive line one on one drills. The
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Eagles typically prefer to go heavy in the trenches, so
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that could potentially qualify Hall as one the monitor of
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the preseason. Well, that's going to do it for this
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addition of the check odaily the Eagles are back on
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the practice field tomorrow at ten am and I will
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have all the news and notes for you with another
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edition of the Czech Odaly, and I will catch you
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on the next one.