Eagles OTA Observations: Who Stood Out And More Nuggets

It was another step toward defending the Super Bowl they won last year, and there are many, many more steps for the Eagles to take. One OTA practice at the end of May, and who did what or who didn’t look good, isn’t going to matter much once the calendar flips to the crucible of the middle of August.

Still, it was football. Even if it was football inside under a roof, since weather forced the Eagles to squeeze into their undersized bubble with 90 players, dozens of coaches and dozens more reporters.

The practice was spirited and fast-paced, with the defense working on tackling drills on bags and defensive backs and linebackers working on the peanut punch, dislodging the ball from a receiver shortly after he catches it.

Here’s some things to note, though:

--Absent were Lane Johnson, Reed Blankenship, and DeVonta Smith. No big deal. It’s voluntary. Smith missed most of the OTAs last year, too. How did that work out for him once the season began?

--Jihaad Campbell and Nakobe Dean left the bubble after the bullhorn sounded to begin practice. The two injured Eagles returned about halfway through the practice. Presumably, they left for rehab/treatment.

--Injuries also limited Cam Jurgens (back), but Nolan Smith, wearing a brace on his left arm for a torn triceps he suffered in the Super Bowl, was going through individual drills. A.J. Brown did not participate in 11-on-11, nor did Johnny Wilson.

--The Eagles rotated their cornerbacks and safeties throughout the session, with Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo splitting first-team reps, while Eli Ricks worked his way in as well. It's too early to overreact.

--It will take some getting used to the new numbers and number changes. For instance, there was a moment when I thought both Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were back, but it was just Jahan Dotson (No. 2) and Adoree Jackson (No. 8) wearing those numbers. And even though Josh Sweat switched to No. 19 last year, he was No. 94 for five seasons but that is Byron Young’s number now.

--Jalen Hurts was sharp, an indication that this “new” offense being installed by Kevin Patullo won’t be very new at all, just more of the same, which is just fine.