Rookies lift lackluster practice
PHILADELPHIA >> Unless you’re a fan of dropped balls, poor throws and pre-snap penalties, there wasn’t a lot to feel good about Tuesday when the Eagles lined up for the last live session of practice.
Then it happened. In the time it takes to scream ‘tipped ball,” second-round draft pick JJ ArcegaWhiteside alertly grabbed a deflection and motored 90 yards for a score on the first play of the final session to wake everyone up, including the other second-round pick, Miles Sanders.
Later in the practice, Nelson Agholor went 66 yards with a Carson Wentz pass in the oppressive 94-degree heat to set up a twisting, four-yard scoring run by Sanders that sent the first team to the sideline.
In those times when DeSean Jackson, Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery and Jordan Howard find it tough to get untracked it sure looks like the Eagles can count on some spark from the rookies.
Arcega-Whiteside demonstrated supreme focus as well as elite hands coming away with the Wentz pass that linebacker Nate Gerry got a piece of. The romp
down the sideline through a sea of allegedly fast defensive backs was the most entertaining play of the day.
“Exactly how we drew it up,” Arcega-Whiteside said with a grin. “Tip it back to me and I’ll go run for a touchdown. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I looked back and there was a sea of green instead of a sea of red. It was exciting because all the guys were running down – Ertz, Carson, all of them running down to celebrate with me. And I’m the rookie.”
That’s Eagles green as opposed to Stanford Cardinal red. Arcega-Whiteside (6-3, 225) tallied 28 TDs in three seasons in college ball, including 14 this past campaign. He averaged 16.4 yards per grab in his career.
Sanders was having a tough day before his scoring play, as he’d been thrown for a loss by linebacker L.J. Fort in the first live tackling session. Then he let instincts take over.
“It was a regular inside zone,” Sanders said. “I read the linebackers flowing over and I just cut back in. You’ve got to go downhill. When you’re inside that red zone you’ve got to score. JJ and both had a big play today. Our duty is just to come in as the new guys and just prove to the vets that we’re here to play. For him to get a big play like that on the first live play, that’s pretty big. And I’m happy for him.”
Arcega-Whiteside and Sanders went airborne to share a bump in the end zone as their teammates on the first team shouted “one and done” on the way to the sideline for a Gatorade break. The rookies are kindred spirits.
“I’m speaking for Miles when I see this, we hold ourselves to a high standard and we expect to make big plays,” ArcegaWhiteside said. “As soon as Miles scored I went up to him and was like, ‘hey man, we’re doing this thing. Just keep pushing.’”
Wentz and his receivers were up and down throughout the day. Wentz was unstoppable in oneon-one drills, putting the ball where it needed to be almost every snap. The 11 on 11 exercises were largely a struggle, mostly due to mistakes. Sometimes it was a lack of pass protection. Other times it looked like players didn’t know where to line up. It was nasty.
“That’s football, man,” veteran offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “Sometimes you get bleeped on, sometimes you have birthday cakes. That’s just the way it is. That’s the way this life is. If we don’t execute one time, we’re going to do our best the second time. That’s the way it is and that’s why I love it.”