Several starters miss practice
Cunningham, Jurgens and Slay all sit out
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham, who is nursing a knee injury, guard Cam Jurgens, who has a pectoral muscle issue and cornerback Darius Slay, dealing with a sore knee, did not practice Thursday.
Safety Reed Blankenship was limited and remains in concussion protocol.
All other Eagles players participated in the full pads practice, including wide receiver DeVonta Smith and edge rusher Haason Reddick, although they were excused from working in shoulder pads and helmets.
The good news is that tight end Dallas Goedert, back in action after sitting out three games with a broken forearm, had no after effects after catching four passes for 30 yards versus the Cowboys.
“I’m feeling good,” Goedert said. “It was a little sore yesterday but it’s feeling pretty good today. Obviously coming back from a broken arm, I didn’t know what I was expecting. But I wasn’t expecting it to be sore. When it was, I was a little nervous. But they told me that was normal and expected.”
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Eagles first-round draft pick Nolan Smith didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but the product of Georgia gave the team a seasonhigh 21 snaps.
Smith, a linebacker, has appeared in all 13 games for the Eagles with a sack of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and nine combined tackles, including one for loss.
“I’m not worried about the snaps,” Smith said Thursday. “I just feel like I’m going to play when Coach Jeremiah Washburn is ready for me to play. It’s just all part of my development, and he’s helping me develop a lot, so I don’t go out there and put bad tape out there. So, he’s helping me just feel comfortable in myself in the ebbs and flows of the game. I just feel like he does a great job giving me things every week about what I can do, and how I can help the team as a young guy because sometimes you get lost in that gray area.”
Smith also played 15 snaps on special teams against the Cowboys.
If anything is holding Smith back right now, it’s his size. Listed at 6-2, 238 pounds, he looks skinnier.
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Linebacker Shaq Leonard recorded two tackles playing 14 defensive snaps in his debut at linebacker for the Eagles in the loss to the Cowboys.
Leonard already has been thoroughly entertained just driving in to work. One week two guys were holding signs urging the Eagles to run the football. This past week a fellow was holding a sign urging the Birds to find a new defensive coordinator.
“Man, I honestly didn’t expect that,” Leonard said. “But when I came back in, I thought it was actually pretty funny. Then the following week, the same exact week. It’s hilarious. I love it. Hopefully, we can get this thing turned around for the Philly fans.”
It’s early but Leonard already is feeling comfortable.
“It wasn’t too much of an adjustment,” Leonard said of his first action here. “Football is football. Just trying to learn the terminology, and the style of where the coaches want you to play. I think that’s the main difference between teams. Besides that, just tackle the guy with the football.”