Rookie WR Hollins made most of training camp head start
PHILADELPHIA » Aware that they needed to fit Carson Wentz with more reliable passcatchers, the Eagles signed Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery for immediate help.
Soon after, they quietly took a longer-term stab at improvement by spending a fourth-round draft choice on 6-4, 221-pound receiver Mack Hollins from the University of North Carolina. And that was him this week, having the first training-camp stab at making a strong connection with Wentz, with the rookies having a three-day head start before the veterans report Thursday.
“It’s great,” Hollins said. “Any time you get to work with the starting quarterback, it’s always a plus. So I really enjoyed it and I am always looking forward to getting on the field.”
With rumors — or were they just the fans’ wishes? — that the Birds would spend heavily in the draft on more weapons for Wentz, they instead used their first three picks for defensive help. That included first-round pick Derek Barnett, and cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas.
So, in a back-door sort of way, that made Hollins a top draft choice. It also meant he’d have a chance that he did not intend to bobble.
“I mean, you just have to come in and do your job,” he said. “Don’t make mistakes. It’s just checking your boxes. People do it. Don’t make mistakes and catch the ball when it comes your way.”
For the last three days at the NovaCare Complex, where training camp was limited to Eagles quarterbacks, rookies and selected veterans, Hollins has had that opportunity without the pressure of outperforming older receivers. That will change Thursday when the full roster reports.
He took advantage of that boost, catching footballs … and the eye of offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
“I think he’s a big man with size and built for speed,” Reich said. “He can get vertical down the field. He has really high, above-average ball skills, and we’ll see just how good they are as time goes on. I think he’s really smart and versatile. For a big man, his route-running skills, his footwork in and routes are very good for a big man.
“As coaches, we get excited now,” he added. “We see guys do things. We see Mack Hollins make a play or (wide receiver) Marcus Johnson or (running back) Donnel Pumphrey. As coaches, you get excited. On the flip side, you always temper that because the pads aren’t on yet. So the guys are doing a good job.”
At the minimum, Hollins has done a comprehensive job, typically being among the first on the field and the last to leave.
“That’s the way I’ve always been,” Hollins said. “To get better at what you do, you put in the work, whether before or after. And I think all the guys are doing it in their own special way. People have this misconception that if you are the first person there or the last to leave, you are working the hardest. I’m not saying I’m not working the hardest, but it is about what you do with the time you have. I don’t think it matters that I am the last one there. Others are putting in just as much work. I just happen to be the last one out there.”
With Shelton Gibson, Jeffery, Smith, Jordan Matthews, Marcus Jones and Nelson Agholor, Hollins joined Wentz in Fargo, N.D., for a recent, unofficial passing camp. That allowed him to grow comfortable with the Birds’ quarterback, which was to his benefit Monday and Tuesday. Wentz and backup Nick Foles had Wednesday off.
For that, the early start was good for the Birds’ young receivers.
“You want to get just simple stuff like alignments, formation,” Reich said. “We’ve got to get in and out of the huddle. There is going to be an increased emphasis on trying to get the play clock going faster this year, maybe a split second faster than it’s been. We’ve got to break the huddle, get alignment. You can’t be shifting around at the end. Assignment football. You’ve got to know what you’re doing. It sounds simple, but we’ve got a lot of formations, motions and movements. Get lined up right.”
If his 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns in four seasons at North Carolina didn’t hint at Hollins’ understanding of the value of detail, there he was at camp, meeting with Harold Carmichael and Mike Quick, two Eagles receiving legends.
“It’s awesome always to be able to talk to older guys,” Hollins said. “Those are the guys who have experience and who have done it before. So I’ve really taken advantage of talking to them, taking a tip from them, or learning from them every chance I get.”
Hollins began his career at UNC as a walk-on, before working his way into college football excellence. Playing special teams — he’s a capable long-snapper — helped, as it should help him find a spot with the Eagles, no matter how thick they are in accomplished receivers.
“Everybody is competing every day,” he said. “Guys are getting better and better. So you see that. Everybody is trying to get their edge and everybody is going a little harder than they were. So it’s good. I like it.”