With playmakers sitting out, role players make their case
PHILADELPHIA » Carson Wentz experienced his first NFL training camp from the wrong side of the depth chart, rarely receiving a rep with the Eagles’ projected starting playmakers.
For that, Wentz was comfortable Tuesday, when he was without three of his most valuable weapons during a live-action, full-pads practice at the NovaCare Complex.
Torrey Smith, Alshon Jeffery, and LeGarrette Blount — the three signature offseason additions to the offense — all were absent for various causes. Smith was reported to have back spasms. Jeffery was resting a sore shoulder. And Blount was excused for personal reasons.
And is that the best way to prepare a relatively inexperienced, second-year quarterback?
“That’s football,” Wentz said. “Guys go down. Things happen. Alshon and Torrey are a big part of what we do. But we had guys like Marcus Johnson, Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins going, some different guys out there. You see them making plays. So if someone goes down, someone can go in and not miss a beat. So obviously, we miss those guys. But we’re not too worried about it.”
None of the injuries to those projected starters are being characterized as serious. And it did open opportunities Tuesday for several receivers and ball-carriers to make big plays. Agholor made a nice diving grab of a Wentz pass to elicit whistles and applause from the small crowd. Hollins went deep to catch a pass. Wendell Smallwood scored on a dynamic, long run. And Johnson, an undrafted free agent from Texas who spent last season on the practice squad, was as impressive as any receiver, play for play.
“Yeah, he’s shown real good improvement from even last season,” Doug Pederson said. “He came into OTAs in shape. He came into camp in shape. Those are the kind of things you want to see from a receiver. He’s smart. He’s a big guy, a big target. He’s making the most of his plays right now, and that is encouraging.”
In that, there was something of a back-door value to the injuries to the front-line talent.
“Yeah, it’s good for these guys to get in there against a little bit better competition, to work with Carson and some of the starters,” Pederson said. “We’re in an evaluating process with all our players. It’s good to get our young guys the opportunity to step in there and compete.”
Wentz barely had that opportunity last summer as, right up until the regular season was to begin, Pederson was preparing Sam Bradford to start and Chase Daniel to be the backup. Then Bradford was traded, Wentz made a two-step jump to the first string and the Eagles were OK with tolerating any in-season growth issues.
This summer should be different. It reportedly looked that way Sunday at an open practice in the Linc, where Wentz was so overpowering that he heard chants of “MVP, MVP.” And wouldn’t that suggest that he has been having a special training camp?
“Tough to say,” Wentz said. “Obviously, we were completing a lot of balls. So that was fun. It was a positive. That’s how it is in camp. Some days it’s good for the offense, some days it’s good for the defense. So we were definitely clicking that day for sure.”