Brooks takes next step
Injured right guard cleared for 1-on-1 drills; Thorson prepping for Thursday start
PHILADELPHIA — He’s been saying from the start that he’s going to be ready to go for the season. And doggone it if Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks, all 335 pounds of him, is not still on pace to make good on that prediction after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in last January’s playoff loss at New Orleans.
Surprisingly, Brooks has been practicing from the start of training camp, though he has been held out of team sessions and is not expected to see any preseason action whatsoever regardless of his health.
But on Sunday he was cleared for 1-on-1 drills for the first time. That’s the next-to-last hurdle in his recovery, and it could signify that he’ll be ready for their season opener.
“Everything is on schedule,” he said. “I’m excited. We’ll see how it goes in this next phase.”
To put Brooks’ fast recovery in perspective, fellow offensive lineman Jason Peters suffered the same injury in February of 2012 and was forced to sit out the whole season. Brooks may not miss any time.
Truly incredible.
Brooks and his teammates were not on the field very long during Sunday’s 10-10-10 session that coach Doug Pederson hopes will set the stage for longer, padded, joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens on Monday and Tuesday. The teams will meet in a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night.
“We’ll get great work, much like we did a couple years ago with Miami here,” Pederson said. “We’ll go pads
both days, keep it to about two hours both days and get some good work in.”
Here are some observations from Sunday’s session:
New quarterback Josh McCown didn’t get any work in full team (11-on-11) sessions. Rookie Clayton Thorson took all the reps that didn’t go to Carson Wentz — a sure sign that they’re getting him ready to start and play most of Thursday night’s game even if Cody Kessler is cleared to return from his concussion by then.
Though still a roster long shot, running back Donnel Pumphrey worked in quite a bit with the first team on this day. He’s been having a very good and healthy camp, which gives him a chance to land work elsewhere if there’s no room for him on this year’s 53-man roster.
Third-year receiver Mack Hollins, who is not believed to have a spot locked up, beat Josh Hawkins down the right side for what would have been a sure touchdown catch but dropped the ball delivered accurately
over his shoulders by Wentz. It’s just one of hundreds of things he will be evaluated on, but it doesn’t look good when combined with the full season he missed last year and the time he’s missed already this preseason with injuries.
Don’t know if 6-foot-6 receiver Carlton Agudosi is going to make the team, but when the ball is delivered at the proper height on a fade pattern in the red zone, it’s basically a guaranteed touchdown. Doesn’t matter who is defending him or how they may be doing it. Agudosi just rises up and plucks the ball from a space above the ground that no defender can realistically reach, as he did again on Sunday when Thorson hit him for a touchdown.
A couple minutes earlier, linebacker L.J. Fort was in prime position in front of Zach Ertz for an interception, but dropped the pass from Wentz.
Roster move. The Eagles released LB Paul Worrilow on Sunday, opening up a spot on the roster for another addition.
Morning Call reporter Nick Fierro can be reached at 610-778-2243 or nfierro@mcall.com.