Student Reagor learning from teacher Wentz
Each series of practice is followed by teaching points for Eagles first-round pick Jalen Reagor.
The most impactful suggestions resonate from quarterback Carson Wentz.
Reagor, the wide receiver out of TCU, has been running with the first team in the padded sessions open to the media. And the good news-bad news category the only defender to consistently shut Reagor down is Darius Slay, one of the top talents on the Birds’ defense.
On the field or in the meeting rooms, Wentz has had no problem getting the attention of Reagor with references to Julio Jones.
“We watch a lot of clips with pass routes,” Reagor said on a Zoom conference Tuesday. “He’s just like ‘you’re explosive like Julio. You can run fast, you can jump high.’ He compares me to a lot of receivers. He says ‘Certain routes, certain people can’t run.’ He’s like ‘You can run those routes.’ He’s putting it on me. He’s putting it all on me. For him to see that in me it just drives me to go harder.”
Tired of waiting for injuryplagued 33-year-old DeSean Jackson to be available, the Eagles took Reagor, who has breakaway speed and receivers John Hightower (fifth round) and Quez Watkins (sixth), who also can fly.
Reagor is having his way
with the secondary, and on a more limited scale, so are the other rookie receivers. Practice ended Tuesday with Wentz throwing over the top of the defense to Hightower for a score.
“I just go out there and play,” said Reagor, who has made several catches the first two practices in shoulder pads. “I don’t really try to make things happens. I just go out there and play naturally and stick to what I know.”
Though it lasted just one game, the Eagles’ offense was much more explosive last year when Jackson stretched the defense. Reagor and his fleet-footed rookie teammates could provide the same explosiveness.
“I know what he brings as a threat to the defense and he’s picked up on things really well,” Wentz said of Reagor. “He’s always listening and always curious about why we’re doing things a certain way, how I saw a certain play. That’s the thing I look for as a veteran, for these young guys that truly want to grow and want to be great.”
The Wentz-Reagor bond is growing.
“I feel like we’re jelling well,” Reagor said. “I love Carson, that’s my dude and I look forward to a long, long career with him.”
••• Wentz had a tough Tuesday, throwing a couple of interceptions. He became frustrated after a draw play was blown up.
Linebacker Nate Gerry picked off a swing pass.
Later, safety Jalen Mills recorded a pick-six. Why Wentz expended himself giving chase near the end of practice in 87-degree heat is a story for another day. The Eagles cannot afford to have Wentz nursing a hamstring.
Rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts also threw a pick, safety K’Von Wallace lunging for it.
Hurts operated the second-team offense in goal line and red zone packages ahead of Nate Sudfeld.