Early surprises, both good and bad, from Eagles training camp so far

We're off and running. Well... We aren't, but the Philadelphia Eagles are. Guys are sprinting to the end zone after drills. The offensive line is running from sideline to sideline after practice. There appears to be an emphasis on conditioning at training camp. Hey, no one will complain about that.

Veterans and rookies reported on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday brought the first two practice sessions. Another will be sandwiched between days off on Friday and Sunday. There is already so much for us to discuss

Head coach Nick Sirianni denies reports of internal conflicts. That was good to see. It was also good to see Jalen Hurts do the same thing. That allowed us to focus on the on-field work. As expected, we saw surprises, both good and bad.

Cooper DeJean and Landon Dickerson both begin camp with injuries.

Before the Birds even hit the field, we learned Cooper DeJean was dealing with a hamstring injury and would be placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Landon Dickerson missed the first day of practice and was limited on the second. He's recovering from a toe laceration.

C.J. Uzomah might be bad at football.

On day one, we saw Zack Baun drift back into coverage and break up a Kenny Pickett pass intended for C.J. Uzomah. That was actually one of the better plays of the first day of work.

Avonte Maddox punched one out of Uzomah's hands on day two after Uzomah caught one in the flat. We have, at times, asked if Grant Calcaterra has a shot at making the roster as the TE3 behind Uzomah and Dallas Goedert. We may need to tailor that and ask if Grant is the TE2 and if Uzomah will be left off the roster.

John Ross earns first-team reps at second practice and the ball doesn't go his way.

Parris Campbell is making the most of his looks. He ran with the first team offense as the third wide receiver on Wednesday. We saw his continued chemistry with Jalen Hurts. So far, he looks like the favorite to win the job (unless the third WR isn't on the roster yet).

On Thursday, John Ross stepped into the lineup as the WR3. Maybe we missed something, but we can't remember him doing anything of note, but that's probably because the ball didn't go his way.

He says he's faster than we last remember. Campbell has been more active in terms of touches, but don't rule Ross out of any discussions yet. He certainly appears to be in the mix, but Jalen seems to be more comfortable with Campbell.

Tyler Hall is taking advantage of the extra reps in practice.

This may not mean anything long term, but Tyler Hall saw some first-team reps at the nickel cornerback position during 7-on-7 drills. Cooper DeJean’s absence might earn him more reps, but the ceiling appears to be the practice squad.

Eagles reacquire Griffin Herbert. Why?

Speaking of ceilings, Griffin Herbert is back... again. We aren't sure why. We've heard random discussions about a possible Eagles addition, but many of us have had our fingers crossed for Justin Simmons. Instead, the Eagles bring back a guy who will sit at the bottom of the wide receiver's depth chart. Offensive lineman Gottlieb Ayedze was waived from the Active/Non-Football-Injury list to make room.

We realize the Birds need bodies for this portion of camp at all positions, but these seems to be an exercise in futility.

Ainias Smith is struggling.

We've seen Ainias Smith muff punts and drop passes in both contested situations and non-contact drills. He's a rookie we realize that. It's too early to give up, but we won't lie and say we aren't worried about his hands.

James Bradberry is still on the Eagles roster.

James Bradberry is still on the roster. He was neither dealt after June 1st nor traded. That doesn't mean he'll be on the opening-day active roster. We'll see what happens, but Cooper DeJean and Sydney Brown are both sitting out. That might leave a door open.

Or, the Eagles could be using this 'versatility' angle to lure a willing trade partner.

Worth mentioning: Jalen Hurts is as sharp as we have ever seen at this time of year.

Jalen Hurts gets a lot of flack from time to time for 'struggling' at practice sessions. Now, he's using practice to work on some aspects of his game, not to craft a perfect QB rating. Still, many seem to put a lot of stock into how efficient he is in the summer.

Those people will be happy to know he's been sharp. Kenny Pickett looked decent during the first training camp practice session but took a slight step backward during the second.

Take all of that for what you will.

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