Kenneth Gainwell's new groove, other observations from first Eagles OTA session open to media

The calendar turns its page from May to June, and that means OTAs (organized team activities) for the Philadelphia Eagles are all the rage. The first day of a new month came with a gift. The media was allowed to hang out with the Birds at practice. Gosh, it feels great to see football again.

As expected, some of what was seen was expected. Nakobe Dean and Nicholas Morrow were the starting linebackers. Eli Ricks looks like a legitimate starting cornerback in the NFL. Now, all that is needed is for him to play like one.

There were also a few other nuggets that need to be passed along. Nolan Smith got his crack at working with the first-team defense, and if you're sick of hearing about his size, you should be.

He fit right in with everybody and looked as much like an NFL player as everyone else that was on the field. He's someone we'll be watching all season. Here are ten aspects of the open OTA session that we also enjoyed watching.

Kenneth Gainwell has been pumping iron.

Kenneth Gainwell (or Kenny G. as we affectionately refer to him) played some beautiful music on Thursday. During a blocking drill, he got a little excited and lifted an assistant off his feet. No harm and no foul though. The assistant is okay, and everything went on smoothly for the duration of the session.

Familiar faces sit out of practice.

DeVonta Smith, Avonte Maddox, Marlon Tuipulotu, and Tyrie Cleveland were among the players who weren't participating. Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham were also absent. Keep in mind, however, that all of these OTA sessions are voluntary.

Matt Patricia makes his appearance. Jordan Davis makes an impression.

We almost forgot about all of the talk that surrounded Matt Patricia this offseason and that he's on the coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant. Hey, there has been a lot going on. You'll have to forgive us on that one.

Jordan Davis is in the best shape that we have seen him in since we began following his career at Georgia. He's still huge, but he looks trimmer and leaner. Expect him to do work this season.

Don't forget about Trey Sermon.

The Eagles have six running backs at camp. D'Andre Swift was seen for the first time in his Number 0 jersey. The Birds also have Kennedy Brooks, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny, Trey Sermon, and Kenneth Gainwell on the 90-man roster. Swift, Penny, Scott, and Gainwell are all expected to make the initial 53-man roster, but don't sleep on Trey Sermon. He's a lot faster than you would think. He is also wearing Duce Staley's old number (22).

Sorry about that. We just had a couple of flashbacks about the Pickle Juice Game in Texas.

Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown were present and accounted for.

The safety position has been one we have discussed often (and for good reason). Believe it or not, those Budda Baker rumors are beginning to float again.

Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown are making nice initial impressions but in two different manners. The former is entering his sixth season, his first with his new team. The latter is a rookie enjoying his first OTA session in the NFL.

Here's our prediction. Both are going to do work this season. Brown was all over the place and played sideline to sideline during 7-on-7 drills. He covers the field and does so in a hurry. Philly got a steal in Round 3.

Remember that Greg Ward fellow?

We might be in the minority here, but we have always liked Greg Ward and have believed he'd be okay if given an opportunity. Yeah, he had that drop at MetLife Stadium in the end zone versus the Giants once. We know he wasn't drafted, but he has done more good than harm, kind of like Boston Scott (who also doesn't get enough opportunities).

Today, Greg worked second in individual drills behind A.J. Brown. Keep an eye on Number 84 as we continue to move through the summer.

The Tyree Jackson experiment continues.

It seems like we have been talking about this transition by Tyree Jackson from being a college quarterback to an NFL tight end much longer than we have. He's always impressive at practice and catches the eye. He has tremendous size at six-foot-seven and 249 pounds. The question is can he stay healthy?

If he can prove that's possible, he could challenge for a roster spot. The Philadelphia Eagles are giving him every opportunity to be successful.

Fear Ty Zentner... But, not if you're Arryn Siposs.

We can't remember the last time there was a battle between specialists that we cared more about. Arryn Siposs is back. Most Eagles fans hate hearing that, but undrafted rookie Ty Zentner is also here. Folks, he came here to win a job, but it may not happen.

The first day of June brought with it some nice hang time on his punts. They don't call him 'Legatron' for no reason. Josh Tolentino clocked one at 4.5 seconds, but Arryn Siposs took him to task. Siposs may lose the punter's job, but it won't be to Zentner. Dang, where was this type of effort from Siposs past February? Arryn isn't going away quietly though. He has uncorked some boomers as well.

Why didn't anyone tell us that Olamide Zaccheaus can run so well?

Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins are expected to battle for the starting slot wide receiver position, and folks, Zaccheaus is faster than advertised. He isn't Quez Watkins fast, but he is most certainly a burner. Both will probably make the team, but watching them compete will still be fun.

Just so you know, Quez isn't backing down from any challenges. All afternoon, he seemingly got open at will. He and Jalen Hurts failed to connect on a deep ball, but there should be no worries there. Something tells us that formula will work when it counts.

Here's a look at the depth chart at punt returner, for now.

Philly seems intent on giving DeVonta Smith some work as a punt returner, but as mentioned, he was absent. In his place, the Eagles' depth chart at punt returner shook out as follows: Britain Covey, Greg Ward, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins.

Thankfully, there's no contact at OTAs, so Covey didn't have to do his crash test dummy impersonation.

Bonus: We couldn't leave Marcus Mariota out.

The expectation created by bringing Marcus Mariota in was the Eagles had upgraded their backup quarterback position. Most believe that theory to be true.

During 7-on-7 drills, he looked both impressive and sharp. Pass attempts weren't hitting the turf. He did, however, get one picked off by Christian Elliss. Just in case you're late to the party, Elliss is talented and can ball. Expect him to make the roster as he's also talented on special teams.

Joseph Ngata, Greg Ward, and Britain Covey were among the targets, but again, we're talking 7-on-7 drills with no pads. We won't lie to you though. We're still excited.