A.J. Brown Consuming Targets as Eagles Integrate Him into Offense
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles’ offense ran through 6 and 88 last year.
Nick Sirianni made no secret of that. Get the ball to DeVonta Smith (6) and Dallas Goedert (88) and let the rest of the targets trickle down from there in the passing game.
Now, the coach and quarterback Jalen Hurts are working on integrating a third piece in A.J. Brown. So, if it seems that the newcomer is getting a lot of targets in camp so far, that’s accurate.
It’s even more glaring since Smith is on the shelf once again in camp. He missed some time with an injury last summer and he was out for a third straight day with a groin injury when the Eagles held their one and only open practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night.
“I think you're constantly trying to make the plays for your playmakers,” said Sirianni prior to Sunday night’s practice. “DeVonta has been out for a little bit, but he'd be in the high target mix as well.
“We know that's how we like to play offense, too. That's who the offense runs through. That's no secret. We run the offense through - now we have three guys to really run the offense through, and we're excited about that.”
A.J. Brown, shown here during a training camp practice, had a 30-yard TD catch during Sunday night's practice at the Linc.
USA Today
So it was that Brown and Hurts connected for perhaps the best offensive play of the night where there were several to pick from.
Brown burst down the right sideline with James Bradberry nearby and Marcus Epps closing in.
Hurts threw a nice pass that Brown collected near the goal line and kept his balance long enough to complete the touchdown throw from about 30 yards away.
Slay spoke about Brown and matching up against him prior to practice on zoom.
“We’ve been competing at a high level,” said Slay. “He’s just competitive. He’s a great guy. We’re teaching each other how to play different positions, how to guard each other, and he’s big physical guy. I needed help with big physical guys. He needs help with a lot of fast guys, so we’re helping each other out.
“Man, he’s real good. Here’s making all the tough catches. He turns 50-50 ball to 70-30. He’s very challenging. He’s getting me better every day and I’m going to continue to try to get him better.”
With three WRs that need their targets, there won’t be much left over for receivers such as Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, and others.
Quez Watkins practices at the Linc on Sunday night.
Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today
“Of course, you want to manufacture touches for all your guys so they build confidence, and you can see them run plays, but does the coverage allow you to do that always? No,” said Sirianni. “So, we know how vital Quez Watkins is to this offense and the speed that he brings to this offense.
“That's been an emphasis last couple days in practices, making sure we are getting Quez going and seeing him with the ball in his hands, I think you saw that the other day in practice. So that's just the way the offense is run.
“But the coverage can take the ball to where it needs to go. I think Jalen is doing an awesome job at that, of going where he needs to go with the ball based off the defense.”
Targets aside, Slay said the three top WRs are helping him improve.
“All the guys here forced me to get better in a different type of way,” he said. “I use every one. For instance, me with Quez. If I go against Quez Watkins, I focus on my quickness, my speed down the field. With A.J., bigger body guy who likes to get into my comfort one and try to create contact to get separation. Smitty is just a guy who’s a smooth route runner.
"So, I have all different types of aspects of the game from all our receiving corps because they’re so gifted in that room that I kind of get everything I want to get when I’m going against another team or another guy that I’m going against because all of them are special in their own ways.”
Of course, there’s only one football, so there is going to be an odd man out from time to time.
Right now, though, it sure doesn’t look like that odd man out will be Brown, who has consumed a large portion of the targets since training camp began.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
