CAMP NOTEBOOK: Alshon Jeffery Plays Catch, Rookie WRs Stand Out, and More

PHILADELPHIA - On one of the side fields at training camp, Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery plays catch with a member of the Eagles training staff.

He’s not really stretching too much for a catch or bending over far on the low throws. He made catching the balls thrown right at him look easy, often plucking them from the air with one hand, sometimes his right hand, other times his left.

Little-known fact, though: It appears Jeffery is ambidextrous. He was throwing spirals with both arms.

From 50 yards away, he doesn’t look like he will be ready to start the season on Sept. 13, especially after rehabbing all offseason long from Lisfranc surgery.

While Jeffrey plays catch, the Eagles three drafted rookie receivers are shining.

John Hightower made another catch deep down a sideline, following up Monday’s bug-gainer from Jalen Hurts on Monday with a deep connection from Carson Wentz on the final play of Tuesday’s practice.

Quez Watkins had two touchdown catches in red-zone drills on Monday and looks fluid in the way he runs. He worked at returning kickoffs on Tuesday, as did Jalen Reagor.

There wasn’t any noticeable drop off from Reagor on Tuesday from his eye-opening debut practice in full pads a day earlier.

“Just go out there and play,” said Reagor via Zoom following Tuesday’s practice. “I don’t try to stretch and make things happen. I just play naturally, stick to what I know.”

Reagor appears to have the inside track as the primary punt returner, but he had two muffed punts on Monday, which may be the only visible mistakes anyone has seen from him so far.

“I feel like they’ve been pretty solid days,” said Reagor. “I did have two muffs, but the other punts I got. That’s maybe two out of 70, whatever the case may be. I feel like I’m making good progress. I feel like I’m getting better each and every day.

“The coaches are giving me good feedback. They see that I work hard and want to get better every day. That’s all I can do as a rookie.”

Reagor has been lining up with the first team, opposite DeSean Jackson, who had a maintenance day off on Tuesday.

It’s easy to say it’s early, but it’s really not with the regular season right around the corner, and, so far, the three rookies like keepers.

“All three of them are doing pretty well,” said cornerback Avonte Maddox after Tuesday’s practice. “They’re all fast, good feet, and I’m excited to see what those guys do on game day. They’ve definitely been out here working hard and putting in the effort, getting as many reps as they can when they’re out there on the field and they’re making the most out of it. I’m challenging with them, competing with them, and am giving them (all I got).”

Will it be enough to earn a roster spot?

That may hinge on Jeffrey.

QUOTE OF THE DAY I

“If it wasn’t Ertz, if it was anyone else, I would’ve made a clean hit, stay off the head, but the ball would’ve popped out and went in someone else’s hands. We always have to stay safe at practice. Zach is a very valuable piece to our offense. I knew once I saw 86 I was going nowhere near that.” – Maddox on whether he could have made a play on a deep cross pattern to tight end Zach Ertz that he snagged from Carson Wentz and ran into the end zone.

QUOTE OF THE DAY II

“Man, I’m out here working. I’m trying to go All-Pro this year, man. I understand you gotta take my rest too. I’m not saying that. For sure, they walk up to me and ask me. I want my rest on lighter days than these days because I know when that first game comes, the adrenaline is going to be rushing and I’m going to need all the wind I can get.

“The extra reps are definitely not going to hurt, but they scale me back a little bit. I don’t want to miss the hard days because we can’t this time back, and we don’t have much time to waste anyway. Holler at me next week.” Brandon Graham on why he didn’t take a maintenance day off like some of the other 30-somethings on the team like Jackson, Jason Kelce, Malik Jackson, and Jason Peters.

NOTES: With Kelce and Peters out, the first-team offensive line looked like this from left to right: Andre Dillard, Matt Pryor, Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, Lane Johnson …

Jalen Hurts looked good in red-zone work. On one play, he play-actioned to a running back sweeping left then Hurts waited for safety Marcus Epps to bite and go with the flow before taking off to his right and hitting Joshua Perkins for a touchdown. The rookie second-round pick continues to impress with his footwork…

Former Eagles and current members of the team’s front office, Darren Sproles and Connor Barwin, were at practice, with Sproles mentoring players working at punt and kick returns and Barwin serving as a quarterback – one who held a dummy bag - during one-on-one linemen drills. Barwin didn’t throw the ball but shuffled back and forth to give the pass rushers a target.

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