Eagles OTA Preview: What To Look For

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles started Phase III of their offseason work Monday at the NovaCare Complex with Day 1 of six on-field OTAs over the next two weeks.

Once those are completed Philadelphia will have a mandatory minicamp for the first time in the Nick Sirianni era from June 4-6 before breaking until training camp starts in late July.

It’s important to remember that the OTAs remain voluntary and while the Eagles generally have excellent attendance at these activities, there is some give and take with the veteran players. For example, now-retired defensive tackle Fletcher Cox would often pop in and out but felt it was important to show his face to the younger players.

The entirety of offseason work is far more important for rookies and younger players still in the developmental stages of their respective careers.

Reporters will be on hand later this week to see the rookies with the veterans for the first time but the first fully open practice will be the June 4 minicamp session.

With that in mind, here are some of the things we will be looking for:

James Bradberry’s Status

-Bradberry is probably on his way out of Philadelphia after the Eagles selected two cornerbacks – Quinyon Mitchell and Copper DeJean – in the first 40 picks of April’s draft.

Because Bradberry is not going to help on special teams, it’s doubtful the Eagles would want to carry him as a backup. That said, Philadelphia would like to get something in return for Bradberry and may push the decision on him into training camp. Bradberry, on the other hand, would like to be released as soon as possible and be able to negotiate with other teams. With the work being voluntary, it would be an upset if Bradberry showed for OTAs.

If Bradberry does stay away expect either No. 22 overall pick Quinyon Mitchell or second-year man Kelee Ringo to get the reps opposite Darius Slay.

The Backup RG

-Second-year man Tyler Steen will start the process as the starting right guard but is expected to face competition for the job into the summer. Individual work will give us a window into Jeff Stoutland’s early thinking with rookie fifth-round pick Trevor Keegan and veteran interior player Matt Hennessy the likely candidates.

Hennessy, a Temple product, claimed he was a full-go earlier this spring after knee injuries largely derailed his final two seasons in Atlanta. Complicating matters for Hennessy is he also projects to be the backup center To Cam Jurgens if he’s healthy and if you’re in the pivot on the second team, it would be quite the trick to get RG reps.

Other lesser-known players Stoutland may want to take a look at guard include Brett Toth, and futures signings Jason Poe and Darian Kinnard.

Nick Sirianni has made it clear that 2020 Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton will start his reclamation project outside at offensive tackle.

WR3

Reporters will be kicked out before the Eagles tip their hand at who’s starting as the WR3 in 11 personnel. There is little doubt, though, that veteran free-agent signing Parris Campbell will get the first opportunity.

The competition looks sparse because the other veteran backup is DeVante Parker, a 6-foot-3 contested-catch, outside-the-numbers player who has difficulty generating separation at this stage. That leaves rookie fifth-round pick Ainias Smith and punt returner Britain Covey, whose lack of size is something the Eagles see as problematic on offense.

Zack Baun?

Baun has turned into a story because he’s a player targeted by the Eagles early in free agency as a player with room to grow. Since then, there have been conflicting evaluations of Baun from GM Howie Roseman and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Roseman portrayed Baun as a potential edge/flat defender like Fangio used fellow Wisconsin product Andrew Van Ginkel in Miami last season while Fangio noted he believes Baun can play off the ball, a need with Nakobe Dean coming off an injury-plagued season and reclamation project Devin White penciled in.

The guess is Baun just has the versatility to do both but Fangio is much better stocked on the edge than at LB.

Move the Chains?

The Eagles’ top three running backs are locked in – Saquon Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, and rookie fourth-round pick Will Shipley. That could be it with no obvious fourth option. For the past two seasons, Philadelphia kept a RB4 on the roster that barely played, Trey Sermon in 2022 and Rashaad Penny last season so in theory three RBs should be enough.

Two things work against that: Barkley’s injury history and the redundancy of the skill sets the top three possess. The Eagles could use a north-south, move-the-chains option at the bottom of the 90-man roster has three candidates: futures signing Ty Davis-Price, a 2022 San Francisco third-round pick, undrafted rookie Kendall Milton of Georgia, and Lew Nichols, who has the upper hand of Eagles' practice-squad time last season.

RBs can’t show their physicality until the pads come on but the little things could give one of the three a leg up for training camp.

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