Training Camp Day 5: K’Von Wallace Earned Reps, Sirianni Calls Hurts “A Coach On The Field”
K'Von Wallace runs with the football during training camp. (Philadelphia Eagles)
It’s day five of training camp at the NovaCare Complex, and Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni praised his starting quarterback.
“He’s like a coach on the field,” Sirianni said to the media before practice. “He’s operating at a very high level within the offense.”
In a particular way, Sirianni highlighted that Hurts has grown in consistency.
“He’s made some big-time plays,” Sirianni observed. “I just see his consistency over and over again.”
For Hurts, consistency is always a priority.
“I don’t think there’s been any difference in how I’ve been this whole time in terms of my goals, my approach, and my intent towards practice,” Hurts said to the media following practice. “I always try to be the best I can be and continue to learn, and continue to positively affect the people around me.”
Reports circulated over the last several days about a photo that appeared on Hurts’ lock screen, which was of him walking off the field at the end of Super Bowl LVII. Hurts declined to comment on the photo.
“If it were up to me, y’all wouldn’t know about it,” he bluntly stated.
Thursday at practice saw some movement in the second team offensive line. According to Bo Wulf of The Athletic, Tyler Steen, who until this point was lined up at right guard, was lined up on the left side of the line. Elsewhere on the depth chart, Reed Blankenship appears to be a strong frontrunner for the safety slot, and took reps with Terrell Edmunds, K’Von Wallace, and Sydney Brown.
Sirianni also praised K’Von Wallace, saying that he’s got an opportunity to be in the mix for the open safety position.
“You earn your first team reps,” Sirianni said in response to a reporter’s question about Wallace. “When you look at different guys in different spots as far as in the rotation, you want to see how they operate with the ones. You want to see if they’re normally with the twos. K’Von has earned reps, and that’s just how that situation went.”
The biggest news that occurred on the field was the early departures from practice of LB Nakobe Dean and CB James Bradberry. Dean missed all of team drills in practice, while Bradberry departed later in practice. No reports were available at press time as to the nature or extent of any injuries they incurred, though according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, an Eagles employee indicated that Dean was fine.
Dean’s early departure did open the door for Nolan Smith to get some reps in at linebacker, although he was limited there and mostly stuck to his edge rusher responsibilities.
In the running back room, Trey Sermon also got some serious praise from Sirianni before practice.
“We really liked Trey coming out of Ohio State,” Sirianni said. “We saw it every day in practice, the consistency, the athleticism, his quickness, his physicality. He’s a big, good-looking guy. And we really value that style of run he has.”
During the individual drills, various receivers and running backs got in the mix when it came to kick and punt returns. In addition to some of the standard candidates including Britain Covey who had the role last year, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, WR AJ Brown and RB Rashaad Penny got in the mix of it too.
The drill was predominantly fielding squib kicks. A rule change in the 2023 season allows for any kick to be fair caught behind the 25 yard line and the team will get the ball at the 25.
In one on one drills, Haason Reddick recorded a strip sack after blowing past lineman Jack Driscoll, while rookie Jalen Carter got taken to school by both Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.
Multiple reporters noted that Greedy Williams was flagged for pass interference on a pass thrown to AJ Brown. According to Bleeding Green Nation’s Brandon Lee Gowton, the foul was so egregious that two officials threw their flags. Additionally, according to PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski, an unidentified lineman was flagged for ineligible man downfield, a foul that plagued the Eagles in the 2022 season, where they were flagged 9 times over the 2022 regular season for ineligible man downfield. This was last in the league last year.
Sirianni also commented on how physical the team is, noting that that’s how they like to play.
“It’s a physical practice, and that’s who we pride ourselves on being is a physically tough football team,” Sirianni said.
The Eagles are back at it again tomorrow for their first back-to-back practice day of training camp.
