Getty DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor could give the Eagles one of the most dynamic one-two punches in football at the wide receiver spot.
Nick Sirianni coached some pretty talented wide receivers last year in Indianapolis. T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, Parris Campbell. None of them were faster than the guys running routes at Philadelphia Eagles’ camp right now.
Sirianni, the former offensive coordinator for the Colts, has been seeing blurs all over the field in 11-on-11 drills. Whether it’s Jalen Reagor catching 80-yard bombs down the sideline, or Quez Watkins exploding off the line of scrimmage, or DeVonta Smith playing with the JUGs machine, there is speed all over the field. Track stars everywhere.
Sirianni credited Eagles general manager Howie Roseman for drafting players he can develop. And new passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo – a former wide receivers coach in Indy – seems in awe of the group, commenting the Colts never had receivers like this, ones who could outrun a coalition of cheetahs.
“I’ve been very pleased with the entire group,” Sirianni told reporters on Monday. “I think Kevin Patullo keeps coming up to me and he keeps saying, ‘We didn’t have this speed in Indy.’ He’s like, ‘And we sure as heck didn’t have it right away.’ We’re seeing that we’ve got some guys that can really run, so I’m really excited about that.”
Nick Sirianni is very hands on coaching up his receivers
John Hightower has been another guy imitating a lightning bolt in early practices, according to Sirianni. He has really been impressed with the group as a whole. He also mentioned Boston Scott’s abilities as a running back out of the backfield.
“Guys that are multiple with what they can do and not just a one-trick pony to say, they’re hard to defend,” Sirianni said. “So I’m glad we have Boston because he seems like he can do a lot.”
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Smith Participating in Meetings, Rehabbing
Smith is being held out for precautionary reasons after tweaking his knee during Friday’s session. The injury has been deemed minor but the 10th overall pick may sit out the entire preseason. That doesn’t mean Smith will be inactive or sedentary. He was working on a side field on Tuesday and stuck around to watch practice.
DeVonta Smith (knee) is week to week but is working on the JUGS machine today.
According to Sirianni, the plan is to keep him engaged mentally and he’ll participate in all the team meetings. They want him “mentally sharp” for Week 1 or whenever he’s cleared. There is no timetable for a return.
“We just want him to attack his rehab, and get ready as soon as he can,” Sirianni said. “We want him to have as many reps as he possibly can. This is a different game. NFL and college football are different games, so we want him to get as many reps as he can and we’ll play that day by day, week by week.”
.@Tim_McManus says that Mailata>Dillard TODAY, CB Zech McPhearson is around the ball a lot & may have a shot, Hurts wasn’t bad, but not as good as yesterday, Quez Watkins flashed w/ Smith out, and Sirianni practices are quicker than Doug P’s so far. Again, still early
Zach Ertz Has Plenty Left in Tank
Zach Ertz not only reported to camp on time, but he’s showing that Father Time needed a reset. The 30-year-old tight end has plenty left in the tank. He displayed it on a deep crosser on Tuesday and put everybody on notice on Saturday after rumbling through the entire defense. Sirianni has been “really, really impressed” with Ertz.
“He’s been such a productive player in this league for so long, and you see it on game tape from afar, right? But then when you get to be able to go to practice and see in meetings, he’s just a very instinctual player and very smart football player,” Sirianni said. “We want to use those strengths that he has right there to be able to find holes in the defense because he does have this, he just has a supreme feel that is very typical among good players.”
👀 Zach Ertz looks focused as he takes the field this morning with the Eagles
Ertz in the last year of his deal is expected to be on the roster week 1 in Atlanta per GM Howie Roseman
“He cares so much about this team and this city. Just really good to see him out there”
It’s way too early to suggest Ertz could win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. No one’s making that prediction after six practices. However, the three-time Pro Bowler looks to be a big part of the Eagles’ offense.