By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
On the opening drive against Tampa Bay last Thursday, Eagles offensive coaches gave a glimpse of the type of power football that many fans have been craving for years. On Monday morning, Doug Pederson continued affirming his commitment to using brawn to produce a solid rushing attack when he called on one of his offensive lineman to help lead block in the backfield.
Eagles gave former LSU TE Dillon Gordon now OG some reps at FB. They're not in pads, but when they are, those collisions will be major.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 15, 2016
One area where a fierce rushing attack helps a football team is in keeping the quarterbacks healthy.
After Carson Wentz's injury in the preseason opener, much has been made as to whether Pederson could’ve done more to protect his future starting quarterback. While Wentz may have been in the game too long, it’s not commonplace to see such heavy blitzing in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. In fact, the Bucs were blitzing Wentz throughout the night in attempt to exploit the Eagles subpar offensive line depth.
While certainly within the rules, there is usually a mutual understanding between coaches that blitzing is kept to a minimum in the preseason, especially when a rookie quarterback is getting accustomed to the speed of the NFL.
Carson Wentz was present and observing the training session this morning, but didn’t partake in Eagles practice as he recuperates from a hairline fracture to his ribs. Mychal Kendricks, Jalen Mills and Hunter Sharp all missed practice due to hamstring injuries this morning, while Jordan Matthews and Mike Martin were absent from the helmets and shells session with knee injuries.
Having returned from a quad injury, speedy running back Wendell Smallwood was back to displaying his brisk agility this morning. The West Virginia product is in a battle with Kenjon Barner for the third running back job, and Smallwood will need to remain on the practice field to give himself a strong chance at unseating Barner.
Wendell Smallwood is getting some snaps in team drills. Looks healthy with his cuts and acceleration. #Eagles
— Aaron Kasinitz (@AaronKazreports) August 15, 2016
Drops have plagued the Eagles immensely since the rookies and selected veterans kicked off training camp on July 25. The troubling trend continued on Monday when McLeod Bethel-Thompson fired an accurate pass over the middle of the field, only to sail through the hands of a wide open David Watford. Additionally, Nelson Agholor had an abysmal drop this morning during team drills. The second-year receiver’s stock has steadily declined since starting off camp on the right foot.
Caleb Sturgis and Cody Parkey attempted five field goals each on Monday, and all ten kicks sailed between the NovaCare Complex uprights, including successful attempts by each kicker from 46, 48 and 54 yards. Sturgis continues to lead the competition at this point, having made just over 90 percent of his kicks in training camp compared to Parkey’s 77 percent success rate.
There was limited action at Eagles practice this morning after training at Lincoln Financial Field last night. The team will be back on the practice field Tuesday morning ahead of Thursday’s preseason game against the Steelers.
