Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsPMC
The Philadelphia Eagles held their first of three joint practices scheduled with the Baltimore Ravens ahead of their preseason game on Saturday.
For Eagles fans, this practice carried with it added significance because it represented the first time that new quarterback Sam Bradford played against a live pass rush from another team.
Bradford played well for the most part, even if there were some moments of inconsistency. He had several nice throws today during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, stepping up into the pocket in the face of pressure and delivering accurate strikes to his receivers. But, he had some questionable moments as well, which is to be expected given his lengthy time off:
Bradford looks OK in last 11o11. Near INT followed up by nice pass to Matthews #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 19, 2015
Most importantly, Bradford came away from the practice unscathed. A good sign for the new Eagles quarterback who has been battling knee injuries for the better part of the last two season.
All reports suggest Bradford will get his first taste of action Saturday night against Baltimore. The most important thing will be to make sure Bradford stays healthy. However, the other thing to watch is how Bradford performs under pressure.
Second round pick Eric Rowe turned in an uneven performance. He was beaten badly on several plays by veteran wideout Steve Smith. But, Rowe continues to make plays after the catch, with three punch outs today in practice. Per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that effort is not being lost on his veteran counterparts:
Maxwell on Rowe: "The light's coming on for him. He punched 3 balls out — I don't know if you guys realize that. That's 3 turnovers."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) August 19, 2015
In other words, Rowe is a typical rookie still adjusting to NFL. He has obvious physical tools with which he can work. It will just take some time for Rowe to put it altogether and compete. But the Eagles new that already, and have Nolan Carroll available to bridge the gap until Rowe is ready.
Overall, though, there is a clear difference between this secondary and year's past. ESPN.com's Louis Riddick pointed this out last week while visiting the Eagles' training camp. Zach Berman echoed those sentiments today:
Understand it's a different opponent, but clear difference in how Eagles' DBs looked today compared to last 2 yrs vs. NE. Better in coverage
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) August 19, 2015
Another player that keeps making plays is Kenjon Barner. The former Oregon product returned a punt for a touchdown in the Eagles opening preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and damn near broke a Ravens linebacker's ankles on this play (video courtesy of Josh Paunil at Birds 24/7.com):
Tim Tebow to Kenjon Barner, who put a dirty move on the Ravens' defender. pic.twitter.com/BVYcqxdMdH
— Josh Paunil (@JoshPaunil) August 19, 2015
While Chip Kelly insists that an open competition remains for the right guard spot, Andrew Gardner has seen the majority of first team reps as of late, and that continued today. Keep an eye on whether Gardner gets the majority of first team reps Saturday night. It could be a sign that the competition is drawing to a close, which would be a minor upset given that most people believed Matt Tobin was the favorite at the start of training camp.
Let's end on a high note: Jordan Matthews was really good today. The Ravens did not seem to have an answer for the second year wideout, who consistently got open over the middle. He connected with Bradford on several occasions and is really starting to show signs that he can make the jump to a top-20 wideout this year. However, there was a scary moment during practice when Matthews took a hard hit from Ravens defensive back Will Hill:
Jordan Matthews just took a little pop from Ravens DB Will Hill. Fell to the turf, got up and didn't appear to like it.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) August 19, 2015
Matthews turned out to be okay. Had it been a game, Hill likely would have received a fine and possibly even a suspension. The dangers of joint practices should be self-evident: the desire for players to protect their own from injury no longer applies when you are facing another team. Here's hoping we survive the next two practices injury free.
