Can We Not Complain About How Little Work the Eagles Do at Training Camp?

Training camp is back. On Tuesday, the Eagles report to camp. Meaning we are just several weeks away from the first kickoff of the season. Soon enough, Jalen Hurts will be taking the field, throwing bombs to AJ Brown, and pissing off opposing defenses by converting every single 3rd and 1. But before that can happen, we have to wait through training camp and pre-season. And as we know from past experiences with Nick Sirianni, it will be a light schedule for the Eagles players at camp. And once preseason games roll around, we will barely see starters at all.

It was a point of much debate last season. We heard time and time again how only the Eagles did so little at training camp. Less fully-padded practices than anyone. More days off. And little to no time at all in preseason games. There was so much talk about how they would look rusty to start the season, and that they were taking the new-age stuff too far.

And then they had a better start to the season than any team in the NFL. They didn't lose a game until week 10. And that was the only game they lost all season, besides the Super Bowl, with Jalen Hurts playing. They also had fewer injuries than any team. Going into that Super Bowl, every single starter was available to play. Yea, some players got dinged up here and there. Lane Johnson, Jalen Hurts, Avonte Maddox, CJ Gardner Johnson, and Dallas Goedert all missed some time. But compared to most teams, their injury luck was insanely good.

But was it just luck? Maybe there is something to the easier training camps. Maybe the old-school way of pushing the players to their limits before the first game even starts is adding unnecessary wear and tear to a sport that is already grueling on the body. And maybe Nick Sirianni and the Eagles staff are just onto something with this way of handling training camp.

So please, when we start hearing about how little the Eagles are doing at training camp this year, can we hold off on complaining? There was maybe some merit to those complaints this time last year. But it has been proven to work. Two years in a row now the Eagles have been healthier than most other teams, and it does not feel like a coincidence that they are also the team that has most jumped on board with this idea of a light schedule at training camp. So as much as some of you are nostalgic for the days of grueling camps, you can't argue with the results. Light Training Camps work.

The Eagles had a hell of a draft. And they even added some interesting names in Undrafted Free Agency. They added Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo, as well as D'Andre Swift via a trade. Before all that, they also resigned Darius Slay and James Bradberry. And in free agency, they added names like Rashaad Penny and Olamide Zaccheaus. Not to mention it was already a Super Bowl-caliber roster. But a busy offseason like that means there will be some training camp battles to watch.

Some guys will be fighting for a roster spot. Even if they are on the roster, they have to compete for snaps. A lot of these additions will be battling for playing time with either other new guys on the roster, or guys who were already here last year.

Could Ty Zentner supplant Arryn Siposs as the Eagles' punter? Who will be the Eagles' lead back? Will Quez Watkins lose his job as the Eagles' Slot WR? Which of the new Cornerback additions will be the first guy off the bench in the case of an injury? Who will be the Eagles' new starting Right Guard? The starting Safety alongside Terrell Edmunds? Let's take a look at all of these training camp battles for the Eagles and more.

New addition Terrell Edmunds is likely locked into one of the starter spots at Safety. He has been a solid dependable starter for the Steelers for years. And neither of the other Safeties on the roster have real starting experience. The battle will be for that second Safety spot.

K'Von Wallace and the other deep bench guys are out. Before the draft, it looked like it was Reed Blankenship's job. But then in the 3rd round, the Eagles selected Sydney Brown out of Illinois. A hard-hitting Safety, who made a ton of plays, and was the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Anytime you are a 3rd round pick, you will have a chance to start. This could end up being one of the most interesting battles in camp. Here is the case for each guy to win it.

Sydney Brown

4 of the 5 spots along the line are set in stone. But at RG, there is an opening. Isaac Seumalo left in free agency. When Seumalo signed with the Steelers, the assumption was that Cam Jurgens would slide over to RG for a year since Jason Kelce was returning for one more season. But like at Safety, the Eagles draft, the Eagles took an Offensive Lineman in the 3rd round, Tyler Steen. And it seems he may get a chance to compete for that RG spot.

Tyler Steen

And here we have a 3-way battle. When Miles Sanders left in Free Agency, it looked like it would be Kenny Gainwell stepping into the lead role. But now going into camp, he may be the 3rd guy on the totem poll. First, the Eagles added Rashaad Penny. When Penny has been healthy he has been super productive. The problem is he can't stay healthy. Meanwhile, they also brought in D'Andre Swift.

The 3 will be competing for the job of lead back. The good thing with this battle though, is even those who don't win it, could still see the field plenty. The Eagles will likely rotate through all 3 and ride the hot hand in each individual game. There may not be a true lead guy like there was with Miles Sanders last year, unless one of them really stands out.

D'Andre Swift 

Kenny Gainwell

The Eagles finally brought in some competition for Arryn Siposs. Siposs started strong in 2021, but in the second half of that season, and all of last season, struggled badly. The Eagles signed Kansas State Punter Ty Zentner to compete with Siposs in camp.

Neither Ringo or Williams will be able to get one of the 3 starting spots. Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox are all safe in their spot as starters. But the Eagles did run some 4 CB schemes at times last year. And if there are injuries, there is some competition for who will be the first guy off the bench. That fight would likely be between Ringo and Williams.

The battle for the job as Slot WR has a chance to make a big impact. Last year as the 3rd WR, Quez Watkins played 681 snaps, just over half of the Eagles' total snaps. Zach Pascal had just 338. Whichever guy does not win the job will see a significant drop. Even worse was the disparity in targets. So can Watkins hold onto his job?