Jordan Davis Impressing Early in Camp, Praised By Fangio
A big story going into this season is the conditioning of Jordan Davis. In his rookie year he failed to make much of an impact, and eventually saw the Eagles…
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis #90 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the NFL game
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)A big story going into this season is the conditioning of Jordan Davis. In his rookie year he failed to make much of an impact, and eventually saw the Eagles sign Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to supplant him. In year 2, he got much more playing time and looked great at first. We saw that playing time take it's toll with him falling off a cliff late in the season.
So the question is, did he come to camp in better condition this year? Will Jordan Davis be able to hold up over a full season?
We may not know the real answer to that until December when we see how he holds up late into the season. But from what we can tell now, he is on the right track. That is not me saying that, his defensive coordinator is saying the same thing. Vic Fangio was asked about Davis and had nothing but praise for him and Jalen Carter.
"I thought they looked good... Jordan showed some good movement ability, and was able to bend his move in ways I haven't seen before, so it is encouraging right now."
How Much Weight Should We Put In Fangio's Praise of Jordan Davis?
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Those are nice comments, but is it just a coach praising one of his players? With Vic Fangio we can probably take it at face value. Tim McManus joined us later in the same day, and explained why Fangio's brutal honesty about other players, makes him more inclined to believe Fangio when he heaps praise on Jordan Davis.
"When he says something positive, you take it at face value. He doesn't pump people up if they aren't doing well. If they are, he will let you know about it, and I think you can accept that.... What I saw today was encouraging from Davis, there was one play where he flushed Hurts out, stayed stride for stride with him, and forced an incompletion." -Tim McManus
McManus also told us about a play where David plugged the gap to stop Saquon Barkley in his tracks. Obviously there is no tackling, put he put himself in position to make a big play.
Trust What Vic Fangio Says
Vic Fangio straight up told us that it is really hard for corners to transition to safety when asked about James Bradberry. When asked about Bryce Huff, he pretty much told us he is not ready yet to be an every down player. He did not nice up his comments about other players. While those comments might worry us about those other players, they should make us feel better about Jordan Davis.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Fangio is not someone who will lie to cover for a player. He was very honest with every question asked. So when he said Davis is bending well, and looks good, believe it.
Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter might be the most important players on this defense. Last year, when those two played well, the defense was actually getting by. It was not until they fell off a cliff that the defense fell apart.
If they can play like they did in the first 11 games last season, this will at the very least be a passable defense. The Eagles are relying on them a ton. So to hear Fangio be so postive about them, is a great sign.
Again, we need to see it over a full season. Doing it in camp is nice, but he did it in camp, and for 11 weeks last season. But we know what happened after that.
That said, they are doing the right things, and are on the right track. That is one of the best things we have seen so far in camp. Those two player will decide how good the Eagles defense is.
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Every year in Eagles camp, there is some random player who wins the hearts and minds of Eagles fans. Someone who goes from a relative unknown to everyone's favorite player. They smash onto the scene in camp and in preseason games and have fans frothing at the mouth to make the final 53-man roster.
The truth is that player usually does not make the roster, or really ever make it in the NFL. There are outliers, but often times that player who comes out of nowhere in Eagles camp doesn't end up going anywhere.
The Past Eagles Camp Heros
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I am talking about guys like Paul Turner, Rasheed Bailey, Tyree Jackson, and Dane Evans. Often times it is skill players. It is hard for Offensive Linemen to stand out too much. It has happened.
Jordan Mailata is the rare example of that type of guy working out. Alex Villeneuve was a darling as a Lineman, got cut, and made it elsewhere. So sometimes it pans out, and fans were right to fall in love.
But the vast majority of the guys we fell in love with were WRs, or pass rushers. Those are the guys who have the chance to stand out in camp, or in preseason games by putting up big numbers.
Someone in the second half of preseason games has to get targets. Getting a chance to play against 2nd string, or 3rd string corners or Linemen, might give those players a chance to beat up on their peers a bit. It is why Paul Turner, who never did much in the NFL, was so explosive in Eagles camp.
But who will be that guy this year? Which guy on the fringes of the Eagles roster are fans going to swoon for? Which players can be the standouts at Eagles camp? Whose name will have Eagles fans upset when they inevitably miss the cut?
Here are 7 Names That Could Be This Year's Eagles Camp Hero:
John Ross
Speed does not always play in the NFL, but it can play in camp. It is easy to see someone as fast as John Ross impressing in camp with his straight-line speed. With a few long TDs in practice or a pre-season game, Eagles fans will fall in love and think he is going to have a breakout season at 28 years old, 7 years after being drafted.
He is a long shot to make the team, even with a good camp. We have seen him struggle in the NFL. He has had a lot of shots and didn't make use of any of them. But he has the skill set to be a guy who looks good in practice.
Johnny Wilson
Eagles fans love a tall WR. Wilson is tall, with decent speed. Like Ross, he has some traits that could make him stand out in practice.
Does he have the skills to be an NFL WR, we don't know. But he easily could have a big pre-season game and win the hearts of Eagles fans who are crazy enough to be locked into the second half of the 3rd Pre-Season game. Then it is just a matter of if he can crack the roster. But I could see him being a practice squad guy unless he is so good he forces their hand.
Kendall Milton
An RB from Georgia, of course, Eagles fans will fall in love. I doubt we see much of Barkley or Gainwell in the pre-season. Someone has to get carries. Will Shipley will get a good chunk, but so will UDFA Kendall Milton.
Milton was a fine back in College. There is nothing overly special about him, but he is solid. If he gets a ton of carries in these games, I won't be shocked if he puts up big numbers. I doubt he makes the team though. Barkley, Gainwell, and Shipley are locks. Will they keep a 4th RB? I doubt it. But Eagles fans might fall in love with him anyway.
Joseph Ngata
Ngata was a camp darling last year. He impressed in camp but then was relegated to the practice squad. He will get another chance to be a camp darling this year. But it will be an uphill battle to make the roster yet again. There are a lot of WRs competing for a few spots.
At one point he was a highly touted College recruit. we never quite saw it, which is why he was a UDFA. But the traits that had him highly regarded going into College are still there, and can still show up on a practice field.
Isaiah Rodgers
Rodgers is already a camp darling and camp hasn't started. There were Eagles fans who swore the Eagles did not need to draft a corner because they had Rodgers. Thankfully the Eagles disagreed and drafted 2 of them.
Rodgers was a good corner for the Colts. But he is no lock to make the team. Cornerback is the busiest position on the team. 4 spots, Slay, Mitchell, Ringo, and Dejean, are locks. That leaves 7 other guys competing for maybe 2 spots. Rodgers having success in the past gives him a leg off, but I can see him getting cut, and I can see Eagles fans losing their mind about it.
Ainias Smith
Here is a camp darling who might have a chance to break tradition and actually make the team. Smith was compared to Deebo Samuel when he was drafted. The skillset speaks to a guy who would be the perfect WR3 on this team.
But again, cracking the team as a WR may be tough. They need a WR 3 though, so if he impresses in the slot, he does have a chance. of all the WRs here, I think he has the best chance to actually be something.
Nolan Smith
As a former 1st round pick, Smith does not fit the criteria of the traditional camp darling. He is a lock to make a team and comes in with high expectations. But he is a guy where his skillset has not yet matched production. I can foresee him having a huge camp, making people very excited.
Does that mean he will also be great in the season? Maybe, maybe not. We won't know until the games start. But Smith's big camp had people thinking he would make an impact last season, and he never did. I will be surprised if he is not one of the camp standouts this season too. It is just a matter of if it carries into the season again.
