We’ve made it though one week of Eagles training camp. The team has held five practices, with Tuesday’s being the first in pads. More practices in pads are coming, and the first preseason game is next Thursday, so there’s still plenty to learn about the state of the 2025 Eagles.
But here are five takeaways from the first week:
Kevin Patullo’s offense is showing some wrinkles
The last few practices were won by the defense, but wins and losses in training camp rarely matter. Nobody’s keeping score. What’s important for the offense is that we’ve seen various formations using motion, and a decent amount of moving parts as first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo is putting his stamp on this year’s playbook.
Patullo has said he would carry over many of the schematics installed last year by prior OC Kellen Moore, which included a decent amount of motion although less than in Moore’s past stints, and we’ve seen some of that already. Tanner McKee pointed out that the offense has been marrying different pass concepts out of the same formations, and throwing in motion, so that the defense can’t easily identify the play call. That’s the kind of spice an offense needs to avoid becoming stale.
Off-ball linebacker competition is off to a good start
With Nakobe Dean on PUP and not expected to come off before the end of camp, the Eagles have auditioned second-year pro Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and rookies Jihaad Campbell and Smael Mondon Jr. in that spot alongside Zack Baun. For those counting, that’s 104 total NFL defensive snaps among the three – all from Trotter Jr.
But so far, so good. All three candidates to start opposite Baun until Dean returns bring a different skill set but all three have flashed during the first week. Trotter Jr. is the least athletic of the trio but has the best instincts and is usually in the right place at the right time (it’s almost as if he’s been trained by an NFL linebacker…). Campbell shocked everyone – his defensive coordinator included – just by being healthy enough and recovered from his shoulder surgery by the start of camp. His athleticism is staggering but he’s also shown that he can be in the right spot and make plays. He’s got a ton of juice. More practices in pads next week and the preseason games will show Campbell’s preparedness as a run defender. Mondon is lighting-quick and reactive. This stacked linebacker group has some real potential.
Vic Fangio doesn’t have the personnel influence you think he does
When the Eagles make a strange signing that appears to be an iffy fit and reporters question it – like Devin White last year, for example – we reporters tend to get “feedback,” we’ll go with that word – from readers that it must be a good move because Vic Fangio signed off on it and he’s forgotten more about football than we’ll ever know so we should all just shut up and… OK, you get the point. Fangio admitted Tuesday that Howie Roseman, the man in charge of making roster decisions, is actually the one who makes the roster decisions.
Fangio said he didn’t even watch tape of Adoree’ Jackson or give much of an opinion of the player before Roseman signed the veteran cornerback because, well, Roseman wanted to sign him.
“And when Howie wants to sign anybody, it doesn’t matter what I say,” Fangio added.
Does Roseman get feedback from his coaches? Of course. But ultimately, whether or not the Eagles acquire or move a player is Roseman’s call. You have all been reminded.
OL depth is a question mark, for now
The Eagles have a slew of offensive linemen competing for jobs but depth, at the moment, is questionable. As our Jimmy Kempski has pointed out time and time again, Brett Toth’s run at backup center has to end soon, but who’ll assume the role? The Eagles have rookie Drew Kendall and second-year pro Trevor Keegan repping there. Kenyon Green, an asset acquired from the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, has only been available for a few practices and clearly isn’t competing with Tyler Steen to start at right guard. One of the rookie tackles, Cameron Williams, has really struggled against pass rushers. The second-team O-line as a whole has allowed pressures in camp and, with the pads finally out, needs to show improvement there.
This secondary could be studly, when settled
Right now, there’s just so many moving parts in the defensive backfield. You got Cooper DeJean at safety and nickelback. You got Quinyon Mitchell at left and right cornerback. You got Adoree Jackson competing against Kelee Ringo. You got Mac McWilliams playing inside and outside. You got Andrew Mukuba, Sydney Brown, Tristin McCollum all repping on the first team alongside Reed Blankenship with the starters.
What the defense’s base, nickel and other sub-packages will look like in September is far from settled in July. But one constant throughout camp is that the defensive backs are making plays, getting their hands on balls, supplying tight coverage and even forced some turnovers this week. Quarterbacks have held onto the ball longer than usual so far in camp and there have been very few deep passes completed.
There’s a decent amount of young talent from corner to safety to nickel, which hasn’t often been the case for this franchise. Maybe the lack of more veterans – the 29-year-old Jackson is the elder statesman – will hurt them, but right now, the youth and athleticism all around the secondary is really standing out.
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