The Philadelphia Eagles returned to the practice field on Saturday for another day of training camp. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore spoke to reporters before the practice session, discussing various topics including the role of Jalen Hurts in the offense, the versatility of Saquon Barkley, and the impact of Kenny Gainwell on quarterback-designed runs.

Here’s a recap of what the OC had to say:

On Jalen Hurts

Moore praised Hurts’ ability as a dual-threat quarterback, highlighting his effectiveness in the run game. He emphasized the importance of utilizing Hurts’ running skills in the right situations during games.

“It a great strength to Jalen [Hurts]. He does an excellent job and I think he’s a really smart runner. I think that’s a critical factor, too, that he’s smart with the ball, he’s smart with when to make those decisions, and I think he protects himself pretty well.”

Moore commended Hurts for his performance in the early days of camp, noting his smooth operation of the offense and strong command at the line of scrimmage. He also acknowledged Hurts’ significant contribution to the development of the team’s offense.

“I think [Jalen Hurts’] experience over the course of the last few years, all the things that he’s been able to accomplish, we want to build on those things. So, when there’s a comfort level with a certain concept or scheme, we want to make sure we emphasize that, continue to build off it — okay, now if this is a core play that we feel really great about, how can we compliment that play, how can we protect it with a different presentation, a different look. And, those are the fun conversations we get to have, because we’re continuing to build this thing each and every day.”

On pass protection responsibilities

Moore discussed the distribution of pass protection duties between Jason Kelce, Jalen Hurts, and Cam Jurgens. He highlighted the collaboration required between Hurts and Jurgens to make quick and informed decisions on the field.

He emphasized the importance of input from all offensive linemen in pass protection situations, mentioning the role of tackles in providing valuable insights to the quarterback.

On evaluating WR depth

“It’s a really deep receiving group. It’s so much fun to watch all these guys compete, and so they’ll all get their opportunities, all chances.

Obviously, DeVonta [Smith] and A.J. [Brown] will have certainly a lot of the opportunities, but those others guys — I mean, there’s critical moments where we got to put those guys in a position to succeed, and they have to be able to adjust based off where those guys are aligned. So, you gotta have smart guys that understand where they are and can be reliable. So, we’ve got an excellent group to compete with.”

On Saquon Barkley’s contributions

“Saquon’s obviously a special player, you can see it out here without even pads. Just his burst, quickness, his ability to hit the hole. Obviously he’ll be a guy that you can utilize at all aspects of the field, he can be a space player, which we’re excited about in the passing game. So, he’s going to be able to attack people in a lot of different ways, and that’s the exciting part — it won’t just be downhill run game, he’ll be able to emphasize and do some other things.”

On Kenny Gainwell’s performance

“Kenny’s done a really nice job. I think you can tell he’s played a lot of ball. He’s smooth, he knows how to operate, he finds completions. He has some sneaky athletic ability where he can get out in space in some of those scramble situations, or QB designed runs — he’s done a couple of those, so we feel really fortunate to have Kenny here.”

Other notables

• Moore shared that his offensive terminology is still evolving, drawing inspiration from his time with Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy in Dallas.
• He expressed confidence in the tight end group, particularly praising Grant Calcaterra for his consistent performance as the second tight end.
• Moore lauded the veteran presence of offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, emphasizing the value they bring both physically and mentally to the team.