Philadelphia Eagles Begin OTAs
Philadelphia is hitting the practice field for OTAs, signaling the beginning of Phase 3 of the NFL’s offseason plan. The Eagles are scheduled to have six OTA sessions: May 20, May 22-23, May 28, and May 30-31. They will also hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4-6, the first under fourth-year head coach Nick Sirianni. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but full-team segments are allowed, along with seven-on-seven work. It marks the first opportunity for rookies to share the field with veterans for practices as Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio move to the onfield portion of installing their schemes.
With Day 1 set to begin, we’re looking at seven storylines to watch. The rookies are all in town; A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts participated in the Eagles Autism Challenge, while Saquon Barkley checked out the PGA Championships over the weekend. When Philadelphia takes the field for three practices this week, will any big names skip the voluntary portions and wait until the June minicamp? Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are unsigned, so we’ll watch to see if they are in attendance.
Rookies like Will Shipley, Trevor Keegan, Jalyx Hunt, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will work to start carving out a role in the depth chart. Monday offers the first on-field practice sessions for new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. We will watch what gets installed and how the versatile styles impact personnel on both sides of the football.
Even after the owner and GM gave a vote of confidence, Monday offered Sirianni the first opportunity to re-instill his culture with this new group and the collection of additions to the coaching staff. Sirianni will delegate more responsibility, and he needs to communicate efficiently and clearly while giving every impression that this is his team.
The cornerback depth chart is stacked, and it’ll be interesting to see who lands where opposite star cornerback Darius Slay. Mitchell and DeJean are factors, while Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks will work to rekindle the late-season optimism that had some believing they were the future at the position. Where will James Bradberry land? Nakobe Dean will begin holding off Devin White, Trotter Jr., Zack Baun, Oren Burks, and others at linebacker. Who has the lead at right guard behind Tyler Steen?
Philadelphia added Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, Devin White, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson among the big-name free-agent additions. We’ll be watching to see how they blend and impact the culture. The Eagles will take the field for the first time without Fletcher Cox (retired) and Jason Kelce (retired). Who steps up in that leadership void, and how will the culture be re-established going forward?
Hurts will take the field after an offseason of questions about his leadership and demeanor. He’ll also be under center without Jason Kelce for the first time. We’ll be watching to see how Hurts absorbs Kellen Moore’s scheme, while dealing with the pressures of a $255 million contract. Read all the best Eagles coverage at Delaware Online and Eagles Wire.
