5 Things We Learned from the Philadelphia Eagles' OTAs

Organized team activities, or OTAs, have been ongoing around the NFL for weeks, but for the first time this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles let the media into practice. Head coach Chip Kelly even spoke publicly for the first time since the draft.

While there's only so much we can learn about a football team from one workout, some of what Kelly said and reporters were able to glean was enlightening. We got updates on the health of several players, a glimpse into certain players' progress, possibly even a revelation about the depth chart.

Ahead, we examine the five most interesting tidbits we learned from Thursday's OTAs, hopefully with much more Eagles news to come in the near future.

Sam Bradford Is Limited...for Now

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Those who are concerned about the health of Sam Bradford may have a point. Kelly announced right at the top of Thursday's press conference that his brand new quarterback was one of only three players limited at practice by injury. That's the bad news.

The good news is Bradford's recovery from his second torn ACL in 10 months is going as planned and on schedule. And apparently he won't be limited for much longer, with Kelly telling reporters Bradford should be participating in seven-on-seven drills as early as next week.

"Yeah, he is on schedule," Kelly said. "We all think there's three phases: There's medical rehab, there is performance rehab, and then there's prepared to play. He's probably right at the tail end of medical rehab. He'll probably start throwing some seven-on-seven next week. I think he's right on schedule in terms of where he is."

Kelly was forced to concede if the Eagles played a game today, Mark Sanchez would be the starter. Fortunately, they don't.

As long as Bradford is a full participant in time for training camp, there's no need to worry anymore than you would otherwise. Of course, then the challenge becomes keeping him upright and out of the trainers room.

Walter Thurmond Competing at Safety

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Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of OTAs is that Walter Thurmond, cornerback by trade, is actually getting a look at safety according to Kelly. This comes along with the nugget that Earl Wolff, believed to be the front-runner to start alongside Malcolm Jenkins, is still limited after undergoing mini-microfracture surgery on his knee last year.

Frankly, the news came as a pleasant surprise. It was unclear how Thurmond fit in Philadelphia's crowded secondary to begin with. The Eagles already have Brandon Boykin to man the slot, Thurmond's traditional role. The club also signed Byron Maxwell and drafted three more cornerbacks—including Eric Rowe in the second round—this offseason.

A move from corner to safety isn't necessarily that much of a stretch in Philly's defensive scheme, either. The Eagles often deploy their safeties in man-to-man coverage, which is why a converted corner such as Jenkins made so much sense in free agency last year.

That doesn't automatically mean Thurmond will take to his new position. He'll first need to demonstrate the instincts to play single-high zone coverage, as well as a host of other new duties. There's also a question of reliability, as Thurmond has suited up for just 27 of a possible 71 regular-season and playoff games over the past four years.

That being said, when Wolff is the most recognizable player competing for a starting job, adding Thurmond into the mix can't possibly hurt.

Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans Practicing

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Among the Eagles' many surprises this offseason were trading All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy for third-year interior linebacker Kiko Alonso and extending the contract of soon-to-be 31-year-old DeMeco Ryans. Part of the reason those moves were shockers is both players were coming off of serious injuries.

Alonso missed the entirety of the 2014 season with a torn ACL. Ryans went down with an Achilles injury in Week 8, his second.

Despite the significance of those injuries, Kelly was able to report both players are practicing at OTAs.

Alonso's injury occurred last July, and seeing as how common torn ACLs are anymore, it's not necessarily a big deal that he's back on the practice field already. Ryans, on the other hand, already returning from an Achilles injury is definitely news, as his recovery took far longer after a similar injury in 2010.

Now that they're both on the field, the question becomes what the depth chart looks like at interior linebacker. Alonso was in consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Buffalo Bills in 2013. The Eagles obviously extended Ryans for a reason. The next question that OTAs and training camp must answer is where the very talented Mychal Kendricks fits into this mix.

Eagles Not Abandoning Extra Point for Two-Point Conversions

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Any notions that rule changes would cause the Eagles to abandon the extra-point kick in favor of two-point conversions were dismissed out of hand by Kelly. While the PAT attempt has moved back from the 2-yard line to the 15, the odds of making it haven't changed dramatically, certainly not enough to entice the head coach.

"So the ball went back," Kell said. "We were 43-of-45 in the last two years from that distance, so 96 percent. I don't know what changes, to be honest with you.

"The defense can score, but we're still going to kick an extra point. I don't understand the proposal. If they want you to go for two more, the ball has always been on the 2-yard line. That's always been an option for everybody for a while."

To most, this probably goes without saying. While the extra point moves back, it's still a very easy kick in today's game. Teams are for more likely to successfully kick a 33-yard field goal than punch the ball into the end zone from the 2-yard line, at least in most situations.

Then again, Kelly has a reputation for aggressive play-calling. Plus, some are still trying to justify the presence of Tim Tebow on Philadelphia's roster. Either way, the thought that the Eagles will go for two all the time would be jumping to conclusions. Kelly cleared up any confusion.

Tim Tebow a Quarterback, Coming Along Slowly

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One more thing Kelly made perfectly clear—Tebow is in Philadelphia to play quarterback. He's not a two-point specialist, he's not a tight end, a running back or a special teams contributor. Tebow is a quarterback for the Eagles and a quarterback alone.

How good of a quarterback Tebow is or can be is constantly up for debate, but the head coach insisted he's better in 2015 than ever before.

"You will get a chance today to see him and watch him throw," Kelly remarked. "I think he's improved. He spent a lot of time the last two years in terms of working on his game. We wanted to have a fourth quarterback here. You're not going to go through with three."

If Tebow fixed his wonky throwing motion, as Albert Breer for NFL.com reported a while back, few in attendance noticed. Jeff McLane for the Philadelphia Inquirer noted there's still an "unnatural dip" in Tebow's mechanics. Brandon Lee Gowton for Bleeding Green Nation also mentioned that Tebow was holding on to the football an awfully long time.

Tebow's mechanics have always been one of the biggest issues holding him back. However, in a rare defense of the signal-caller by this author, it's not surprising he might be slow to deliver the football. He did just spend the better part of two years out of the league and has had only a few weeks to pick up Philly's offense.

That being said, Tebow faces an uphill battle to win a roster spot over Matt Barkley. The fact remains he's a career 47.9 percent passer who hasn't been on an NFL team since 2012 for a reason. At this stage of OTAs, it's hard to view Tebow as anything more than a curiosity.

All notes and quotes from Chip Kelly's press conference via PhiladelphiaEagles.com.