Philadelphia Eagles: What We've Learned Through Week 2 of Training Camp

Two weeks of Philadelphia Eagles training camp are in the books, and the club is finally preparing to play its first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. We'll learn a lot more about the state of the 90-man roster once they've faced some actual competition, but we've also picked up quite a bit from watching 10 practices this summer.

Much of what we've seen and heard so far at camp has to do with players' health, or lack thereof. Much of it is related to position battles and overall performances this summer. All of it is observations and insight from somebody who's observed every Eagles practice thus far, so let's pull the curtain back on the NovaCare Complex and dig into what's happening on and off the field.

Sam Bradford Healthy, Far Ahead of Mark Sanchez

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Head coach Chip Kelly's announcement that Sam Bradford will not play in the Eagles' first preseason game was a bit of a surprise, but have no fear. It's neither because Bradford isn't ready nor because he's fallen behind Mark Sanchez.

In fact, the reason Bradford missing Sunday's contest is so shocking is because, up to this point, he hasn't been limited or held back at all during training camp by the torn ACL that ended his past two seasons. Instead, Kelly made the decision as a precautionary measure and insisted Bradford will be in the lineup when the Eagles host the Baltimore Ravens next week.

And as far as the "open" competition with Sanchez is concerned, Bradford is running away with it. Not only has Bradford looked superior, he's taken almost all of the snaps with the first-team offense, with Sanchez mixing in only sparingly.

Something Is Up with DeMarco Murray

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DeMarco Murray sat out practice once again Thursday. One day earlier, the reigning NFL rushing champion was a participant but worked out off to the side, away from the team. Murray has also been held out of practices due to "dehydration" and "an illness."

Murray has missed more practices than he's been at, so is it fair to speculate maybe there is just a little bit more to the mounting absences? If there is, nobody for the Eagles is saying, but the situation is getting a little curious.

That doesn't mean there's any reason to panic. Coming off a near-historic workload in 2014, there's a feeling it might be good to ease Murray onto the field, especially if he is dinged up. He certainly doesn't have anything to prove, either, after rushing for 1,845 yards last season.

Whatever the issue is must not be too serious, because safety Malcolm Jenkins was joking around with Murray the other day before practicing, offering the star running back a folding chair to sit on on the sideline. Nor is there any need to be overly concerned now with the regular season still one month away.

Then again, Murray's health will be monitored closely all year after the punishing workload he endured last season. Whatever is going on, it doesn't appear to be off to a great start.

Right Guard Competition Is Wide, Wide Open

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We knew Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner would be battling it out for the vacancy at starting right guard heading into training camp. Then the Eagles signed John Moffitt before camp opened, adding one more into the fray. And now that camp is actually underway, we've also seen Julian Vandervelde taking first-team reps at the spot in addition to the other three.

Two weeks into training camp, we seem to be no closer to naming a starter at that position. Of course, that's not entirely surprising given that there is so little contact right now. It's nearly impossible to evaluate offensive and defensive line play in these conditions.

Then again, the fact that there are four guys vying for one job may speak more to the lack of confidence in any of them.

Gardner worked with the first-team offense at Friday's walkthrough and may get the start in the Eagles' first preseason game Sunday. He filled in at right guard down the stretch in 2014 and, for the most part, did a nice job. Perhaps he's the front-runner.

Or perhaps we won't be any closer to the Eagles naming a starting right guard until much deeper into the preseason.

Eric Rowe Is Practicing at Nickel Cornerback

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Up until this week, the Eagles had been adamant that Eric Rowe was an outside cornerback competing against Nolan Carroll for a starting job, and doing anything more would be putting too much on the rookie's plate.

Then Brandon Boykin was traded and JaCorey Shepherd suffered a season-ending injury, and all of a sudden defensive coordinator Bill Davis was informing us Rowe would get reps at nickel cornerback. The change in tone may be somewhat out of necessity with 2014 fourth-round draft pick Jaylen Watkins and undrafted rookie Denzel Rice among the top alternatives in the slot. Still, it came from nowhere.

So far, Rowe has done a nice job, although it's only been a couple of practices. When I asked the second-round selection if he had ever covered slot receivers at Utah, he responded point blank: "No." That being said, he seems to be adapting quickly and certainly has the size and athleticism to line up anywhere.

With Carroll seemingly holding the edge for the starting job anyway, nickel cornerback may be the best way to get Rowe on the field his rookie season.

Eagles Playing It Safe with Kiko Alonso

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Kiko Alonso suffered a concussion early in training camp and hasn't practiced since. The Eagles have insisted he's fine and it's not big deal, but every head injury is serious, and every day that passes without the interior linebacker hitting the field makes you wonder.

On Friday, however, Kelly revealed the reason Alonso hasn't been out there isn't because he couldn't pass the protocol. In fact, the Eagles haven't bothered to put Alonso through the necessary tests to get him cleared to play again. The feeling is there's no rush to have him back, so the team is simply playing it safe and taking their time with it.

At least, that's what the team is saying. The Eagles are very guarded about injuries, which will no doubt lead many to speculate what's really going on with Alonso.

That being said, several players have also commented that Alonso is fine. There's very little contact at Eagles training camp, so chances are the 2013 PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year wasn't exposed to any major collisions. Alonso has no history of concussions, either. It seems likely Alonso will be back on the field next week, sometime after the Birds' first preseason game Sunday.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotations and camp observations were acquired firsthand.