Philadelphia Eagles: Rounding Up Latest Buzz from Training Camp

Nearly a week of Philadelphia Eagles training camp is in the books, and countless storylines have bubbled to the surface as coaches got their first full looks of what the 2017 roster may look like.

The Eagles have been fortunate to not have the injury bug bite them nearly as hard as some other NFL teams that have seen impact players go down with season-ending problems. However, they haven't been immune to a knock or two, with a few notable players sitting out of practice in recent days.

Wide-open position battles are heating up and have given coaches a lot to consider. With the August 11 preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers upon us, Philly is beginning to get an idea of what its players are capable of before embarking on four telling exhibitions.

Let's take a glance at some of the buzz flying around the Eagles as the 2017 season inches nearer.

Eagles Being Cautious with Dinged-Up Alshon Jeffery

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Despite his injury appearing to be minor, Alshon Jeffery's start to his first Eagles training camp has been far from ideal.

The star-studded receiver picked up a shoulder injury Saturday and has missed the two most recent practices with a shoulder strain that head coach Doug Pederson deemed a "day-to-day" injury, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media reported. Shorr-Parks muses that it'd be "surprising" if Jeffery suited up Thursday, which is expected to be a physical practice with pads.

Jeffery assured reporters "I'm good" following the injury, and it's likely the Eagles are simply exercising caution. That doesn't mean it should, or can, be ignored by Philly fans given Jeffery's history.

The former Bear missed 13 games throughout his five seasons with the Chicago Bears by way of injury—and four more from a PEDs suspension at the end of 2016. It's a common belief that durability concerns played into the Eagles', and other teams, hesitance to give Jeffery a multiyear deal in free agency this offseason.

Every indication points toward this being an injury Jeffery would play through in a regular-season game, but picking up a shoulder strain in light training camp work isn't a great omen. A lot is going to be on Jeffery's shoulders this season as the unquestioned No. 1 target for quarterback Carson Wentz, so those shoulders need to be 100 percent.

Potential Starting CB Patrick Robinson Failing to Impress

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The Eagles locked down their long-term replacements at cornerback when they drafted Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones, but the latter may not play all season. The former is entrenched in a training camp battle with Jalen Mills and C.J. Smith.

As for the other starting spot, the Eagles have been counting on veteran newcomer Patrick Robinson to step up and, throughout several practices, his struggles have indicated that the cornerback conundrum will carry on into the start of 2017.

Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media reported Robinson "has been beaten over the top" in deep passing plays, the chief area of futility for Eagles corners last season. Lombardo caught up with Robinson, who didn't shy away from self-criticism.

"I think the last two practices, I gave up way too many deep balls," he said. "I'm sitting and guessing, really, on those deep balls. A lot of times, I'm just sitting and guessing. I have to stop doing that. That's something I have to work on."

The 29-year-old isn't a bad stopgap option if he's playing well, but that hasn't been the case in training camp, and the Eagles were thought to be getting away from the Band-Aid approach to fielding cornerbacks this season anyway. A starting tandem of Mills along with Douglas or Smith could be catastrophic if one isn't ready to play a vast majority of downs against the talented NFC East receivers, but that may be their only choice if Robinson's struggles continue.

Wendell Smallwood Making Big Strides

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Despite a decent 4.1 yards-per-carry average as a rookie, Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood didn't quite have the debut season Philly fans had hoped for from him. But a full offseason at this level can do wonders for young players, and Smallwood thinks that's especially true in his case.

Smallwood told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Daily News after Tuesday's practice that his conditioning wasn't up to par a year ago, saying: "I don't feel I was ready for that long go, that long season." But things appear to be different in his second training camp.

With veterans LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles sitting out of the live action Tuesday, Smallwood caught the eye of spectators, per McLane. Here's what the reporter had to say about Smallwood's performance:

"Smallwood took most of the starter's snaps and had arguably the best performance of any offensive skill position player. He took the first carry and picked up 20-something yards off the left edge. He went to that side for another 20-plus yards and trucked safety Terrence Brooks along the way. And he capped off the day with a 20-yard touchdown scoot that ended practice."

The Eagles couldn't bank on Smallwood emerging as a No. 1 back after a somewhat disappointing rookie campaign, which played into the Blount signing and Donnel Pumphrey's drafting. That doesn't mean he can't force his way into a bigger share of the by-committee backfield's carries if he continues to impress like he's done in training camp.

Blount will still get the goal-line and short-yardage carries, but the Eagles need a dangerous game-breaking element back there as well. That could be Smallwood's role in 2017.

Eagles a Top-5 Defense? Jordan Hicks Expects It

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Outside of Malcolm Jenkins and Fletcher Cox, there's no Eagles defender more qualified to speak on the expectations of the unit than Jordan Hicks. The star middle linebacker has emerged as one of the best at his position through just two years in the league, amassing 85 tackles and snagging five interceptions last season.

So when he heaps high praise on Philly's defensive expectations, fans should take notice.

His back-and forth with CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank should be inspiring to Eagles fans. When Frank asserted that he'd "be surprised if this were not a top-10 defense," Hicks countered that the team's "expectation is to be top five."

On the surface, high in-house expectations should be taken with a grain of salt. But Hicks may be on to something.

An already disruptive defensive line added a dangerous first-round edge-rusher in Derek Barnett, while Chris Long's addition and infusion of a now-healthy Vinny Curry could make the front four unstoppable. Hicks and Nigel Bradham combine for a relentless linebacker pairing, with Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod serving as one of the best safety duos in football.

All that is missing is a proven cornerback unit, and that potential weakness could be hidden quite well by quarterbacks being constantly hounded by pass-rushers.

At times in 2016, the Eagles defense shouldered the load while Wentz struggled with a weak arsenal of weapons around him. Both sides of the ball have been bolstered this offseason, which makes it easy to believe Hicks when he speaks so highly of his defense.

Eagles' Red-Zone Struggles Die Hard

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By all accounts, the Eagles' red-zone efficiency in the air proved to be a main hindrance to success in 2016. Wentz ranked 22nd in red-zone touchdowns, and his 47.1 percent completion percentage inside the 20-yard line ranked 20th among quarterbacks who attempted at least 30 passes, all according to Pro Football Reference.

The struggles might continue into 2017 if Wednesday's practice were an indication. Shorr-Parks wrote a report on the team's 11-on-11 red-zone drills, concluding the offense scored on just seven of 29 plays inside 20 yards. Wentz went 12-for-26, which is almost identical to his red-zone percentage clip from 2016. 

Many factors are in play, though. The biggest one lies in the fact the two new red-zone threats, Jeffery and Blount, didn't practice. Their presence alone should boost those numbers and significantly improve the Eagles' red-zone success in 2017.

That's not to say Wentz and the Philly offense should get a pass. Injuries are commonplace in this league, and the Eagles need to be able to punch in touchdowns, even if the veteran newcomers aren't in the game. 

Wentz is unquestionably a better quarterback entering his second season than he was as a rookie, and he has a much-improved weaponry at his disposal. But the red zone will continue to be a weakness for him and the Philly offense until results prove otherwise.

Is Jordan Matthews Slipping Down the Pecking Order?

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Jordan Matthews has arguably been the Eagles' best receiver over the past two seasons, but that's not saying much given his competition. Also, the NFL is the archetypal "what have you done for me lately?" league. 

Matthews' offseason has been marred by injury and speculation, but he's been a full go at training camp. He hasn't been the same player, though, as far as training camp goes. Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com, after lauding how Matthews' energy and production stood out in past camps, gave a scathing review of Matthews: "This year's Jordan Matthews is extremely lethargic, by comparison. He's simply not the same energetic practice player he once was."

Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation also noticed a telling play at camp, in which Wentz made a great throw deep down the field to Matthews, who dropped it and left Wentz "frustrated after [the] play." 

Those depressing observations pale in comparison to the significant additions made to the receiving corps over the offseason, as well as the ascension of Nelson Agholor, who "has played the best football of his Eagles life after a nightmarish 2016," according to Dave Spadaro of the Eagles' website.

If Agholor's progression translates into regular-season games, it's likely Matthews falls behind Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Agholor to become the fourth receiver. And that's not taking into account the fact Pumphrey has been playing in the slot frequently, per Kempski. That's the position Matthews owned in recent seasons. 

2017 is a contract year for Matthews, and he'll have to step it up if he wants a good payday in the offseason, much less a regular spot in Philly's receiving rotation.