Will Bryce Huff be more of an every-down player for the Eagles? Vic Fangio says it’s ‘a work in progress.’

New Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known to not mince words. There’s usually not much gray area with him.

When Fangio was asked Thursday morning about edge rusher Bryce Huff and why he thinks Huff can be an every-down player, Fangio delivered an honest assessment of where things stand early in training camp.

“I think everybody thought he could, and knowing that the floor was just rush downs,” Fangio said. “He’s taking the challenge on very well. He has the talent to do what we want him to do, it’s just he’s got to get familiar with doing it. It will be a work in progress. Does he look like he can do it today? No. But I do think eventually he will.”

Perhaps it’s no big deal on July 25 that the player the Eagles signed to a three-year contract worth up to $51.1 million ($34.4 million guaranteed) isn’t ready to be an every-down player. But if Huff is going to be the Eagles’ replacement for Haason Reddick, the Eagles will need him to get ready fast.

There’s the caveat, too, that Thursday wasn’t just the second official day of camp, it also was another day without pads on. Yes, the Eagles have practiced some running plays during 11-on-11 sessions that offered a first look at Fangio’s base defense, with Huff in it, but it’s hard to really gauge things until the pads go on and the physicality gets dialed up.

“Just doing everything I can with the pads off, taking my steps, being violent with my hands, good eyes, and just being on cue,” Huff said when asked what he can do right now to show he’s capable.

» READ MORE: Breaking down the Eagles’ (unofficial) depth chart at the start of training camp

Huff also pointed a few times Thursday to the film he has put on tape during his first four seasons.

“I’m not really sure where that reputation came from, I guess just because of my size that people would just assume that,” Huff said. “But if you watch the film, I feel like I’ve done well in the run.”

The reputation maybe came from how Huff was used with the Jets. He never played more than 51% of the team’s defensive snaps, and last year played 480 snaps (42%) during a breakout season that featured 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits. He primarily was used as a pass-rush specialist and wasn’t on the field much on the early downs. Reddick, meanwhile, played 74% (862) of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last season. The Eagles may not need Huff, 26, to hit that number, but they’re probably looking for more than 42% out of him. They don’t need him to be a key run-stopper, either. They just need him to be able to set an edge to allow the other linemen and off-ball linebackers to get home.

“Our mindset is to come off and hit and be physical in the run game, use our hands, and be violent,” Huff said. “That’s the main things I keep in mind when playing in this front.”

The Eagles’ five-man front in their base setup featured Huff on the left side and Josh Sweat as the edge rusher on the other, with Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter along the defensive line. Fangio said Thursday that he envisions being able to “roll guys some” with the talent he has at his disposal on the edges. Behind Huff and Sweat on the depth chart are Nolan Smith and Brandon Graham, with Jalyx Hunt and Patrick Johnson in the mix, too. And while Zack Baun has been lining up at inside linebacker to start camp, he has plenty of experience as an edge rusher.

» READ MORE: Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert highlights Day 1; James Bradberry trade bait at safety; Bryce Huff’s run defense

As for what he’s looking for out of Huff as an every-down player, Fangio said he wants to see constant improvement and that it becomes “more of a feel” for Huff.

“He has the talent to do it but has never been asked to do it, I don’t think in college or with the Jets,” Fangio said. “It’s new. And he’s got to become more proficient at it.”

The good part for Huff and the Eagles about it still being July is that there’s plenty of time for that to happen.