Eagles practice observations: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cam Jurgens leave early; Jalen Hurts stacking up good days

The Eagles held their eighth practice of the 2024 training camp on Monday at the NovaCare Complex. Here are links to observations from Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Here are my takeaways from Day 7:

The Eagles lost a couple of starters during practice on Monday — one early and one late. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was the first to go. I didn’t see how he got hurt or even him walking off, but it came before team drills. Coach Nick Sirianni followed Gardner-Johnson, and when Gardner-Johnson came out, I asked how he was and he said he was “fine.” He never returned, though.

Center Cam Jurgens walked off the field with a trainer toward the end of the workout. He, too, headed indoors and never came back. The Eagles didn’t have an official update on either player.

Guard Tyler Steen returned after missing about a week with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Mekhi Becton was back after missing a day with an illness. They were both listed as limited, although they had varying degrees of participation. Cornerbacks Josh Jobe (concussion) and Eli Ricks (illness) were also limited.

Before practice, linebacker Oren Burks (knee), wide receiver Parris Campbell (groin), safety Mekhi Garner (hamstring), and linebacker Brandon Smith (concussion) were listed as out. The Eagles are nearing the end of the second week of camp, and rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean still seems a ways off from practicing. The timetable for his return from the hamstring injury he suffered during the break was reportedly going to be three weeks. He could be conditioning indoors or on off hours, but he has yet to be seen working out.

When Gardner-Johnson left, James Bradberry was promoted to the first unit alongside Reed Blankenship. Bradberry has had some nice moments in his transition from cornerback, but the Eagles are clearly thin at safety. DeJean was likely to get looks at the position, and Sydney Brown is still rehabbing his torn ACL. But if Gardner-Johnson is out for a period, general manager Howie Roseman may be compelled to add someone with experience. Or maybe Bradberry has an actual shot of making the team as a safety?

With Steen being held out of team drills, Becton started at right guard. He was replaced later in practice by Brett Toth. When Jurgens left, Toth slid over to center, and Matt Hennessy was bumped up to first-team right guard.

The Toth experiment at center date backs some. He originally had issues with shotgun snaps but has improved. Hennessy has logged time at center, but the Eagles seem to have backed off the idea. Sixth-round rookie Dylan McMahon has shown promise and should be someone offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland wants to develop. But can he be Jurgens’ backup? Can the Eagles afford to move left guard Landon Dickerson to center if need be?

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley thinks the Eagles line will finally allow him to show his ‘true potential.’ Scary thought.

The retired Jason Kelce attended his first practice of camp. Maybe he can lace ‘em up again? He would probably need to pack on the 25 pounds he already looks like he’s lost.

Becton is still getting acclimated to guard. During “backed up” drills, he false-started and on the next play seemed to miss his blocking assignment. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis shot into the backfield and wrapped up running back Saquon Barkley for a would-be safety. It’s easy to see why Stoutland thinks that Becton can move inside. He has immense power and can move bodies. But he also has a quick get-off, and during a one-on-one- drill vs. Jalen Carter, he had position on the defensive tackle and blocked him off his axis.

Toth continued to dominate in one-on-ones and not so much in team drills. He’s the Matt Pryor — the former Eagles O-lineman who had the similar practice habits — of this camp. Toth stoned defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu in one-on-ones, but he was driven into running back Will Shipley by Davis on his rush and later beaten by defensive tackle Moro Ojomo on a Barkley carry.

Receiver-cornerback one-on-ones gave us more of DeVonta Smith matched up against rookie Quinyon Mitchell. Smith caught both Jalen Hurts passes when they faced off, but Mitchell’s man coverage was tight. For the second consecutive day, Mitchell was first up at slot cornerback ahead of Avonte Maddox.

Mitchell didn’t have many passes tossed in his direction, but he again showed that he can defend the run — something he’s going to have to prove he can handle if he’s to win the slot job. (I’m still not ruling Mitchell out at outside cornerback.) He diagnosed a Kenneth Gainwell run and cut him off at the line.

Receiver John Ross had another day without many catches in 11-on-11s, but he had a nice moment in one-on-ones when he got tangled up with cornerback Kelee Ringo and still managed to pull the ball in.

Ainias Smith’s struggles continued. He dropped a pass in one-on-ones, and on his second try, cornerback Tyler Hall stepped in front of him and easily intercepted a Tanner McKee throw. In team drills, Smith couldn’t hang onto a McKee pass that was thrown slightly behind him and safety Parry Nickerson nearly had a pick.

Smith hasn’t been the only rookie to hit the wall during the dog days of camp. Shipley has excelled on certain days, not so much on others. He clearly has the goods to play at this level. But there will be setbacks, as there are with any young player. He had a decent blitz pickup vs. linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. early in practice, but got annihilated by linebacker Nakobe Dean on his way to quarterback Kenny Pickett later on.

But the play he’ll want back most came on a Pickett pass to him on a slant route. The ball sailed through and off his hands to undrafted rookie cornerback Shon Stephens, who walked into the end zone for a pick-six.

I haven’t written much about the edges and I’m starting to wonder why. It could be that the Eagles have two of the NFL’s best tackles in Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. It could be just the way plays have unfolded. Defensive end Josh Sweat has stockpiled his share of pressures. Defensive end Brandon Graham pops up every now and then and can always be heard, even over the music. He was flagged for offsides.

Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith have been relatively quiet in comparison. Johnson wasn’t in on team drills — he was probably just taking a veteran’s day — which meant that Fred Johnson was at right tackle. Huff had one of his strongest reps in one-on-ones when he beat Mailata with an inside move.

Smith got upended when he left his feet on a pass-rush move in 11-on-11s. Don’t leave your feet, kid. Smith was slow to get up, but he didn’t leave. In one-on-ones, he tried an outside speed move on Max Scharping, but the veteran offensive lineman just ran him away from the pocket.

Hurts kept up his streak of stacking good days. He has yet to toss an interception. Camp is a time for some experimentation, so a turnover here and there isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But he had a career-high 20 giveaways in 2023. It’s clearly an area he’s intent on cleaning up.

I mentioned this earlier in camp, but Hurts just seems more explosive than he was a year ago (and I’m talking in camp before the knee injury). He had a scramble during one team-drill play in which linebacker Zack Baun chased him. It was as if Hurts were teasing him until he hit another gear and pulled away for a chunk of yards.

Hurts and the first-unit offense were efficient during red zone drills. Baun snuffed out a misdirection screen to Barkley on the first play. But tight end Dallas Goedert beat Blankenship on a crosser. DeVonta Smith caught a touchdown over the middle and then another a few plays later on an orbit route in which the defense busted its coverage, and he walked into the end zone.

In between Smith’s scores, receiver Johnny Wilson flashed again as he continued to get snaps with the first team with Campbell out. Hurts rolled to his right and threw to Wilson underneath. The pass was a touch off, but the 6-foot-6 rookie plucked the ball out of the air with Ringo close by for a touchdown.

» READ MORE: Eagles sign Shaquille Quarterman, adding depth at linebacker

Pickett had his ups and downs in the passing game again. McKee, who continued to get some snaps with the second-unit offense, did as well. Neither did particularly well in backed-up situations. Gainwell dropped one of Pickett’s short throws. A period later, tight end Grant Calcaterra sat in space and Pickett hit him.

Calcaterra had a step on a safety on a deep route in between the numbers, but McKee overshot him. The tight end picked up decent yardage via screen pass on the next play. Pickett finished strong with a completion to receiver Joseph Ngata when backed up, and later in the red zone when he found running back Lew Nichols alone for a walk-in touchdown.

McKee had a practice-ending touchdown pass of his own when he connected with running back Kendall Milton just inside the sideline.

Eagles special teams focused on tackling and kickoffs. It’s still unclear who will handle kickoff returns. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and Gainwell were paired together on the first try. Shipley got a couple of opportunities and had one nice return and one not so nice. … Receiver Austin Watkins left practice early with an apparent injury. He got dinged earlier when he fumbled running through the ball-security apparatus. Other players have at times been slow to get up following the drill. All the skill position players have to participate, even Hurts. But you can tell by body language that many don’t like the contraption. DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown weren’t in line with the other receivers for the second go-around. ... The Eagles return to practice on Tuesday.