Eagles Practice Observations: Carson Wentz continues to shine; Dallas Goedert makes it look easy; Opportunity strikes for young d-ends

The Eagles opened their third week of organized team activities Monday, and practice was open to reporters. Here are some of the highlights:

1. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Carson Wentz had another impressive practice. Taking into account all the obligatory qualifiers for this time of year, he’s playing at an elite level, although one would hope that is the case as the quarterback enters his fourth season. Wentz has essentially put to rest most concerns about his back injury. There are other hurdles to clear, obviously. He was wearing a sleeve over his left leg for the first time at a practice attended by reporters this spring. But he moved seemingly without restriction. He was near-perfect during 7-on-7 drills, which many argue benefit the offense because there isn’t a rush. But the defense also has the advantage of knowing there will only be a pass. Even so, Wentz carved up the first unit. He had two eyebrow-raising tosses during the set. He strung a rope to DeSean Jackson on an out route that traveled about 40 yards through the air. And he dropped a dime over cornerback Rasul Douglas’ outstretched hand and receiver Marken Michel’s shoulder for 30-something yards. Wentz had some errant throws. He threw high off Zach Ertz’s reaching hand in 7-on-7s. He missed a few during red-zone team drills, when he tried to squeeze a dart to receiver Charles Johnson between two defenders, and when he overthrew Ertz on a corner route covered by cornerback Sidney Jones. If there’s a pass that Wentz has yet to master, it’s the deep ball. He went to Jackson on a fade route but underthrew his receiver, allowing corner Jeremiah McKinnon to make a relatively easy breakup. Overall, though, Wentz was efficient.

2. It should be noted that Wentz was once again without receiver Alshon Jeffery, who has missed all of OTAs. Nelson Agholor was also missing after practicing in the first two open sessions. Their absences allowed other receivers to get more repetitions with Wentz and the first-team offense. Greg Ward mostly handled Agholor’s slot duties. He caught a short crosser against corner Avonte Maddox. Johnson made the most of his opportunities. He made a sliding grab after Wentz threw slightly behind him on a slant. And he took a short sidearm toss from the quarterback and jetted upfield. After the red-zone miss, Wentz walked over to the receivers to have a word with Johnson, who was apparently worth the extra effort from the quarterback. Receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside continued to get looks with the first unit. Wentz hit him on a curl during 7-on-7s, but the rookie dropped a pass on a short slant. “Next play, J.J.,” one coach said. Third-year receiver Shelton Gibson has drifted under the radar this spring. He got a chance with the first group during 7-on-7s but dropped a Wentz BB on a comeback route.

3. Aside Jeffery and Agholor, tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson and safety Malcolm Jenkins were the healthy veterans who weren’t present. Coach Doug Pederson said before practice that he expected every player to show for next week’s three-day mandatory minicamp. I wouldn’t be so sure about Jenkins. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (foot), guard Brandon Brooks (Achilles), linebacker Nigel Bradham (hand), and cornerback Jalen Mills (foot) were the veterans who didn’t attend practice for known injuries. Defensive end Derek Barnett (shoulder) was limited at the first two practices, but he was nowhere to be seen Monday. The same went for rookie running back Miles Sanders, who reportedly has a hamstring strain. On the good news front, safety Rodney McLeod (knee) participated in team warmups and a few individual drills, and linebacker Zach Brown (unknown) returned after sitting out the first two weeks. Linebacker Paul Worrilow (injury unknown) joined those who were injured and at practice – cornerback Ronald Darby (knee), running back Corey Clement (knee), receiver Mack Hollins (groin), and receiver Carlton Agudosi (unknown) were the others -- and who did anywhere from just watching to conditioning.

4. The Eagles had to be pleased to get Brown back, if not because they want to see how he looks but to start giving him snaps as the middle linebacker in Jim Schwartz’s defense. The recently departed Jordan Hicks missed his share of time because of injury, but he was still the starter for the better part of his four seasons in Philadelphia, and the Eagles have to turn the page rather quickly. Brown is considered a pretty smart player, so I don’t imagine it’ll take long for him to pick up the scheme. During scout-team drills, the offense had a screen set up for running back Boston Scott, but Brown snuffed it out. If you want a dark horse at linebacker, undrafted rookie T.J. Edwards might be a top candidate. He’s been playing MIKE, as well, and has stood out on occasion. During another scout-team drill that had Wentz dumping to Wendell Smallwood on a designed screen, Edwards slashed into the backfield and touched the running back for a would-be tackle for loss.

5. I still think there’s a chance Howie Roseman will add a veteran to the defensive end mix, but my guess is that he wants to see what some of the youngsters offer this spring or early in training camp next month before he makes a move. The Eagles have invested two fourth-round picks in ends in the last two drafts -- Josh Sweat and Shareef Miller. Sweat played a little as a rookie, but he suffered a season-ending foot injury in December. He’s been present and accounted for in OTAs and has stood out. It’s difficult at times to make evaluations up front without proper contact. Who’s toeing the line and who’s crossing it? But Sweat has tagged quarterbacks for several “sacks” and got to Nate Sudfeld once on Monday. Miller hasn’t flashed as much, but he penetrated into the backfield and “sacked” Cody Kessler. The Eagles seem set with Barnett, Brandon Graham,and Vinny Curry as their top three ends, but they need a fourth to step up, and if neither Sweat nor Miller can do it right away, there might be a candidate to be named later.

6. Asked Monday for players who have stood out, Pederson named Agholor, Wentz and tight end Dallas Goedert on offense, and a trio of cornerbacks – Maddox, Jones, and Douglas – on defense. Aside from Wentz, I’d have Goedert as my top guy among that group. He’s yet to do anything that could be labeled spectacular. I think there needs to be more contact for Goedert to drop jaws, but he already does nearly everything with such ease that it may be taken for granted. Sudfeld threw short of the goal line during red-zone drills, and Goedert, perhaps frustrated by the restrictions, bounced off a defender and carried another into the end zone. He later snatched a low Wentz toss with his fingertips.

7. Here’s my running diary of first team drills: The offense went without a running back on one of its first plays. The Eagles did a fair amount of this last year, but we could see more as a way of getting Goedert on the field more without cutting into Agholor’s snaps. Maddox later blitzed from the slot, and Wentz successfully threw to his hot receiver (Ertz). During scout-team drills, Wentz found Jackson matched up against Joey Alfieri (Hey now!) and the receiver laughably ran away from the linebacker. Douglas bit on a Jackson double move during 4-on-5 drills, and Wentz lofted a strike into the corner of the end zone. Jordan Mailata and Halapoulivaati Vaitai swapped spots, with the former at right guard and the latter at right tackle, but on the first rep of a new set of team drills, Mailata had a false start. He was promptly yanked for Matt Pryor. Curry and the defense strung out running back Jordan Howard on a run. “Rack his [expletive] up,” Curry bellowed. Jackson bobbled a Wentz hurl on a skinny post route, but he pulled it in and raced upfield.

8. Second team: Sudfeld got the D-line to jump offsides on an early team drill. He dumped to Howard out of the backfield. He floated a pass to Johnson in the back of the end zone during 4-on-5s. Sudfeld has a nice touch on those types of throws. Safety Deiondre’ Hall used his considerable length – he’s listed as 6-foot-2 but has long arms – to tip a pass to himself for an interception. Safety Godwin Igwebuike blitzed out of the slot, and Sudfeld was forced to bury the ball. Scott took a handoff but ran into linebacker L.J. Fort and fell backward onto the grass. Sudfeld found tight end Richard Rodgers for a long sideline toss.

9. Third team: Curry gobbled up Scott on an inside handoff. Quarterback Clayton Thorson lofted a pass to receiver Braxton Miller, but Maddox knocked him out of the air on his rear. Running back Donnel Pumphrey shot through a hole and into the secondary. Thorson found receiver Devin Ross on a short slant. It’s early, and the rookie quarterback has been fine, but he hasn’t done anything that can be labeled more than noteworthy. Quarterback Cody Kessler hit Johnson on a short comeback route.

10. And a few leftovers … Undrafted rookie guard Nate Herbig was on all fours, hunched over, after a late practice injury. … Penn State coach James Franklin, along with other Nittany Lions assistants, watched practice.