Last Grasp

PHILADELPHIA — The final official training camp practice for the Eagles is in the books.

Day 16 of Eagles camp welcomed a return of the picture-perfect weather, conjuring conditions reminiscent of September football.

The Wednesday fully-padded session, categorized as “green,” centered on a full-field scrimmage, clocking a running time of one-hour, 52 minutes.

The Eagles will have walkthroughs on Thursday and Friday before Saturday’s preseason finale. The roster cutdown deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, but the team could announce cuts before Tuesday.

In injury news, TE Dallas Goedert (oblique), OL Matt Hennessy (back), EDGE Jalyx Hunt (oblique), OL Trevor Keegan (hip), TE Albert Okwuegbunam (abdomen), WR John Ross (concussion), OL Tyler Steen (ankle), S Caden Sterns (knee) and WR Johnny Wilson (concussion) didn’t practice.

Roster moves: Earlier, the Eagles announced the signing of OL Jason Poe and the release of veteran TE C.J. Uzomah in a corresponding move.

Poe originally opened camp with the Eagles but rejoined due to a numbers shortage on the offensive line. Stock is up for E.J. Jenkins, who has shown well in consecutive practices upon his return from a knee injury.

Depth Chart Notes

* First-team cornerback grouping was Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers outside, with rookie Quinyon Mitchell at nickel. In base, the corners were Slay and Mitchell.

* Zack Baun again teamed with Devin White to comprise the first unit linebacking tandem, though there was incessant mixing and matching throughout practice.

* As for No. 3 wide receiver, Britain Covey and Parris Campbell again rotated with the starters.

Let’s get to the observations.

* Strong day for fourth-year RB Kenny Gainwell, who saw an uptick in snaps with Saquon Barkley out of team drills (load management). Gainwell caught the ball extremely well and burrowed forward when sifting through traffic to churn out some tough yards on the ground. While Gainwell lacks the gaudy home-run hitting element, the 25-year-old is just a solid, consistent pro who the Eagles trust.

Gainwell’s shining moment occurred late in practice, during a two-minute drill in the red zone. Heading toward the right corner of the end zone, Hurts lofted up a well-placed pass, with Gainwell gaining position on LB Zack Baun and coming down with the leaping reception.

“It was a busted route,” Gainwell explained. “Jalen scrambled out, and I made a play. I really appreciate Jalen for trusting me, throwing the ball up in the air and let me go up and get it. And I went up and did what I had to do.”

* It’s easy to appreciate the passion with which DE Brandon Graham has for the game. The veteran edge rusher, in his final training camp practice, seemingly emptied the tank, harassing quarterbacks throughout the session and adding juice to a high-flying defense that’s built some momentum late in camp. Working against Jordan Mailata, Graham collected multiple sacks. He’s had a great camp.

* The first interception of training camp for Jalen Hurts fittingly occured at the hands of CB Darius Slay, who undercut a pass over the middle to WR Parris Campbell to secure the pick. When asked if Slay said anything to Hurts after the play, Hurts said he told Slay, “About time.” Still, a remarkable streak for Hurts, who went 15 consecutive practices before tossing one.

Slay, by the way, had a strong practice, including a pass breakup in the left corner of the end zone, where Hurts was trying to fit one to WR A.J. Brown. Slay, perhaps taken for granted at times, is the consummate pro, always engaged and invested throughout the sessions.

* Second-year CB Kelee Ringo has been a preseason standout and has enjoyed some nice moments, but there are times as a defensive back where you concede a catch despite sticky coverage. That rang true again for Ringo, who ran stride for stride with WR DeVonta Smith, running a Go route down the left sideline. For the second time in two days, Hurts dropped it in where only Smith could come down with it for the score. Ringo was hit with a pass interference call. After the play, a fired up Hurts emphatically slapped hands with T Fred Johnson and G Mekhi Becton.

Earlier in practice, Ringo, who has been handsy, was tagged for a penalty on a slant to WR Austin Watkins.

* It’s tough to find a roster spot when crunching the numbers, but second-year CB Eli Ricks picked a good time to turn in his best performance. Ricks registered his second pick of camp during Wednesday’s session, coming up with an errant Kenny Pickett pass. He nearly came up with another Pickett pass in the latter stages of practice, anticipating and lunging in front of WR Joseph Ngata to get a hand on the pass.

Ricks was also twice tested in the end zone, the first becoming an incompletion in which his lanky frame made it tough for Pickett to lob the ball over his head. The other proved to be a highlight, with WR Jacob Harris climbing the ladder over Ricks in attempt to haul in a contested catch for a score. It looked like Ricks might have gotten a hand in late to force the incompletion. He celebrated with a finger wag.

Ricks, 22, played 301 defensive snaps for the Eagles last season, but his foothold on a roster spot has been tentative since the draft selections of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Some OL/DL 1-on-1 Highlights

DL Jordan Davis vs. OT Anim Dankwah: Davis won big, showcasing power and hand-swipe to disengage.

EDGE Bryce Huff vs. OL Gottlieb Ayedze: Huff maneuvered around Ayedze, who hasn’t been all that bad in these drills, to win the rep.

DL Moro Ojomo vs. Laekin Vakalahi: Ojomo won cleanly – with active, violent hands.

OL Jason Poe vs. DL Thomas Booker IV: Poe, a spark plug of a lineman now wearing No. 59 and conjuring shades of former Eagles center Nick Cole, loses out on this rep to Booker, who continues to turn up.

* Another encouraging showing from the pass-rush reserves, who had additional opportunities in light of Hunt’s oblique injury. Specifically, veterans Terrell Lewis and Julian Okwara showed well. Lewis recorded a sack of Pickett and flew in to halt Jacob Harris on a quick out to the the left, making a quality open-field tackle. Second-year DT Moro Ojomo had a bead — and forward momentum — as well, careening toward the sideline and nearly rolling into OL coach Jeff Stoutland, who appeared unfazed.

Okwara has also quietly strung together some notable practices, flashing a bit as a rusher. On one play, Okwara — who on Sunday deflected a pass that was intercepted — turned the corner on RT Darian Kinnard for what would have been a sack on the play. Instead, the play resulted in a QB Tanner McKee completion along the right sideline to Ngata, who received a pop from CB Josh Jobe. Earlier in the session, Okwara beat Kinnard off the edge for a would-be sack against Pickett.

* As written about previously, rookie WR Ainias Smith has come on a bit, stacking days and appearing far more confident than at any point previously. In addition to seeing looks at kick returner, Smith reeled in a nifty catch over the middle from McKee, which required concentration. It was his best play of the summer.

More 1-on-1s

* Fun competition period to end camp, where HC Nick Sirianni, seemingly, picked names at random to go head-to-head in a specific drill.

The reps went as followed:

*WR Britain Covey vs. DB Cooper DeJean: Covey created some space, but the pass was off the mark. While brief, it’s been fun watching those two square off.

*WR A.J. Brown vs. CB Quinyon Mitchell: Mitchell, at his own request, drew the assignment of Brown. Running a Go route down the right sideline, Brown appeared to gain a step on Mitchell, but the Hurts pass was overthrown and fell incomplete.

EDGE Nolan Smith vs. RT Darian Kinnard: Smith puts a move on Kinnard to easily win the rep. Yes, you read that correctly. The defense erupted.

“It’s exciting,” Smith said. “That’s what you live for; 1-on-1, all eyes on you. And that’s how it is the game. That’s how you feel every play. So, that’s why I tell ‘em, ‘I love that moment.’

“And you know, my teammates know my moves and know what I’m gonna do, and just to see them react to it and love it and stuff like that, it’s just amazing. You can’t buy nothin’ like that.”

LB Ben VanSumeren vs. RB Ty Davis-Price (blitz pickup): Davis-Price fended off VanSumeren to win the rep.

LB Ben VanSumeren vs. S Andre’ Sam: In the final rep of camp, VanSumeren lined up as the tight end, with Sam defending. VanSumeren ran a nasty route to shake free — even giving a head-fake — and made a diving effort, but the pass from Kenny Pickett was off the mark. For VanSumeren – once a collegiate running back – his speed and agility were noteworthy.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.