Out Of His Hands

PHILADELPHIA — Quickly dapping up several of his fellow defensive backs before heading toward an exit in the Lincoln Financial Field home locker room Saturday, less than 30 minutes following the preseason finale, second-year Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks heard his name called and broke stride.

Ricks, who for the second straight summer is tasked with navigating an uncertain job future heading into cutdowns, was eager to chat and upbeat, though apparently hurried.

A grueling training camp, one in which Ricks found himself in the thick of a highly competitive positional battle, had officially run its course, which perhaps explained his sense of relief and satisfaction. And as Ricks would soon explain, he would be taking the ensuing few off days to head back home.

To California?

“Yeah.”

Ricks, 22, headed west for the sole purpose of recovering from the fatigue and restoring his body for the marathon slate that awaits.

“Just resting,” he offered. “It’s been a long camp, hard camp. Just getting my body straight until we come back.”

For Ricks, who logged just over 300 defensive snaps as a rookie, appearing in 16 games and a playoff contest, the offseason training in California centered on his usual point of emphasis of refining technique.

But what the sessions couldn’t replicate, however, was his primary focus heading into his second NFL season. Ricks’ focus on tackling this summer could really only be honed in training camp during live periods, as well as preseason play.

Starting with his rookie season, Ricks has seen the tackling nuance of the position as an evolving element of his game, one in which he prides himself on making notable strides.

This summer was no exception.

“I mean, we only had three games,” he said, through a grin. “I played a lot of snaps [Saturday], but not as many the other two games. So, the tackles that I came up on, I haven’t missed a tackle yet, but I still feel like throughout the season, I’ll get more of an opportunity.

“I had a lot of tackles – I had like four tackles, damn near, by the second series.”

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles second-year CB Eli Ricks gave his all this camp but could be a victim of numbers at his position.

In training camp, Ricks rolled up the majority of his reps with the second team, typically aligning opposite fellow second-year corner Kelee Ringo.

For much of the summer, the lengthy cornerback – confident and poised – experienced a relatively nondescript camp, though that should hardly be considered an indictment given his position.

Ricks, playing exclusively in his natural position on the outside, was following a rookie season in which he tried his hand at nickelback out of necessity.

Manning the perimeter, he’d often use his frame to squeeze receivers toward the sideline and narrow throwing windows.

Sure, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native took the occasional lumps during 1-on-1 periods, which are always skewed in favor of the receiver, but never once did his confidence appear shaken.

And even when it appeared he’d become an afterthought as camp progressed, Ricks saved his most memorable practice performance for the final day of camp.

Ricks, showcasing instincts and anticipation, picked off quarterback Kenny Pickett for the second time in camp. He also broke on another Pickett pass later in the session, lunging in front of wide receiver Joseph Ngata to break up the pass.

Ricks was also twice tested in the end zone, with the highlight coming on the tail end of what looked to be a leaping, contested-catch grab from wide receiver Jacob Harris. Ricks appeared to get his hand in late to force the incompletion.

“Eli has been doing a nice job,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said late in camp when asked about Ricks’ progress.

Ricks, who played 50 snaps in the preseason finale, has done all he can to enhance his roster prospects. Everything from here on out is out of his control, which again perhaps explained his upbeat demeanor.

As for the Eagles, the team can take solace in the fact that Ricks has become far more technical under new defensive backs coach Christian Parker. Ricks played less tentatively, seeing things faster and communicating better.

Where or how he fits aren’t consequential at this time. Rather, the more pertinent takeaway is that Ricks, who carries much promise, has taken the next step in his evolution.

“I feel I had a pretty good summer, honestly, with the opportunity I had, going with the twos. Kinda did everything I really could, and I feel like I got a lot better since last season,” he said. “I got a lot more turnovers this camp compared to last season. And I just think I’ll keep growing. Only focused on corner this camp, so that’s probably a difference.”

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