Champs Camp
2025 Eagles Training Camp Primer
Another summer is in the books, as the Eagles on Tuesday report to the NoveCare Complex for training camp. Practice is slated for Wednesday morning.
Apart from last Friday’s elegant ring ceremony, it’s been a rather quiet offseason for the Eagles. No contract quibbles and barely any juicy headlines. All 10 members of the 2025 draft class are under contract.
The spring mantra for the defending Super Bowl champs is sustained success — not repeat — exemplifying head coach Nick Sirianni’s mindset of focusing on what’s in front without looking ahead. For Sirianni and this group, it’s about the daily grind, habits that shape success and keen attention to detail.
The first practice will take place 10 a.m. Wednesday, with Nick Sirianni speaking around 9:30. Other relevant dates include Aug. 7, when the Eagles kick off exhibition play at home against the Bengals, as well as Aug. 10, when team will hold its lone public practice at Lincoln Financial Field. Roster cutdowns – when every team must trim its roster from 90 to 53 by 4 p.m. ET – is Aug. 26.
We’ve covered every angle of Eagles training camp the past six weeks, and below are links to offseason stories to get you geared up for an eventful month ahead.
GETTY IMAGES: The first practice of Eagles training camp is Wednesday, starting at 10 a.m. after Nick Sirianni’s first camp press conference.
Position previews:
Features:
New Faces To Guide Birds Offense, But Pillars Remain Same In Hurts, Sirianni
Ben VanSumeren – Blast From The Past
Pre-camp 53-man roster projection:
Key Training Camp Position Battles
Right guard
Third-year pro Tyler Steen enters camp as the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to replacing Mekhi Becton, who departed in free agency. It’s a familiar position for Steen, who last summer opened camp as the starter before an ankle injury sideline him for over a week. The Alabama product acquitted himself well, in my estimation, last season when thrust into service, appearing in all 17 regular season games (two starts) and totaling 316 snaps. While Steen would appear to have a fairly strong foothold on a starting job, Kenyon Green — a 2022 first-round pick acquired this offseason in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade — and veteran Matt Pryor could give him a run for his money. If there were a player to conceivably push Steen, I believe that would be Pryor, who rolled up over 1,000 snaps for the Bears last season at right guard.
Linebacker
Injuries dictate this one. Fourth-year pro Nakobe Dean will continue to mend a torn patellar tendon and is expected to be sidelined for a while. First-round rookie Jihaad Campbell, working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, is expected to be cleared “sometime in August,” according to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. We’ll first have to see how long it takes for Campbell, who also offers pass-rush upside, to get up to speed at inside linebacker. Then there’s second-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who is in line to collect a considerable chunk of the first-team reps this summer alongside All-Pro Zack Baun. While Trotter Jr. managed only 104 defensive snaps as a rookie, the Clemson product made an impression on the coaches for his work behind the scenes. The increased opportunities should only fuel his progress.
Cornerback
Gone from the Super Bowl team are veterans Darius Slay (Steelers) and Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings), setting the stage for perhaps the most marquee competition of the summer. The two players taking center stage will be 22-year-old Kelee Ringo and veteran Adoree’ Jackson. Jackson, signed in free agency, brings 97 games (82 starts) of NFL experience, but all eyes will be on Ringo, the Eagles’ fourth-round pick of two years ago. Possessing prototypical size and range for the boundary, Ringo’s measurables and athleticism will never be in question. But the determining factor as it pertains from making the jump from reserve to starter could boil down to whether Ringo can prove consistent enough in his technique and remain assignment sound down-to-down. The Georgia product enters his third summer in Philadelphia as the favorite and will be afforded every opportunity to secure a starting job.
Safety
The path to replace Gardner-Johnson, alongside Reed Blankenship, will — according to Fangio — be a three-way competition between rookie Drew Mukuba and pair of third-year players in Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum. Mukuba, the Eagles’ second-round pick this spring, has all the tools to complement Blankenship, notably including ball skills, versatility and a high-level football IQ. Now under contract, Mukuba can focus on mastering a complex defense and stacking productive practices in his bid to become a first-year starter. While the Texas product has the advantage in terms of skill set and pedigree, it would be unwise to discount Brown. A heat-seeker known for his intensity, Brown plays a brand of football that may not align with the fundamentals that Fangio seeks from such a critical position in his defense, but Brown comes in with the benefit of spending a year in the system. And McCollum is a tough and steady player the team likes. He’s seemingly garnered the trust of his coaches through consistency and fundamentally sound play.
Key camp storylines
The Kevin Patullo Influence
Patullo, a first-time play-caller, has been given the keys to a supercharged Eagles offense, and there are plenty of reasons for optimism. In his introductory presser, he alluded to building around the strength of his personnel, a common philosophy shared, sure, but one that should preclude a staggering start. Patullo is also approaching his fifth season working with Hurts in some capacity, which should ease the transition.
But what might the offense look like under Patullo? Well, training camp isn’t always the definitive way to gauge, though it will offer a glimpse into how Hurts takes command of the offense as well as how smoothly the unit as a collective adapts.
The word “evolve” was mentioned multiple times by prominent offensive figures. What that means depends on how you interpret it within its context, but I’m expecting an offense laced with some new wrinkles, constructed to propel Hurts and Co. to greater heights.
New Faces On Defense
The Eagles this offseason lost a slew of defensive contributors from the 2024 team, including Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Isaiah Rodgers and Oren Burks. Long-time mainstay Brandon Graham, as well, due to retirement. Those departures thrust a number of young and inexperienced defenders into the spotlight, placing an emphasis on teaching and development. While it may be a bit pie-in-the-sky to expect another season of rolling out the league’s top defense every week, the Eagles would appear to have the talent and coaches in-house to facilitate the transition. Dissimilar to last summer, where much of the focus pertained to viability at certain positions, it’s now centered around their ability to build and grow.
Leadership
The absence of Graham for the first time in 15 seasons may take some time to grow accustomed to, but the Eagles have a host of players on both sides of the ball equipped to take charge. On offense, it’s the usual suspects, like Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown continuing to take the lead. There also seems to be no shortage on defense, where the likes of Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun and Reed Blankenship are capable of carrying the torch. Very few teams boast as many capable leaders as the Eagles, which speaks to culture and player evaluation, but I’m curious to see who emerges and sets the tone on the defensive side.
Bonus: Under the radar Eagles to note
WR Danny Gray
Gray, a 2022 third-round pick, spent the 2024 season on the Eagles’ practice squad after failing to establish himself in San Francisco. Gray, who had a solid run of spring practices, has a decided advantage when it comes to the speed commodity, which could separate him from a field of contenders, including veteran Terrace Marshall and second-year pro Ainias Smith. He’ll be in the mix for depth role.
TE E.J. Jenkins
Boasting an imposing 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame complemented with plus athletic traits, Jenkins last season appeared in eight regular season games and all postseason contests. He also happens to be the team’s second-most efficient blocker at his position behind Dallas Goedert, which potentially helps him distinguish himself from the likes of free-agent additions Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson. Intriguing developmental prospect.
OL Darian Kinnard
A reserve/futures signing last offseason, Kinnard parlayed a nice summer into a spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster, where he remained all season. Kinnard, 25, offers tackle/guard versatility and it’s worth noting the Eagles kept him on the active roster for the entirety of the 2024 season despite appearing in only two games. After a year of development under offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland, Kinnard returns to join the fray of what has become a crowded house in the offensive line room.
DL Gabe Hall
Hall, signed on the heels of the 2024 NFL Draft as a rookie free agent, spent the duration of the 2024 season on the Eagles’ practice squad. Working in Hall’s favor is versatility, as he can play any position along the defensive line. Speaking to Hall last season, the Baylor product mentioned how beneficial it was going against Eagles’ three-time All-Pro guard, Landon Dickerson, all season. Perhaps a year of development fuels his progress in Year 2.
CB Eli Ricks
Ricks strung together a productive succession of practices to end camp, latching onto the 53-man roster for a second consecutive season. The lengthy cover corner, who logged over 300 defensive snaps as a rookie, was mostly inactive on game days last season, appearing in seven games. He logged just 14 snaps on defensive and another 51 on special teams. Like Kinnard, it’s noteworthy the Eagles kept Ricks on the active roster all season despite not having a role. Young, experienced, cost-effective cover corners come at a premium, however, so he shouldn’t be forgotten.
S Andre’ Sam
Sam, a 2024 rookie free agent signing, hung around on the Eagles’ practice squad all season, even occupying a coveted wall locker stall alongside members of the active roster. The since-departed Gardner-Johnson essentially served as a big brother to Sam, guiding him along as a rookie. Sam last season also came up — unprompted — multiple times by Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker. Provided the 26-year-old dazzles on special teams and takes a leap in his second season, there’s a path in which he can elbow his way into the roster conversation.
– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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