Home Stretch

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles returned to the Jefferson Health Training Complex practice field on Monday following a productive week in Foxborough. Monday’s session was of the shorter variety, focusing on 7-on-7 and 11-on-11s. The first team saw quite a bit of work in this one.

On Tuesday night, the Eagles will hold an open practice under the lights at Lincoln Financial Field. Practice begins at 6:00 p.m., with head coach Nick Sirianni speaking beforehand.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: WR Hollywood Brown had a productive practice.

The following Eagles didn’t participate on Day 15: OT Markel Bell (thumb/leg), CB Jakorian Bennett (knee), TE Grant Calcaterra (back), CB Jonathan Jones (shoulder), OL Willie Lampkin (stinger), CB Mac McWilliams (shoulder), TE Eli Stowers (hamstring), CB Ambry Thomas (groin), WR Quez Watkins (foot) and S Cole Wisniewski (concussion).

Veteran OLB Jonathan Greenard (pectoral strain) remains on the active/physically unable to perform list. Rookie DB Tucker Large remains on the reserve/non-football injury list, where he has been since early May.

The biggest storyline from Monday’s practice was the return in full participation for WRs DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon, who participated in team drills for the first time since August 3. Lemon, by the way, was targeted twice in the session. The first came on a Jalen Hurts throw — with DB Cooper DeJean in coverage — that was rendered incomplete. On the second, Lemon, on play action, shook free for a short completion.

Limited for the Eagles were WR Danny Gray (groin), OL John Ojukwu (pectoral), RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) and DT Byron Young (shoulder).

Transaction update: Ahead of Monday’s practice, the Eagles released S J.T. Gray and waived/injured RB Ja’Quinden Jackson. Fun fact: I caught up with Gray after the preseason opener. A three-time All-Pro special teamer, Gray’s impact as a gunner on punt coverage has become teach tape for many around the league. For Gray, his teach tape coming up was the Patriots’ Matthew Slater.

Let’s get to the observations.

*Active afternoon for the Eagles’ defensive line, as DT Moro Ojomo knifed through the line for a couple of “sacks,” one necessitating a Hurts throwaway. OLB Jalyx Hunt flashed early with a “sack” and was generally a menace to contend with, best encapsulated on a play in which he sniffed out a Tank Bigsby run, corralling the running back for a loss. Both Ojomo and Hunt seemingly end up in my observations daily, and even in an abbreviated, lighter session, they managed to create disruption.

*Lemon jumped right back in with the Eagles’ first-team offense, teaming with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks. He was sent in motion on a handful of reps, and as noted earlier, hauled in one of his two pass targets.

O-line configurations

First team (L-R): LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, RG Tyler Steen, RT Lane Johnson

Second team (L-R): LT Myles Hinton, LG Micah Morris, C Zeke Correll, RG Drew Kendall, RT Fred Johnson (Jake Majors also worked in at RG).

Remember, Bell and Lampkin were sidelined, and John Ojukwu was limited. I expect Hinton, Morris and Majors to get a lot of work Friday night in the finale. Majors, by the way, played all 63 offensive snaps against the Patriots and has come on a bit.

*Veteran WR Hollywood Brown didn’t play Saturday night in Foxborough, perhaps an indication of where he stands on the roster, and delivered a pair of notable highlights Monday afternoon. In the early stages of 11-on-11s, Brown streaked down the field and pulled in a nice deep ball from Hurts. DT Jordan Davis got around Dickerson for what would have been a “sack,” but the rep continued. Brown also blew past the secondary and was targeted deep down the middle for what would have been a touchdown, but the Hurts pass was too far out in front. S Drew Mukuba was the closest defender in coverage. Brown has flashed a bit within the past week.

*DeJean had a busy afternoon in coverage. The reigning All-Pro, as mentioned, was the defender in coverage on Lemon’s first target of the day, but he also provided tight coverage on a heave to Smith to force an incompletion. Later, DeJean, matched up with TE Dallas Goedert, logged a pass breakup.

*Daily QB2 update: Fourth-year pro Tanner McKee, on the heels of his encouraging showing against the Patriots, was first up with the second unit, but Andy Dalton also mixed in. The Eagles have rotated both quarterbacks all summer, and that continues to be the case. Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion mentioned Monday that he isn’t ready to name his No. 2 quarterback:

“We’ve still got time,” he said. “We’ve still got a whole great week’s work here ahead of the Cincinnati game. Then you get some extra practices before Week 1 as well. We’re going to use every chance we get to work with all of our guys, quarterback or otherwise, and then kind of make a full evaluation from every bit of practice that we have.”

*I made sure to highlight the performance of LB Zack Baun in my observations from joint practices, and the All-Pro linebacker delivered another noteworthy play in coverage. Late in 11-on-11s, Baun was in coverage on a Hurts incompletion to TE Johnny Mundt. His consistency can sometimes be taken for granted, but Baun has had a strong camp.

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is the Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.