Eagles 2024 OTAs: Photos from Day 5 of practice

The Eagles kicked off the next phase of their offseason program this week with OTAs at the NovaCare Complex and we have the best photos from Day 5 of practice

The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the next phase of their offseason program this week with organized team activities at the NovaCare Complex.

Philadelphia conducted their fifth practice of OTAs on Thursday, which was open to the media and allowed some glimpses at star quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receiver A.J. Brown, running back Saquon Barkley and the team’s rebuilt defense that made a strong impression.

Here’s a look at some photos from Thursday’s practice:

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Depth at defensive tackle named the Eagles biggest remaining need

Philadelphia has a loaded roster, but any questions about depth come when you start to discuss the rotation at defensive tackle and linebacker.

The Eagles draft for need and talent, and they’ll need all hands on deck to replace the legendary Fletcher Cox at defensive tackle.

Philadelphia has a loaded roster, but any questions about depth come when you start to discuss the rotation at defensive tackle and linebacker. ESPN recently looked at the biggest remaining roster hole for all 32 NFL teams, and defensive tackle made the list for the Eagles.

For a long time, the strength of the Eagles’ 4-3 defense was the ability to constantly rotate defensive linemen to keep the defense fresh. Now Philadelphia will play a 3-4 defense, and the depth suggests there will be a lot less rotation. Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Milton Williams are a good set of starters, and it’s certainly possible the Eagles will play a lot of 2-4-5 nickel and need only two of those players at a time. Behind them are some question marks. Marlon Tuipulotu has proved himself to be a useful player in three NFL seasons. He had two sacks and 22 combined tackles last season. However, Moro Ojomo had just three tackles as a seventh-round rookie, and PJ Mustipher had just four tackles playing for the Saints.

Ojomo could benefit the most from Fletcher Cox’s departure, while veterans like Calais Campbell could be on the shortlist of late-summer additions.

WATCH: Eagles DT Jalen Carter has high praise for Vic Fangio and his old-school style

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter says he loves Vic Fangio and his old-school approach

Vic Fangio has his haters in Miami, but the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator is feeling all the love upon his return to Philadelphia.

After departing the Dolphins, Fangio has faced criticism for his coaching style and ability to relate to players, but two of the Eagles’ most important defenders approve of Fangio’s approach.

Darius Slay vouched for Fangio, and on Wednesday, star defensive tackle Jalen Carter praised the legendary play-caller while explaining how his old-school approach is welcoming.

Carter’s comments about Fangio come just 24 hours after Dolphins safety Jevon Holland raved about how new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver relates to players. Asked what the difference is with Weaver, Holland said: “It’s the fact that he’s a good person that makes a difference.”

After the late-season collapse and hiccups under Jonathan Gannon and Sean Desai, the Eagles, and the players appear to welcome Fangio and his hard coaching style.

Eagles have one player make a PFF ranking of top 25 players under 25 entering 2024

The Philadelphia Eagles had Jalen Carter make a list of PFF ranking of the top 25 players under 25

The Eagles have one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, but they still lack elite talent under the age of 25. That could change next spring after the team added Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

PFF released their annual ranking of the top 25 players under 25 entering the 2024 NFL season, and the Birds had one player make the list.

22. DI JALEN CARTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Off-field issues likely led to Carter sliding in the 2023 NFL Draft as the ninth-overall pick, because on the field he was among the better players at his position from Week 1.

Carter picked up nine quarterback pressures in his very first game against the Patriots, which was tied for the second most in an outing by a rookie all season. In the end, he earned an 87.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked sixth among interior defenders.

Last season, Carter got off to a blistering hot start.

Through Week 9, Carter had generated 29 pressures (tied for eighth in the league among interior defensive linemen) according to Pro Football Focus, including four sacks and 20 hurries.

A Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, Carter started just one game and played 51 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, but the ninth overall pick in the 2023 Draft was third on the team in sacks and fifth among all rookies.

During the first half of last season, Carter was dominant while playing 49% of the defensive snaps (despite missing Week 6 against the New York Jets with an injury), second among Eagles defensive tackles behind only Fletcher Cox.

His production fell off down the stretch.

Carter finished his rookie year with 6.0 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown) in 16 regular-season games.

Byron Murphy II with Seahawks among top-10 situations for 2024 rookies

Murphy came in at No. 9 on his list

Every pick in the NFL draft is a gamble – and whether or not it pays off depends in large part on the team the prospect is going to. Coaching and player development are every bit as important as talent for turning a rookie into a contributor and it’s critical that they fit into the team’s vision.

As for the 2024 draft class, the Seahawks seem to have found an excellent fit in Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who they picked at No. 16 overall. Marc Ross at NFL.com has made a list of the 10 rookies who have ended up in the best situations for themselves around the league and Murphy came in at No. 9 on his list. He compares Murphy landing in Seattle with Jalen Carter going to Philadelphia last year.

“This situation feels similar to how Jalen Carter slotted in with the Eagles in 2023… Murphy should see more playing time as a starter for the Seahawks, but he’ll be able to make the same type of splash plays Carter did simply because there are so many established disruptors around him. Murphy joins a defensive front that already features Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Darrell Taylor. Murphy’s skill set adds an extra dimension for new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who’ll love creating one-on-one opportunities for the rookie.”

After he was drafted Murphy told the media that the Seahawks see him as a 3-tech who can also play nose tackle. That means fans should expect Murphy to get significant playing time in Year 1. If they do have a difference-maker like Carter has been for the Eagles defense then nobody will be in any position to complain about the pick.

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Eagles’ Jalen Carter, James Bradberry to compete in ‘The Catch’ saltwater fishing tournament

Philadelphia Eagles stars Jalen Carter and James Bradberry are set to compete alongside 17 other NFL players in a saltwater fishing tournament benefiting the Coast Guard Foundation

The quarterbacks have ‘The Match,’ and now a handful of NFL stars, including Jalen Carter, are heading to the sea for a good cause.

The Eagle’s second-year defensive tackle and veteran cornerback James Bradberry is among seven-star players participating alongside Sport Fishing Championship’s leading anglers in “The Catch” saltwater fishing tournament on CBS live from the Fontainebleau Miami Beach on Saturday, April 20.

The players will compete to raise awareness for Sport Fishing Championship’s ocean-based “community champions.” The competition will also benefit the Coast Guard Foundation.

The coastal waters off Miami will be the arena as two teams are divided and captained by the SFC’s Billfish Championship top competitors, including reigning 2022 Champion Capt. Justin Drummond of Team Quantified, 2022 SFC Fan Vote Angler of The Year, Jaselyn Berthelot of Rising Sons, and 2022 SFC Wahoo Champion and Atlantic Division rival Capt. Taylor Sanford with Team Gypsea.

Here’s more about the competition via Sport Fishing Championship’s press release:

The coastal waters off Miami will be the arena as two teams are divided and will be captained by the SFC’s Billfish Championship top competitors, including reigning 2022 Champion Capt. Justin Drummond of Team Quantified, 2022 SFC Fan Vote Angler of The Year, Jaselyn Berthelot of Rising Sons, and 2022 SFC Wahoo Champion and Atlantic Division rival Capt. Taylor Sanford with Team Gypsea.

The competition will use SFC’s billfish catch-and-release scoring system. The exhibition will showcase the Coast Guard Foundation – the premier non-profit organization supporting active U.S. Coast Guard members, veterans, and their families through investments that support families, bolster unit morale and honor the Coast Guard’s national mission.

The Catch, Powered by Verizon, is a made-for-TV competition pairing SFC angling stars with the NFL’s biggest names and takes place April 18-20 at Pier Sixty-Six, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Viewers can tune in to the broadcast on the CBS Sports Network, Saturday, April 20, from 3-5 p.m.

Eagles updated 76-player roster as 2024 offseason program gets underway

We’re looking at the Philadelphia Eagles updated 76 man roster as the offseason workout program gets underway

The Eagles are back at the NovaCare Complex as the offseason program begins for 76 select veterans and second-year players.

The nine-week training program has three phases: one mandatory minicamp for the entire roster and one rookie minicamp for each group.

Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program, with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.

Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program with on-field workouts, which may include individual or group instruction.

Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program, during which teams may conduct ten days of organized team practice activities, or “OTAs.”

No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

The Eagles are changing their offseason program, including adding a mandatory minicamp for the first time under Nick Sirianni. They will have 7 OTAs (May 20, May 22-23, May 28, May 30-31) and three days of mandatory minicamp (June 4-6). In 2022 and 2023, they had six total OTAs.

With the workouts and on-field training underway, we’re looking at Philadelphia’s updated 76-player roster ahead of next week’s NFL draft.

15 biggest salary cap hits for the Eagles in 2024 after first wave of NFL free agency

We’re looking at the 15 biggest cap hits for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 after the first wave of NFL free agency

Change is always good for the soul, and after losing six of their final seven games, including a wild-card loss to the Buccaneers, Philadelphia has undergone a dramatic reconstruction that could pay off with championship dividends.

Offensive coordinators Brian Johnson (Commanders) and Sean Desai (Rams) have left, replaced by Vic Fangio (DC) and Kellen Moore (OC).

The Eagles have retooled their roster on both sides of the football after inking DE Bryce Huff, RB Saquon Barkley, OLB Zach Baun, OL Matt Hennessy, WR DeVante Parker, S/CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB Devin White, LB Oren Burks, DT PJ Mustipher, WR Parris Campbell, and CB Tyler Hall to deals during the first wave.

Philadelphia then traded for quarterback Kenny Pickett while extending Landon Dickerson and Jake Elliott. 

Philadelphia currently has about  $33,657,986 in cap space per Over The Cap, and they’re spending about $100+ million plus on both sides of the football.

The Eagles also have a Haason Reddick dilemma that’ll be resolved in the next week or more.

The biggest salary cap hits have changed, with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox counting until they’re officially released on June 1.

With the first wave of free agency completed, we’re taking an updated look at the 15 biggest salary cap hits for the Eagles, according to Over The Cap.

Predicting Eagles’ starting lineups for Week 1 after first wave of free agency

We’re predicting the Philadelphia Eagles starting lineups for Week 1 after the first wave of 2024 NFL Free Agency

The Eagles have retooled their roster on both sides of the football after inking DE Bryce Huff, RB Saquon Barkley, OLB Zach Baun, OL Matt Hennessy, WR DeVante Parker, S/CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB Devin White, LB Oren Burks, DT PJ Mustipher, WR Parris Campbell, and CB Tyler Hall to deals during the first wave.

Philadelphia then traded for quarterback Kenny Pickett while extending Landon Dickerson and Jake Elliott. 

Philadelphia currently has about  $33,657,986 in cap space per Over The Cap, and they’re spending about $100+ million plus on both sides of the football.

The Eagles also have a Haason Reddick dilemma that’ll be resolved in the next week or more.

With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we’re predicting the starting lineup for Week 1 in Brazil.

Where do the Eagles rank in spending at each position after first wave of free agency?

We’re looking at where the Philadelphia Eagles rank in positional spending at each position after the first wave of NFL free agency

The Eagles have retooled their roster on both sides of the football after inking DE Bryce Huff, RB Saquon Barkley, OLB Zach Baun, OL Matt Hennessy, WR DeVante Parker, S/CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB Devin White, LB Oren Burks, DT PJ Mustipher, WR Parris Campbell, and CB Tyler Hall to deals during the first wave.

Philadelphia then traded for quarterback Kenny Pickett while extending Landon Dickerson and Jake Elliott. 

Philadelphia currently has about  $33,657,986 in cap space per Over The Cap, and they’re spending about $100+ million plus on both sides of the football.  The offensive line and edge rusher positions carry the most significant cap space.

Overall positional spending has changed tremendously since Jalen Hurts signed a massive five-year, $255 million contract extension last spring.

This makes him among the four highest-paid players on average in NFL history.

The Eagles will again be a Super Bowl favorite in the NFC and have one of the most talented rosters despite being 17th in average positional spending.

Thanks to Over The Cap, here’s where Philadelphia sits in positional spending on both sides of the ball ahead of the season opener.