Eagles-Browns joint practice recap: DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown shine; 2 young players hinder Deshaun Watson; veteran corner outUpdated: Aug. 18, 2022, 8:29 p.m.|Published: Aug. 18, 2022, 5:49 p.m.
By Chris Franklin | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
BEREA, OH – The Eagles lined up to run a play during the first of two joint practices between the Eagles and Cleveland Browns at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, OH Thursday. After a run was called in the Eagles huddle, the offense made their way to the line of scrimmage. After the snap, Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips shot through a gap, thinking he would get a tackle for loss and hear the celebration from his teammates on the sideline.
The one thing Phillips did not account for was Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson coming down the line of scrimmage with speed, using his 332-pound frame to bowl over Phillips of the “pancake” block, the one that linemen covet. Dickerson was the one dancing in the direction of the Eagles sideline, celebrating the block and the substantial yardage gained on the play.
Dickerson’s outburst was not the only thing heard during the practice. Browns players were yelling after an interception, with the entire Browns defense going to an end zone to celebrate. There were also a couple of instances where cornerbacks and wide receivers were having long “conversations” as they jogged back into their huddles, making sure they had made their point.
Although it was not a full-fledged game, the intensity and the chirping from both sidelines at times made it feel like it were a regular season game instead of a preseason practice, a byproduct of having joint practices.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said that facing off against players not on his team led to the increased energy and tension throughout practice.
“They make a play, and they cheer, then we make a play, and we cheer,” Goedert said after practice. “It’s all in good fun. That’s what you don’t have when you’re practicing against yourself as much or in the offseason when you have OTAs, so it’s fun to get back out here, get a little chippy and bring the intensity up. It makes us all better.”
Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox said the energy was just one of the things head coach Nick Sirianni wanted to see from his players. The other involved the smaller parts of their game.
“We came out here with a lot of energy and to compete at a high level, doing everything that we have been taught to do,” Maddox said. “We have to do our fundamentals. The small details were the main thing that he (Sirianni) focused on.”
Two young players make plays against Browns’ Deshaun Watson, second-team offense
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson dropped back to pass late in Thursday’s practice, looking to see if he could find a receiver who was open. It had been a long day for Watson, having to face the music after the news that he would be facing an 11-game suspension resulting from the 20-plus accusations of sexual impropriety levied against him.
With the Browns needing Jacoby Brissett to get more time with the first-team offense because of Watson’s penalty, Watson was relegated to backup status. During this play, Watson was looking to get something right on the field. After locking to wide receiver David Bell, he threw in his direction. However, Eagles safety K’Von Wallace hustled over to where Bell was and deflected the pass. Wallace’s play was one of several the Eagles second-team defense had against Watson in the full team game-situations scenarios the two teams had at the end of practice.
Linebacker Patrick Johnson put sustained pressure on Watson, recording a sack and at least two hurries. Johnson has come on as of late, making a strong push to show why he should be on the active roster for the second year in a row. Wallace has needed a practice to stand out, especially with Josiah Scott and Reed Blankenship playing well at safety. Wallace’s breakup could be the play that brings him back in the race as a legitimate candidate to remain with the team.
Wide receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown take advantage of injured Browns secondary
The Browns are dealing with some secondary issues, with starting cornerback Denzel Ward playing sparingly as he comes back from a foot injury that landed him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list before camp began and Greg Newsome also working on returning from an injury.
Their absence allowed Brown and Smith to find ways to get open, using their detailed route-running ability to set up defensive backs to go one way, leading to separation on the outside.
On the first pass in the one-on-one session between the wide receivers and defensive backs, quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a fade to Brown over Browns cornerback Greedy Williams, making a one-handed catch. Later in the 11-on-11 team sessions, Smith saw a significant share of the targets, with the Browns trying to eliminate Brown from getting big plays. During one stretch, Smith was targeted three straight times and caught all three passes.
Eagles start fast, Browns catch up
Hurts’ throw to Brown set the tone early, with the Eagles moving the ball well through the air. The Browns came back and made some plays, making adjustments and playing stouter defense, especially their second and third units. The Eagles first unit made up for the stagnant play from the reserves, redeeming themselves by having strong 11 on 11 periods late in practice.
Veteran corner misses practice
Cornerback James Bradberry did not participate Thursday because of a groin injury. Bradberry left practice on Tuesday to check it out but returned to watch for the rest of the session. Bradberry is a vital piece to the secondary since he, Maddox, and Darius Slay make up one of the better cornerback trios in the league. Other defensive players out included defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (toe) and linebacker Christian Elliss (hamstring).
Running back Miles Sanders missed practice again with a hamstring injury, giving Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott more snaps with the first team. Both were used successfully by quarterback Jalen Hurts as outlets, with the backs catching the ball in the flat to pick up decent gains and move the down marker further along. Center Jason Kelce (elbow), wide receiver Greg Ward (toe), and tight end Grant Calcaterra (hamstring) did not participate in practice.
Here are some other notable moments from practice:
-Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson had a good day against Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, showing off his footwork to make sure he got himself in a good position to stymie Clowney’s pass rush.
-Eagles wide receiver John Hightower ran one of his best routes of training camp against Browns cornerback Martin Emmerson Jr., selling as if he were going one way before heading in the opposite direction. Emmerson bit on the first move, which allowed Hightower to get almost eight yards of separation.
-Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat used his speed to get around the edge to “sack” Brissett when the Eagles’ first-team defense went to a far-field to take on the Browns first-team offense.
The Eagles will be back on the field for another joint practice in Berea scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
https://www.nj.com/eagles/2022/08/e...r-deshaun-watson-veteran-corner-out.html