PHLY Philadelphia Eagles Podcast - Jihaad Campbell continues to move up at Eagles training camp

Episode Date: July 26, 2025

The Eagles' third practice of the summer including a standout performance from Moro Ojomo and a down-the-roster wide receiver, while Jihaad Campbell continued his summer of being ahead of schedule. Zach Berman and Bo Wulf have the latest from camp. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bowulf and Zach Berman here after the Eagles' third practice of training camp on a Saturday. We've got a quick 10-minute recap here for you. Zach, what was your number one takeaway from today's practice? Seeing Jahad Campbell mix in with the first team defense. It's something we've been talking about during the past few days. When is it going to happen? It wasn't like all these snaps, but you saw him creep in a little bit more. And as we've talked about going back to the first practice,

Jahad Campbell's a big storyline. so just seeing that progression is a positive sign. So I have a different takeaway here. Okay. I mean, listen, I think that it is still tracking for Jahad Campbell to take that job. Today's was, I mean, he was still, it was the second linebacker tandem. It was just that they were doing a lot more mixing and matching within the first team defense. So it was like the number one secondary with the number two linebackers or the number one defensive line with the number two linebackers.

So I think it was, until I see him working with Zach Bond, I'm not going to say that he has been promoted to the first team. but at the point, I mean, he still is ascending and he spoke after practice. What did he say? Yeah, he said that he's, his focus right now is on being a great linebacker. After practice, he works with, he works on his pass rush. So it's not as if he's a linebacker slash edge rusher right now. As far as his health, he says he's still in the rehab process, still recovering from that. And so he really didn't say definitively that he's back. I have two players who stood out today as having really good days. One with the ones and one with the threes.

Do you care to guess the two of them? I'm curious. Who would you say? Well, with the ones, more Ojoma. A very good day in practice. There was one where he combined with Thomas Booker for what looked like it would have been a sack on Jalen Hertz. He had another play up the middle where he had sort of a one-handed run stop at the line of scrimmage of Seekwon Barkley. and he is a very important player in this defense.

We have talked about Jordan Davis and the weight that he has lost, but realistically, Ojima is the one who's going to be taking the most of those snaps of the ones replacing Milton Williams. And this is a player who I think the Eagles feel like is going to give them like 90% of what they got for Milton Williams, if not even closer to that. This is a third-year player who is young. They have very high expectations for, and I think he has showed up well so far, especially in the absence of Jalen Carter.

Yeah, I think you're a radar spot on there because that's exactly what they're thinking. Now, the third teamer who flashed for me today and I think had a big day, Elijah Cooks, the 6'4 wide receiver formerly at the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the league on drafted, has kicked around for a little bit. He's 26 years old. Bigger player, he had three really nice catches today, including one that ended practice down the left side line over B.J. Mays, I believe, a nice athletic catch, had one in the middle of the field, downfield as well, and also a nice slant Elijah Cooks. Listen, there is room for somebody to make this team down the wide receiver

depth chart. Terris Marshall had a good first day of practice. Has been quiet since. Elijah Cook's a good Saturday for him. He almost looks like a tight end out there sometimes too, right? And so, yeah, so I actually had to look down at the roster as at a receiver or a tight end, which is a good sign because he, when you talk about unique traits, he has that big body for a wide receiver.

In terms of the position battles, another day where Keeley, Ringo, and Adoree, Jackson just sort of rotated on the outside at cornerback at safety, a bunch of guys rotating in again, although this was a little bit more of a Sydney Brown day. And I talked to Sydney Brown after practice today. And, you know, he said something interesting, which is that, you know, he was working his way back from the injury last year. And even when he got back, this is not him making excuses. I was asking him the difference between how he feels now versus how he felt at the end of last season. And, you know, he was playing through even then, like a meniscus tear. And it's like night and day for how he feels right now. Listen, that doesn't not mean he's going to win this job.

In fact, I think it is more likely than not that the guy that they just drafted in the second round and Drew Makuba is going to win that job. But I also think it's a nice reminder to remember that things can change year to year with these guys. And just because Vic Fangio didn't necessarily want Cini Brown on the field last year doesn't mean that he can't make a big league this year. And if he does feel better physically, that will make him probably perform better. You're right. I mean, there were training camps where we were talking about Branden and Graham in that context, right? Like, has he been usurped by other players on the roster? And then we've also, you know, the progression of a player is not always linear. And I think Sydney Brown

could be an example of that. So that's a good point. Any other takeaways from today's practice we're discussing? Yeah. Look, I think it's important to note. And I say this because I get it, nothing that happens with, I agree with you, nothing that happens with Jaywin-Hertz is like, you know, eye-opening for the season. But I said the other day he had a good practice. I didn't think today was a good practice. I thought the ball was on the ground more than it typically is. I thought there were a few passes where he missed it. I don't know if it was a receiver. I don't know if it was him. There was a red zone pass. If you remember, I think it was to Goddard. And then there was a pass that Devante where they weren't quite on the same page. So I said the other day, he looked really

sharp. He didn't look as efficient today. To me, the takeaway was less about the qualitative and more about what he was doing. And I actually thought it was interesting. You asked Kevin Batullo before practice about the vertical passing game. Jailen Hertz threw the ball downfield more today than he has all of camp, including a nice completion to A.J. Brown and another one to AJ that probably would have been a pass interference. It wasn't a very good throw from Jailen Hertz, but those are not that risky throws.

You're right. And the A.J. Brown pass in particular, just like a perfectly placed ball. And it was Keeley Ringgo in coverage. And it goes back to something we spoke about earlier this week, which is, Like when Keeley gets beat, it's not necessarily on Keeley. This was just an outstanding throw and catch by AJ. It kind of backs up AJ saying he's the best receiver in the league. Like there aren't that many players in the league who make that type of catch.

It's the late hands that you see. Throw the ball up demonstratively afterwards. He knew it was a big time play. We should note that Kenyon Green, the guard who the Eagles acquired from the Texans in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson deal practiced for the first time today and continues as he did in the spring to work as the third team left guard. So I do not think right now it's realistic to think that he is competing for the right guard job with Tyler Steen. I think Matt Pryor is more likely to be the guy competing there.

And I think that also means that it is more likely than not going to be Tyler Steen's job, barring an injury. And it also goes to what you said on Friday's show, which is Kenyon Green might be more likely to not be on the roster than to be a starting player for the Eagles. And then anything else from Petulow that you thought was interesting, Zach, our first time talking to him this summer. Well, he confirmed that he'll be coaching from the sideline, or that he'll be calling plays from the sideline, which is what Kellen Moore did, which is what Shane Steichen did. So it's not abnormal. It's where he has experience in the past.

But just as a matter of fact, we got that on the record. He feels very comfortable. He's been bouncing from meeting room, the meeting room like you asked him. He's intentional about that. He said he spent some times with the tight ends the other day. So, yeah, it was, he's, he's, he's, natural. I don't like to judge things from press conferences, but he has a natural presence up there. You can see, I imagine he commands a room well because he commanded press conference well.

All right. Last thing to ask you about, Jalen Carter, the only ego who hasn't practiced all summer. You worried about that at all? No, I'd be worried about it if he's not on field September 4th. I understand when we did the 25 play or the 20 players we were most looking forward to watching, he was number one for you. And yeah, he's fun to watch at practice. He's one of these guys in the category of if he's, you know, we'll see you September 4th. Like there's nothing I need to see from Jaylon Carter. And logistically, if it was a concern, he would have been put on PUP.

Exactly. Or probably NFI because it probably would have been outside the building. But yeah, I don't think they're concerned right now about Jaylon Carter. All right. Eagles will return to practice on Monday. We'll have you covered on the P.H.L.Y. Eagle Show every weekday at 2 o'clock, Let us know in the comments what you think about training camp so far and who you want us to focus in on and talk about.