Eagles Players Already Feeling Some Pressure At OTAs
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles will have a finalized roster before the start of the regular season, but the battle for jobs has already begun.
The team continued with another round of OTAs in South Philadelphia on Tuesday, and it is clear the evaluation process is well underway. According to safety Malcolm Jenkins, the competition has been a welcome addition to the off-season workouts.
"It brings the best out of everybody," said Jenkins. "Every day, you have to come out and bring your "A" game. Nobody's comfortable. The depth chart has been pretty fluid. Guys know that every day we come out here, we are getting evaluated not only on the field, but in the weight room and in the classroom."
One of Jenkins' teammates in the secondary is Earl Wolff. The safety is recovering from a knee injury and has been cleared by trainers to practice, but has seen limited work during the OTAs. Wolff says he isn't worried about his roster spot despite a host of new faces battling for jobs in the secondary.
"Honestly not," Wolff said. "Once camp starts, I'll be 100%, the sky's the limit for me. I know I can be a great player. That's all I'm worried about is being 100% when camp starts."
Another player who has been slowed by injuries this spring is linebacker Marcus Smith. A leg injury has kept last year's first round pick from participating throughout much of this year's OTAs, and Coach Chip Kelly indicated Smith needs to get on the field to be evaluated.
"Everybody's evaluated on what they can do on the field," said Kelly. "What they can do is what they can do. We don't look at it like this set him back or set him forward. We're evaluating who's out there and who's running around and participating."
One player who shouldn't be worried about a roster spot is rookie Nelson Agholor. The rookie wide receiver praised the returning players for helping him make the transition to the NFL, and says the team concept is evident with the Eagles.
"It's about being a team," Agholor said. "This is the team. It's not about a rookie just like college wasn't about a freshman or sophomore. You go in with the guys that you carry on the roster. If I'm privileged enough to be one of those guys, I want to be where they can count on me."
The OTAs will continue through Thursday.