Eagles training camp news: Lane Johnson sidelined, more injury updates; Birds will put on pads tomorrow

Who is Nakobe Dean, the NFL version, and what is he capable of? Entering his third season with the Eagles, those questions about Dean are hard to answer right now, and they may be any easier to answer in the immediate future.

Dean, the 2021 Butkus Award winner (top collegiate linebacker), was supposedly a steal when the Eagles grabbed him in the third round of the 2022 draft after the Georgia linebacker slid from being considered a first-round talent to pick No. 83. He waited behind T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White on the depth chart during his rookie season. Then, after becoming a starter last year, had his 2023 season cut to just five games due to two foot injuries — the second, a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot, required surgery in November and had him rehabilitating pretty much all the way until minicamp in June.

The Eagles, according to general manager Howie Roseman, still “have tremendous confidence” in Dean, but they did shore up the depth chart at linebacker this offseason, adding veteran talent to a position group that needed to be upgraded. While it was obvious last summer that Dean would be stepping into a starting role, it’s just as obvious this time around that he has a lot of work to do to earn that spot.

With Tyler Steen sidelined, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Mekhi Becton will spend some time with the starting offense in his place at right guard.

Steen, a second-year lineman out of Alabama, got the lion’s share of snaps with the first-team offense during the first week of training camp, but left midway through Saturday’s practice with a mild ankle sprain that is expected to hold him out for a few days.

“He’s going to get some work in there today,” Sirianni said. “Mekhi has had a good camp so far and I’m looking forward to him getting some work next to Lane [Johnson] and continuing to move forward with that. As bummed as we are that Steen is going to be out for a little bit — and not to give a timeline, but it’s not going to be something that’s long — it will get other opportunities to work in and Mekhi will be one of those guys.”

The Eagles were off on Sunday, but Jalen Hurts had another solid practice on Saturday. However, he wasn’t as sharp as he was on the first two days. There was blame to sprinkle around when there were offensive failures. The protection wasn’t always sound and some receivers didn’t run crisp routes. But he also missed some throws and there was a lot of tucking and scrambling.

One pass I would have liked to see Hurts complete came on an A.J. Brown dig route. He can work the middle of the field, especially to his receivers on slants and Dallas Goedert in between the seams. But Hurts can sometimes live too long on the margins. Anyway, I’m not sure if Brown eased up on his route or the pass was simply off, but when Hurts is hitting his receivers in stride on those plays, the Eagles offense has hummed.

Hurts had his share of completions, too. He had several connections to Brown, DeVonta Smith, and John Ross, who continued to get an extended look at first-unit third receiver. Ross might have had his best showing. He elevated for a sideline grab on a scramble drill play, flashed his speed on a screen in which tackle Lane Johnson helped paved the lane. And he nearly landed both feet inbounds on a comeback route vs. cornerback Darius Slay. He got only one foot in, but the effort was there.

As Parris Campbell felt his NFL career teeter in the balance, he and his wife prayed for patience.

The new Eagles wide receiver endured 12 months of on-field adversity, falling far enough down the New York Giants’ depth chart that he didn’t even dress for the final five games of the 2023 season.

After putting up career numbers with the Indianapolis Colts the previous year in his fourth NFL season since being drafted in the second round out of Ohio State, Campbell’s one-season stint with the Giants led to a tumultuous stretch for him and his family as they wondered about his future in the league.