Eagles' Wendell Smallwood admits he wasn't prepared as a rookie

Wendell Smallwood had blood on his pants. The stain was about the size of a softball. But it wasn't there when the Eagles running back stiffly walked off the field following what may have been the most difficult, yet productive practice of his young NFL career.

"That's my blood," Smallwood said about an hour after Tuesday's session. "I was getting an IV and the blood popped out a little bit."

Smallwood said cramping after a nearly 2½ -hour workout under the blazing sun forced him to receive fluids via IV for the first time in his life. But it wasn't just the heat that had him dehydrated. Down two running backs –  essentially three – Smallwood and two others logged all the carries on the first day the Eagles permitted tackling in training camp.

A year ago, he might not have lasted until the end. Around this point last camp, Smallwood suffered a quadriceps injury that would eventually keep him out of the first two preseason games. He admitted on Tuesday that he didn't do enough conditioning both last offseason and in-season to prepare for the grind of his first season.

"I don't feel I was ready for that long go, that long season," Smallwood said. "I think every day after every practice it's about getting to the next one, being prepared for the next one. … You got to get your body back after every practice."

[Archive: Smallwood eager to take on bigger role]

Smallwood said the injuries and the fatigue he felt late in 2016 had nothing to do with not taking his job seriously enough. He said that he didn't know what to expect. But he used the phrase slacking off once when describing his rookie season and conceded that he could have been in better physical shape.

"I definitely think there was an element of that – not being in shape, not being able to stay in the game, not being able to focus," Smallwood said. "I think when you get tired, you kind of lose focus and your mind gets everywhere. You miss assignments. Mental errors."

Smallwood's rookie season was by no means a disappointment. The fifth-round draft pick posted respectable numbers both rushing (312 yards, 4.1 per carry) and as a kick returner (29 yards per, an 86-yard touchdown).

But it's not as if he had done enough to be projected as the top returning tailback. If so, the Eagles would have probably refrained from signing LeGarrette Blount in May. But Smallwood is expected to be part of Doug Pederson's running back by committee, and he's the logical candidate to shoulder the ground load if the aging Blount and Darren Sproles were to get injured or regress.

The Eagles got a glimpse of what that position would look like without the veterans on Tuesday. Blount, 30, was excused from practice for a personal reason and Sproles, 34, sat out "live" drills.

Smallwood took most of the starter's snaps and had arguably the best performance of any offensive skill position player. He took the first carry and picked up 20-something yards off the left edge. He went to that side for another 20-plus yards and trucked safety Terrence Brooks along the way. And he capped off the day with a 20-yard touchdown scoot that ended practice.

"Opportunities like that don't come by," Smallwood said. "You never know how it's going to go … so you've got to be ready to step up."

Most, if not all, of Smallwood's repetitions came against the second-unit defense. And the Eagles are early into camp. It was just one practice. But Smallwood's outing was a positive step, most notably, perhaps, because he rushed with an aggressiveness that maybe he lacked at times last season.

"It's very important," Smallwood said of finishing off his runs, "but especially with me just being able to lower my shoulder and run through guys and get those positive yards after contact. That's what [running backs coach] Duce [Staley] wants to see out of me more — being aggressive, being a physical runner, and being a workhorse."

Smallwood said he noticed during film study times that he would ease up at the end of certain runs. He didn't enter the NFL with a reputation for being difficult to bring down.

"A lot of guys thought he was just a guy who gets hit and knocks over easily. But he's a strong fighter," rookie running back Corey Clement said. "I think he feeds off the that. I think he just wants to show other people that he has the strength to match his speed."

Blount has strength –  although he moves surprisingly well for his size (250 pounds) – and will likely handle most of the carries on first down, in short yardage and on goal line. Smallwood could be a slashing complement, but if he can add power to his game, there could be more opportunities to stay on the field.

"He can do a little bit of everything," quarterback Carson Wentz said. "Catches the ball really well. He can run in between the tackles, outside the tackles. We've got LG, we've got Sproles, and we've got Wendell right in the middle for that."

But Smallwood was rarely used as a receiver last season, partly because he needed to improve as a passing-down blocker. And he must show that he is conditioned enough to shoulder more both in-game and as the season wanes. In the first nine games of last season, he averaged 4.7 yards a carry, and in the last four – before he suffered a season-ending knee sprain – he averaged 3.2 yards.

"I think I'm more mentally there. Focused. More prepared," Smallwood said. "I'm still not saying that I got it all figured out. I think I know more what's going to be required of me."