It was a hot and sweaty weekend as the Eagles finally put on the pads and did some hitting Saturday and Sunday to close out the first week of training camp at Lehigh University. It’s easy to see the difference in this team from last season, when the Eagles came to camp with a bunch of new coaches and players and had no offseason program. Practices are crisper, and the coaches don’t seem to yell as much.
Injury report: The Eagles lost WR Riley Cooper for up to six weeks with a fractured collarbone … DE Jason Babin will probably miss this week of practice with a strained calf … TE Brent Celek hasn’t practiced since last week because of a knee sprain … Rookie S Phillip Thomas is nursing a hamstring pull that kept him out of Monday’s practices.
Looking good: QB Michael Vick has been sharp in the first week of camp, especially in the two-minute drill … CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie obviously likes being back in the starting lineup after playing nickel-slot defender most of last season; Rodgers-Cromartie has looked better than any other DB so far … Mychal Kendricks continues to play beyond his years at strong-side LB and it’s his job to lose … Dion Lewis is getting first shot to be LeSean McCoy’s backup at RB and so far he’s making the most of his opportunities.
Looking ahead: The next couple of weeks could determine who wins a few backup positions, which appear to be the only jobs open. That includes nickel CB (Joselio Hanson and Curtis Marsh are early front-runners), RB (Dion Lewis over Bryce Brown and Chris Polk) and SS (Jaiquawn Jarrett and Osiomogho Atogwe appear to be neck and neck).
Rising star: FB Stanley Havili. He was deactivated for every game as a rookie but now has the inside track to be the starter. He’s looked good running the ball, and the offensive coaches have raved about how much he’s improved in blitz pickup. That’s key, since one of his primary jobs is to protect Michael Vick’s valuable hide.
Fading star: DE Brandon Graham is almost 100 percent after offseason knee surgery in 2011, but he still struggles at times. He was dominated by Todd Herremans in one-on-one blocking drills on Sunday, and when DE Jason Babin was sidelined with a strained calf, DT Cullen Jenkins took Babin’s spot in the starting lineup instead of Graham.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadephia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSSportsNFLPHI.