Eagles practice observations: Mixed bag vs. Browns; Sydney Brown gets first-team look; Myles Garrett creates havoc

The Eagles held their 11th open practice of the 2023 training camp at the NovaCare Complex on Monday and it was the first of two joint workouts with the Browns. Here are the links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 7, 8, 9, and 10. Here were my observations from Day 11:

Sydney Brown had been toiling with the second- and third-team defenses for the first 2-½ weeks of camp and didn’t see the field in the preseason opener vs. the Ravens until the second half. But the rookie safety got his first taste of the first unit on Monday. It wasn’t necessarily a promotion. Defensive coordinator Sean Desai continued to rotate in the spot opposite Reed Blankenship and employed three-safety looks in big nickel personnel.

But Brown’s inclusion was noteworthy after a solid performance in Baltimore in which he led the Eagles with nine solo tackles. He didn’t have many passes thrown in his direction during team drills — suggesting his coverage was sound — but he did explode off the edge once on a blitz and got to Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for a would-be sack.

With most starters given the night off against the Ravens and unlikely to play on Thursday in the second preseason game, the joint practice was mostly for the first teamers. The second team got its opportunities, as well, but if you’re a player who didn’t see the field on Monday, it probably doesn’t bode well for your chances of making the 53-man roster.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Reed Blankenship picks off Deshaun Watson, shining in a joint practice session against Browns

One of the most anticipated matchups between the Eagles and Browns didn’t disappoint. Receiver DeVonta Smith and cornerback Denzel Ward squared off for most of the competitive periods and each had his moments. They split one-on-one reps with Ward notching a pass breakup on the first and Smith winning the second on a comeback route.

In seven-on-seven drills, Ward boxed Smith out on a deep jump ball, intercepting quarterback Jalen Hurts. “Skinny Batman” rebounded, though, in team drills. He beat Ward on a sideline route, and two plays later, he broke free in scramble drill mode when Hurts rolled to his left and threw across his body for a 30-something-yard strike.

The Eagles were light at receiver with starting slot Quez Watkins and backup Britain Covey out with hamstring injuries they suffered on Thursday in practice. Linebacker Patrick Johnson (ankle) remained sidelined and receiver Deon Cain (ankle) was upgraded to a limited participant.

The Eagles’ starting offense, upon first glance, had an up-and-down day vs. the Browns defense, which is now coordinated by old friend Jim Schwartz. Some of the issues seemed to stem from the inordinate amount of pressure Hurts faced on his left side from all-world defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett was relentless vs. left tackle Jordan Mailata.

Mailata’s struggles started in one-on-ones when Garrett dipped inside him for a win. And they continued in team drills when Garrett, by my count, blew up three Hurts drops in a span of about six plays. In the Eagles’ joint practices Hall of Fame, his outing was right up there with Tom Brady’s dismantling of Curtis Marsh in 2013.

Garrett left not long after with an apparent injury, but he walked back out onto the field afterward — sans shirt and with six pack — and had a friendly conversation with his foe during the scrimmage.

“Garrett’s no joke,” I said to Mailata after the two spoke. “Who said he was!” he shot back.

In Mailata’s and the Eagles’ defense, they didn’t game plan for the Browns. If that were the case, they would have likely schemed additional help for Mailata or kept Garrett unblocked in their zone read, run-pass-run option game.

The Eagles pass offense was most consistent on plays drawn up with Dallas Goedert as the first or second read. The Browns didn’t have an answer vs. the tight end in man or zone coverage. He went high above a safety for a sideline grab in seven-on-sevens. He drew a holding penalty early in team drills. And he caught back-to-back throws from Hurts on the first two plays of the final period.

Goedert did have one drop, but his strong summer continued to hum along.

Hurts had success targeting receiver A.J. Brown on shorter routes than he did with Smith downfield. A late heave to the latter with Ward off the field resulted in a pass breakup from Browns cornerback Mike Ford when Hurts slightly under threw his open receiver.

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The Eagles’ offensive line suffered a loss when starting left guard Landon Dickerson hobbled off the field. He was spotted afterward with his left foot bandaged, but didn’t look distressed. Despite the unevenness of the passing attack, the run game had some positive gains, particularly on a D’Andre Swift carry in which he got ‘“skinny” through a crease and bounced outside.

Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott also had rushes to the second level. Noticeably absent from the Eagles’ ground game were zone read plays in which Hurts had the option to keep.

The joint practice marked Schwartz’s return to NovaCare. The former Eagles defensive coordinator made his mark during five seasons in Philly, of course, helping the team win its first Super Bowl. His unit was torched by Brady in the title game, but the Eagles aren’t champions without dominating defensive performances in the first two playoff games.

Schwartz’s scheme allowed the current Eagles to work against a defense different from its own. With wide-9 one-gap penetrating fronts, downhill second-level run defenders and single-high safety looks, the Browns have a stylistically more aggressive system.

The results were mixed, but Schwartz’s group finished strong vs. Nick Sirianni’s squad. First, Browns defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson slipped by Eagles right guard Cam Jurgens and forced Hurts into an incomplete pass. Then, Gainwell failed to help on an overload blitz that led to a sack. Then Hurts had to burn a timeout when it appeared a bad play was called. And then the Browns correctly doubled receiver Olamide Zaccheaus when he was the apparent first read out of the slot.

With the Eagles defense and offense working on opposite fields it was impossible to watch everything. I tried my best, but focused more on the offense. When there was a break in the action, I switched my gaze to the defense. The Browns completed a couple early passes, one in which receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was wide open downfield.

But the Eagles also scored a couple of splash plays. Safety Reed Blankenship had an interception after linebacker Zach Cunningham deflected a Watson pass. Josh Sweat rushed from inside and recorded the second of his two sacks on the day.

» READ MORE: Josh Sweat sacks the Browns’ Deshaun Watson in joint practice as the Eagles DE grows into a veteran role

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is going to be a handful once he gets more acclimated. It may take some time. It typically does for rookie D-linemen. But he was able to collapse the pocket while rushing from multiple spots along the line — from the 4i-technique in the Eagles’ penny 5-1 front, to the three-technique in their four-man pass rush front, to the 0-technique over the center.

Carter didn’t necessarily cause a late Browns fumble, but he was Johnny on the spot and notched the recovery.

» READ MORE: Jalen Carter’s welcome to the NFL was brief but explosive in the Eagles’ preseason opener

Zaccheaus had on a vicious move off the line against Ford in one-on-ones. … James Bradberry lost receiver Anthony Schwartz on a deep crossing route, but it appeared as if the Eagles were snakebitten by an inverted Cover 2 zone. … Bradberry, who played some slot later in practice, recovered with a couple of pass breakups. … Center Jason Kelce got dinged on the last offensive rep of practice, but said afterward that he has fine.

» READ MORE: Documentary on Eagles center Jason Kelce premieres Sept. 12 on Prime Video

In one of the few remaining competitions on the Eagles, Arryn Siposs out-punted Ty Zentner, but neither performed very well. On his four punts, Siposs averaged 4.48 seconds of hang time. Zentner averaged 4.16 seconds on three punts. … The Eagles’ second joint practice with the Browns will start again at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. They then have a closed walk-through Wednesday before hosting Cleveland at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday.