Eagles Practice Observations: Schwartz strikes back; the Wentz wobble; Pantale peaking

The Eagles' three-day mandatory minicamp started Tuesday. Here are some notes and observations from Day 2:

First, a qualifier: It's June, the players are running around in shorts, and the depth chart is written in erasable ink. So everything from here should be taken with a fine grain of salt.

-- A few weeks ago, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz noted how poorly his unit had performed after one practice. There were missed assignments, errant calls and poor technique. There has been improvement since, but the defense had its best outing of the open sessions on Wednesday. Each unit got the better of its opposing offense in my opinion. Schwartz set the tone with an amoeba rush (all four linemen standing up, swarming before the snap) that resulted in defensive tackle Mike Martin sprawled atop center Jason Kelce. A play later, cornerback Leodis McKelvin aggressively closed on a Sam Bradford pass to T.J. Graham and batted it away. There was a plethora of pass breakups – about a dozen. There were also about a half-dozen passes batted at the line of scrimmage. (A quick disclaimer: Because the players aren't wearing pads and there is limited contact, the lengths one side is willing to go to step close to or over the line can skew competition. So it's too early to place much stock in how either side has played against one another this spring. But the fact that Schwartz has his defenders playing aggressively is a positive early sign.)

-- Jalen Mills alone had four pass breakups, by my count. I've noted before how the seventh-round rookie has already shown that he belongs, and he continues to impress. Again, it would be foolish to make much of the depth chart at this point, but Mills once again got more repetitions with the first team than Eric Rowe. McKelvin and Ron Brooks have consistently been the two outside corners in the base defense, but Mills and Rowe have gotten most of the opportunities when Brooks has moved inside in the nickel. Nolan Carroll (ankle) was part of that rotation for the first time this offseason. While McKelvin seems likely to start on one side, the other spot is clearly up for grabs. Based on his coverage skills alone, Mills should be in the conversation. He'll need to tackle in that spot, but his experience at safety could help in that regard.

-- Chris Pantale has emerged as a dark horse to make the 53-man roster. Well, actually, he's no underdog anymore. Doug Pederson has already singled out the tight end twice. He has also mentioned not only that he might keep four tight ends, but also that he could dress all four on game days. Pantale's usefulness on Sundays will come, in part, because (if) he can play fullback. Pederson has plays, particularly near the goal line, with a lead blocker. Pantale isn't exactly built like a fullback (6-foot-5, 254 pounds), though. He has made a number of nifty grabs this spring, and pulled in two passes with one hand on Wednesday.

-- I've mentioned Carson Wentz's wobble a few times here, but Pederson and the rookie quarterback confirmed that his ball tends to tremble some on deeper throws. Both said it wasn't a concern. "A lot of those throws from a young quarterback come from learning your system," Pederson said. Wentz said he'd like to have a pretty tight spiral, but as long as the ball gets there in time, he isn't worried. That being said, a spiral is easier to catch than a wobble. And when the weather conditions aren't ideal, you'd like to have a spiral that can cut through wind, rain, and snow. A consistent spiral should come with time, though. "Not a concern," Pederson said, "because obviously we saw the tape in college and he can definitely spin the football." Wentz had another up-and-down day, but each quarterback struggled. His timing was off early, but he had some nice throws late: a touch pass to Jordan Matthews near the sideline and a laser to rookie receiver Cayleb Jones in the middle of a zone.

-- With the defense playing aggressively, Bradford had to fit a number of passes into tight windows and sometimes his receivers simply couldn't make the grabs. Linebacker Jordan Hicks broke up a pass to tight end Brent Celek. Mychal Kendricks and Najee Goode did the same on arrows to Pantale and Zach Ertz. Brooks dropped a would-be interception when Bradford overshot his receiver. The quarterback flashed some wheels, though, when vertical routes were covered on one play. Bradford took off and picked up 15 yards or so. He'll never be mistaken for Michael Vick, but he can move when necessary. A year ago this time, he probably would have gained only 5 yards on the play.

-- If Pantale makes the roster, Pederson might be inclined to carry only three running backs. Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles are locks. That leaves either Kenjon Barner or fifth-round rookie Wendell Smallwood, unless undrafted rookies Byron Marshall and Cedric O'Neal surprise. Barner dropped two short passes on Wednesday. Smallwood is a better receiver. We'll see how they run once the pads are on in camp. Sproles had a number of agile moves. On one rush, he gave Aaron Grymes a little shake and the rookie corner nearly fell over himself.

-- Fletcher Cox was once again held out of team drills. He said it was a "team decision." … Beau Allen still hasn't participated in team drills. Pederson said it was because of a medical condition and something related to the defensive tackle's medication. . Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Connor Wujciak had a cast on his right arm. … Josh Huff was sent home because he was sick. … Nelson Agholor dropped two passes for the second day in a row. He has had some good days, but I still don't see a receiver who can be labeled "special" – the way I felt when I first saw Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews as rookies and as they entered their second seasons. … Connor Barwin and Allen Barbre mixed it up for the second practice in a row. Just some chippiness.

-- Some other odds and ends: Here's a kicker competition update. Cody Parkey went 3 for 4. He hit from 43, 48 (hit the right upright and barely got over the crossbar) and 53 yards and was wide left from 56. Caleb Sturgis was 2 for 4. He was good from 43 and 53 yards, but was wide left from 48 and 56. … Safety Jaylen Watkins dropped a gimme when Wentz threw errantly into the secondary.