Sidney Jones learning patience as his injured Achilles heals | Les Bowen

SIDNEY JONES answered questions Friday about the healing process, his level of frustration with the torn Achilles' tendon that cost him a first-round NFL draft slot, and his abilities when healthy.

Only one question got a one-word answer. On the afternoon of the first day of the Eagles' rookie camp, Jones, the team's second-round pick, was asked whether he is by nature a patient person.

"No," Jones said.

The draft experience wasn't what he'd envisioned, before Jones tore his left Achilles' on March 11, at the University of Washington's pro day. And now, his first weekend as a pro is not at all what he'd looked forward to, when Jones was forging a reputation as one of the smoothest, smartest cornerbacks in college football.

"It's very testing. Especially today, in the defensive meeting rooms after practice, just watching the film. It was kind of burning me inside, not being able to play," Jones said, to a follow-up question. "Everybody's being coached up, and I'm not being coached up. I just have to watch the other guys do their stuff. It's hard, but it's a process. You'll learn patience from going through this."

Earlier he acknowledged, "This is my first time ever sitting out."

It isn't clear whether Jones, 20, will recover quickly enough from his March 21 surgery to help the Eagles in 2017. On Friday, Jones and Eagles coach Doug Pederson again stressed that there is no official timetable, no target date. Unofficially, a source close to the situation has said that if all goes well, Jones should be OK by midseason.

When Jones and his camp were trying to keep him from falling too far in the draft, optimism about playing this year abounded. Dr. Robert Anderson, who peformed the repair surgery, sent a report to all NFL teams predicting a four- to six-month return to full activity. Jones was quoted as saying he thought he would play in September.

But as soon as Jones actually was drafted and no longer was trying to sell anyone, the tone changed - possibly at the behest of the Eagles, who right away stressed that a full recovery was more important than a fast recovery.

The Eagles' medical staff got its first postdraft look at Jones over the past few days. A source said that everything looked good, that the repaired Achilles' was experiencing no swelling. There had been some predraft mystery about whether Jones had ever experienced problems with his other Achilles', so the Eagles MRI'd both of them Friday, and there were no issues, the source said.

"The medical staff is happy with where he's at," Pederson said. "But at the same time, we're not going to put any kind of timetable on him. We're going to do right by him and make sure he's 100 percent before we stick him out there on the field."

Jones, wearing a white plastic boot, navigated the stairs to the second floor of the NovaCare media quarters with little trouble. He limped only slightly.

"I'm feeling good. Everything was good today. We're just going to follow the protocol and the schedule," Jones said. "No rush to get me back. We're just going to go with when I'm ready, when everybody else feels I'm ready. We're just taking it day by day."

Asked whether Anderson's timetable had been overly optimistic or the Eagles are just being very careful, Jones said: "Everybody's being cautious. Nobody wants to rush me back and see a reinjury occur from this. That would be a bad situation, if that happens. We're just going to stick to the safe side."

Jones very much looks forward to May 21, he said, when the boot comes off and he can increase his activity level. Right now, he does rehab every day, he said, mostly "trying to get your mobility back. Toe curls, toe crunches. It's a whole bunch of other stuff I don't want to get into."

Jones is forging a friendship with Rasul Douglas, the third-round corner from West Virginia. The Eagles probably envision them as a starting tandem in 2018 and beyond.

"I've asked him a whole bunch of questions already, today, and he's asked me to watch him on the field and see what he can get better on," Jones said. "It's just a good process for both of us to learn from each other."

Jones reportedly signed a four-year, $6.14 million deal with the Eagles, who agreed to pay the full base even if he doesn't play this season. That's nice, but the Birds very likely would have taken him 14th overall, with their first-round pick, had he been healthy. Derek Barnett, the edge rusher who ended up being the first-round pick, hasn't signed yet. But last year's 14th overall selection, Raiders safety Karl Joseph, got $11.884 million, fully guaranteed. That's nearly twice as much as Jones will make in his rookie deal.

"It's obviously there," Jones said, when asked about the earnings he lost. "I try not to pay too much attention to it. I'm in this league. That's been my dream ever since I started playing ball at age 6."

Once he is healthy, Jones can eventually make that money back, or at least make enough that the first contract won't matter as much.

"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games," he said. "I always go by that motto."

Corey Clement, the 5-11, 220-pound running back from Glassboro, N.J., and Wisconsin, is probably the most prominent undrafted rookie at camp.

"I thought I was one of the best in the class. I was very shocked, very . . . (ticked) off that I didn't get my name called on draft day," Clement said. "Some of the best in history are guys who are undrafted. Keep it in the back of my mind, write my story in the right way. This is only going to make my story that much better."

Clement ran a torpid 4.68 40 at the combine, improved to 4.54 at Wisconsin's pro day, but still didn't excite draft interest.

"I did a lot better at my pro day, so I figured that would help me . . . I thought it was going to put me (back) up in the toss with the (drafted) running backs, but evidently, it didn't," Clement said. "So I'm not thinking about it anymore. I'm right here. Now I've got an opportunity to solidify my role, go out there and play football.

"It's not a 10-yard race, it's not a 40-yard race. It's all about who's going to last in the NFL for four quarters. So if they want a guy who's more competitive throughout the games, I'm the guy."

First-round defensive end Derek Barnett said he is "very excited . . . I don't try to get all wide-eyed at it . . . I'm trying to suck up all the terminology and learn everything I need to know" . . . Doug Pederson said he has spoken with Brandon Graham, who stopped attending optional offseason workouts. Pederson didn't say what they discussed. "I'm not worried about him at all," Pederson said. Asked whether he expects Graham to attend the first full-team optional OTA starting May 23, Pederson said he would like for Graham to be here but Graham's participation is voluntary . . . The Eagles announced they added undrafted rookie Billy Brown, from Shepherd University.

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