North Dakota TV stations chronicling Wentz

THREE NORTH DAKOTA TV stations made the trek to Philadelphia for Carson Wentz's first week of Eagles training camp.

(Are there more than three TV stations in North Dakota? Was anyone left at home to chronicle progress toward the impending flax and soybean harvests?)

Wentz, the quarterback from North Dakota State the Eagles traded up to draft second overall, North Dakota's biggest sports icon since Roger Maris, was not surprised or taken aback.

"I know people back home are definitely interested in knowing what's happening out here. Everyone's following pretty closely," Wentz said Thursday, after a thunderstorm drove the team's first full-squad practice of training camp to the indoor field. "Everyone's all interested in the Eagles now, more than the local teams around there. It's an exciting time for the state of North Dakota, for sure."

Wentz showed both how talented he is and how much he has to learn, as has frequently been the case since he arrived. There were a few throws where he seemed to pick up the receiver late and rush the throw, without setting his feet. But there also were a few - a deep post to tight end Trey Burton, a bomb down the sideline to wideout Paul Turner at the end of the session - that seemed pretty special.

"Everyone, you could just tell, was flying around today. Everyone's fresh," Wentz said. "It was fun to finally get out here and get the whole gamut of guys, instead of just the rookies" who practiced on their own Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. "It's a fun time."

Wentz said he is "feeling very comfortable" with first-year coach Doug Pederson's West Coast offense. "There's still a lot to learn, and we're installing new stuff every day, you know, it's all part of it, but I think (the three days without the vets) was big for a lot of us guys to just get back into the swing of things," Wentz said.

Starting right guard Brandon Brooks did not practice and is day-to-day with a right hamstring problem, the team said. Stefen Wisniewski took Brooks' place Thursday . . . Running back Ryan Mathews, on the nonfootball injury list with an ankle problem, also didn't practice . . . Ron Brooks remained the starting corner opposite Leodis McKelvin, as was the case in the spring. In nickel, Brooks moved inside and Nolan Carroll took his place.

@LesBowen

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