Eagles finish second week of training camp with some minor, but few major injuries

The Eagles concluded practice on Friday morning with left tackle Jason Peters and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox catching punts, both representing their sides of the ball to try to earn scheduling perks. It was a fun way to close the most demanding stretch of training camp practices for the Eagles, with two days this week of live contact in sticky heat before taking a well-deserved rest day on Saturday.

This is halftime of training camp, and the Eagles are fortunate to enter the second half without any season-altering injuries. Cornerback Randall Goforth was lost for the year with a torn ACL, but he was a roster longshot.

The most notable injury to date has been to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles' prized free agent acquisition who has not practice since last Sunday. Jeffery missed his fourth consecutive session on Friday, but it sounds like he's past the shoulder strain that has sidelined him.

Coach Doug Pederson said Friday's absence was because he wanted Jeffery to rest the shoulder – not because the injury is still ailing the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver. Pederson figured the Eagles are off on Saturday, so Friday offered Jeffery an extra day to rest.

"I've seen a lot from him, probably more so than what you guys have seen, and I'm comfortable with where he's at with our offense," Pederson said, directing his comment to reporters. "I'm going to make sure he's healthy going into the season."

The Eagles open the preseason on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. Pederson said there's no decision about whether Jeffery will make his preseason debut that night.

It's important that Jeffery develops the necessary connection with quarterback Carson Wentz, and training camp is a helpful place to do so. Wentz was comfortable that the time spent with Jeffery during the spring, while training in North Dakota together in July, and the first week of training camp means they won't be set back by Jeffery's absence.

"Obviously I wish he could be out there, but things happen," Wentz said. "I'm excited to get him back – hopefully as soon as possible."

Defensive end Chris Long received a rest day from Pederson on Friday, too. The Eagles manage the workload of their older players, and Long is 32 and in his ninth NFL season.

Running back LeGarrette Blount, one of the team's most notable offseason additions, returned to practice Friday after missing three days because of personal reasons. He was back in his role as the big-bodied back with the first-team offense.

"You see him out here in the open field and you feel bad," Wentz said. "If I was that safety, I wouldn't want to come tackle him."

The Eagles are still waiting on the return of rookie running back Donnel Pumphrey, who has been out since Sunday with a hamstring injury. Pumphrey took on a noticeable workload with the first-team offense during the spring. Time missed can be especially burdensome for a rookie.

"As one of our draft picks, you've just got to be smart about it," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "You've got to resist the temptation to want to get back too soon and re-aggravate something or reinjure something, then you're out longer. … Thankfully Pump is very smart. I think he's really into it. Even when he's not in there, the last couple days [he's] getting all the mental reps you can."

Wide receiver Jordan Matthews has not missed any practices since camp opened. There was speculation that Matthews, who is returning from knee tendinitis, could be limited at the start of training camp. Even if he's not at midseason speed, Matthews is a full participant each day. Pederson said he speaks with Matthews each day to monitor the fourth-year receiver's status, and that Matthews is "improving each day." Matthews offered a similar sentiment about his return to full form.

"If I'm out there, they're going to treat me like I'm 100 percent, so that's how I'm going to play," Matthews said. "I'm definitely getting better every single day. It's a process. But every single day I go out there, I feel a little bit more like myself."

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks has a quadriceps injury that first sidelined him on Thursday. He was out again Friday. Pederson called him "day-to-day" and said Kendricks "feels really good."

Quarterback Nick Foles has missed more than a week because of elbow inflammation. Foles said last Sunday that it will take him a "week or so" for the inflammation to go down. Pederson said Friday that the rest has helped Foles, and the Eagles will see how he progresses "through the next couple of days" before determining if he could return to the field.

Then there are lesser-known players such as wide receiver Paul Turner (shoulder), offensive lineman Josh Andrews (hand), and tight end Adam Zaruba (concussion) who are missing time. Injuries are normal for this time of the summer, though. The Eagles have thus far avoided the season-crippling injuries, and they can only hope that the same can be said next week after the first game is played.

As Pederson stated with Jeffery's recovery, the Eagles are far more concerned about the game on Sept. 10 than Aug. 10.

"We're not playing games for a while – games that matter anyway," Pederson said, "and we're getting ready for Washington."