July 29, 2025
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Will Shipley #28 of the Philadelphia Eagles performs a drill during day one of Philadelphia Eagles training camp at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, Pa. on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
It was hot. The pads were on. And one of the referee's complained that his arm was sore from throwing so many flags.
That was Eagles training camp practice No. 5 Tuesday, which started early to protect the players a little bit from the unhealthy conditions outside.
The defense far exceeded the offense, with few highlight plays for Jalen Hurts and company with the football. As we do after every training camp practice, we're handing out game balls:
Many are concerned that the pass-rushing depth will take a major hit in 2025, after Josh Sweat went to Arizona and Brandon Graham retired. But perhaps one particular depth signing could help to ease that concern. Uche lined up at the left EDGE spot for much of practice Tuesday, with both the first and second team defenses. He dropped back into coverage a few times, playing more of an outside linebacker role at points during practice. But it was his pass rush that earns him hardware today.
A recap of some highlights from his day:
• Uche recorded a "sack" on Hurts early in practice, flashing some speed rushing skills. He didn't have the opportunity to bring Hurts to the ground — there is no tackling right now in camp — but it looked like a surefire sack for the former Chief and Patriot.
• He was the main catalyst for an incomplete pass that looked like it slipped out of Hurts' hands during delivery. The QB1 was clearly feeling the pressure on the play.
• Uche also provided a pressure and potential sack against backup quarterback Tanner McKee.
Uche being a solid rotational pass rusher would be huge for the Birds. He had 11.5 sacks in 2022, but has 10 in his four other seasons combined. He's got the talent to get to the quarterback. Perhaps he'll find his mojo again in Philly.
Honorable mention: Jihaad Campbell (was dominant in 1-on-1 drills)
There weren't many impressive plays for the offense, which got handled in the red zone for most of the morning. But a lot of the offense went through Shipley, a second-year running back looking for more playing time.
Early on, with the offense in the red zone at the 5-yard line, Shipley made a sharp cut to the middle of the field and caught a Hurts toss for a touchdown — with too many men on the field!
The backup running back continued to be a safety valve for both Hurts and McKee during 11-on-11 drills. He made a great catch on the sideline from Hurts who was scrambling and looking for help. He had a red zone carry that found paydirt (though without tackling it would be hard to say whether he would have actually scored in a game). And he had two other catches in the flat.
It's clear he's comfortable catching the football, and it appears he has the inside track to be Saquon Barkley's backup — ahead of A.J. Dillon, who has looked solid but not magnificent as he tries to earn a roster spot with Philly.
A fourth-round pick last year, Shipley was the RB3 behind Barkley and Kenny Gainwell. He had 34 total touches, most of them coming in a meaningless Week 18 start.
Honorable mention: A.J. Brown (had two impressive catches in team drills)
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