The Eagles opened training camp Wednesday with nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox and edge rusher Derek Barentt both on the field and preparing to practice following offseason surgery.
This is very good news for two players coming off offseason surgery.
Maddox and Barnett both sat out spring practices, which raised questions about their availability for camp. But neither was on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Day 1 of practice at the NovaCare Complex.
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The PUP list is for players who are unable to practice because of an injury that pre-dates the start of training camp. Players on PUP do count against the 90-man roster. The Eagles have nobody on PUP.
Maddox and Barnett were both in uniform with helmets and on the practice field Wednesday morning. They were both officially listed as limited.
Maddox was limited to nine regular-season games last year because of a hamstring injury and then a toe injury that required surgery after the Super Bowl. Barnett suffered a season-ending torn ACL last year in the season opener in Detroit and underwent surgery soon after.
The 27-year-old Maddox is one of the NFL’s top inside corners when healthy. He goes into his sixth season with the Eagles having played 60 games with 36 starts. The Eagles don’t really have a clear backup slot corner, so having a healthy Maddox is huge. He’s missed 21 games since his rookie year in 2018.
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Barnett’s role is less clear. He’s a former 1st-round pick – he was the 14th pick in 2017 – but has just 21 ½ sacks in 65 games over parts of six seasons. He had just two sacks in 2021, his last full season. His career high of 6 ½ is from back in 2019.
With Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham and Nolan Smith, it’s not clear what role – if any – Barnett might have. If he can show this summer he’s healthy he might have some trade value before the season begins. Getting him back on the field Wednesday is a big step.
Barnett is among just eight players remaining from the 2017 Super Bowl championship team. Maddox is one of 14 left from 2018.
The Eagles also released tight end Dalton Keene, officially signed receiver Deon Cain as reported Tuesday and placed receiver Devon Allen on the Active-Non Football Injury list.
Keene signed a futures contract on Jan. 20. A one-time 3rd-round pick of the Patriots, he has three career receptions for 16 yards.
Cain, who was in camp last summer with the Eagles and played for Nick Sirianni in Indianapolis, was the USFL Championship Game MVP for the Birmingham Stallions.
Allen, the two-time Olympic hurdler, suffered a calf injury on June 26, two days after running a world No. 5 time of 13.04 in the 110-meter hurdles at the New York Grand Prix. He tried competing in the U.S. Nationals but scratched after running 13.52 in the trials of the U.S. Championships in Eugene on July 8. He hasn’t raced since.
Reddick, who had 16 sacks last year, did not practice Wednesday because of groin soreness. He’s expected to miss the rest of this week but is expected back next week.
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