Twitter Mailbag: Biggest Surprises Of Camp


Every Thursday we select a few of your Twitter questions and provide the long-form answers they deserve. For a chance to have your question published on Birds 24/7, send it to @Tim_McManus.

From @InsultComicDog: What players have exceeded your expectations for them in camp so far? And who has disappointed the most?

Chris Polk has definitely exceeded expectations. It’s not easy to distinguish yourself as a running back in a non-tackling environment, but he’s done it. He came in 15 pounds lighter than his 2012 playing weight of 230 and is looking nimble and explosive. He says he hasn’t felt this fast since high school.

“I feel way faster, especially coming in and out of my cuts, being able to run away, pick up the legs. I just feel way better.”‘

Let’s wait for some live action before we get carried away, but he has nudged himself into the competition for the No. 2 running back spot with Bryce Brown.

Polk, who played receiver in high school, has lined up in the slot at times. He has an advantage in the pass-catching area over Brown, who has dropped several passes in camp.

On the defensive side, Brandon Boykin looks better than I anticipated.

As far as disappointments? Not sure I had super high expectations, but receiver Ifeanyi Momah has not had many standout moments. Cary Williams hasn’t participated hardly at all, which is a downer, and Kenny Phillips still isn’t moving very well from what I can tell.

From @Ngu_Year: With Benn out now with an ACL injury, what are your predictions for which wide receivers make the team?

Four seem like locks: DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant, Damaris Johnson and Riley Cooper.

Nick Miller, Ifeanyi Momah, Will Murphy, Greg Salas and Russell Shepard will be competing for the last couple of slots. I can’t see the Eagles keeping more than two from this group on the 53-man. Too many other needs across the roster to justify it. My picks would be Shepard and Salas.

Howie Roseman will try to bolster this position between now and Week 1. If it stays the same, I predict Jackson, Avant, Johnson, Cooper, Shepard and Salas. And no, I’m not doing back flips over this corps if I’m the Eagles.

From @NateCalvanese: Any news on Vinny Curry? Haven’t heard much of anything about him from camp.

Curry is listed behind his good friend Fletcher Cox at right defensive end on the unofficial depth chart. The transition to playing 3-4 end is a fairly easy one for Cox but not for Curry, who is more of a natural 4-3 edge rusher. Curry may very well be struggling with some of the two-gap principles and other nuances that come with the position.

 Billy Davis is trying to figure out how to best utilize the talent at his disposal, and will have to get creative when it comes to the former second-round pick. Seems like deploying him in some four-man fronts would be a decent option. It’s yet to be seen whether Curry can fit into this scheme long-term.

Become a fan of Birds 24/7 on Facebook.