Davis: Smith Will Have ‘Limited Role’ Sunday

The progress of rookie Marcus Smith II has turned into a daily storyline at the NovaCare Complex.

T-Mac wrote about the Eagles’ first-round pick this morning, and in the afternoon, defensive coordinator Billy Davis was asked what kind of role Smith would have Sunday against the Jaguars.

“He’ll have a limited role,” Davis said. “We’re still not at that place where we’re positive with everything. We’re game-planning for certain situations. What they come at us with will dictate what we can come back at them with, what personnel groupings we’re in, how we use our players, what the matchups are. So all those things will fall into that decision.

“Marcus is like a lot of rookies. You have the preseason where you continually saw him get better and he got more comfortable in the scheme. I think he stopped trying to make plays and let the plays come to him a little bit more. I think when you turn on the bright lights of the real season and it’s all ones against all ones, I think things change a little bit. As we move forward, we’ll grow all our rookies in the same light. We’ll see what they can handle, what they can’t, drop ’em in their limited roles and grow it as they show us that they’re capable of handling it.”

Based on what Davis said, it seems likely that Smith dresses, but doesn’t play much in Week 1.

FILLING OUT THE PRACTICE SQUAD

The Eagles filled the 10th spot on their practice squad with outside linebacker Colton Underwood.

Underwood (6-3, 256) played his college ball at Illinois State.

Original reports had the Eagles signing Teddy Williams, but according to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly, Williams “ruffled some feathers” at the NovaCare Complex, and the Eagles decided to go in a different direction.

INJURY UPDATE

Josh Huff (shoulder) and Matt Tobin (ankle) continue to be sidelined.

Rookie cornerback Jaylen Watkins was not participating in the portion of practice open to the media today.