Eagles camp notes, quotes and tidbits: Race at CB; Jeffery a ‘different animal'

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Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said he has no idea who the Eagles' starting cornerbacks will be this year and said that decision could take a good portion of the preseason to make.

“I’d like to do it tomorrow but that’s just not where we are," he said. "And I think if any decision you’re making now, you’re predetermining the race.

"It would be nice to predetermine the race. We have some positions where we have solid starters — our safety position, the linebacker position, our defensive tackles, we have some spots in there where guys have earned it, guys have played a lot of football in the NFL and it’s their spot to lose, so to speak.

"But at corner, we really don’t have that."

Free agent acquisition Patrick Robinson is the only corner on the roster with more than eight career starts, but he's with his fourth team in four years and not even a lock to make the team.

Last year's starters, Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin are long gone. Second-round pick Sidney Jones is out indefinitely following Achilles surgery.

Head coach Doug Pederson said Monday the Eagles have their eyes open to acquire veteran help (see cornerback trade targets).

But for now, Jalen Mills, Ron Brooks, Rasul Douglas, Aaron Grymes and Robinson lead the group of potential starters.

"We added a veteran like Patrick Robinson, drafted some guys, got some guys back from injury," Schwartz said. "But we’re going to have to let it play (out).

"We’re going to have to keep an open mind. if we close that competition too soon, I don’t know if we serve the team the best way.”

'A different animal'
For the first few days of training camp, Carson Wentz is throwing to a bunch of rookies and second-year players, many of whom don't really have much of a shot to make the final roster. 

That will change on Thursday, when he retakes the field with the rest of the Eagles' veterans. That group will include Alshon Jeffery, the team's prized free-agent acquisition. It's not a stretch to say that Jeffery will be the best receiver Wentz has ever played with. 

"It's really nice having a guy like Alshon, not only catch radius, but he has some of the strongest hands I've ever seen," Wentz said on Tuesday. 

"The thing with Alshon and I, we just have to keep building that chemistry, building that relationship. ... You can just see, he's kind of a different animal, throwing the ball to him. He can cover some ground. It's nice to have a guy like that."

Building chemistry in Fargo
Wentz said he and Jeffery need to build chemistry and the pair continued that process after spring workouts in North Dakota. Unless you really haven't been paying attention at all recently, Wentz brought a bunch of his teammates to Fargo this summer to work out and hang in his home state. 

As the quarterback and leader of the group, Wentz took charge of setting the itinerary. He got an idea of how to set up these kinds of workouts by watching how Chase Daniel and Sam Bradford set up a workout last summer in San Diego. From there, Wentz asked his receivers about what they wanted to do. But "sometimes it's hard to get a consensus, so you just have to make the plan for yourself and go with it."

The group worked out at North Dakota State's new facility and spent time on a lake and golf course. Shelton Gibson had trouble standing on a paddle board, but from what Wentz said, most of his receivers didn't fare much better on the golf course. 

"I have never seen so many swings and misses," Wentz said. 

So which of his teammates was the best golfer? 

"I wouldn't say anyone was the best," Wentz answered. "Who was not the worst? I don't know. Maybe Mack (Hollins). Probably Mack of the receivers." 

Reunited
Michael Vick spent four seasons with the Eagles under Andy Reid and now is back with Reid in Kansas City as a coaching intern.

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