For the first two days of training camp, Carson Wentz was the first player on the field.
That wasn't the case Wednesday.
Wentz and backup quarterback Nick Foles were both given the day off. That means these observations are full Matt McGloin and Dane Evans.
Exciting, right?
Let's go:
1. Wentz hadn't really been taking very many reps in the first two days of camp anyway. The Eagles have chosen to lighten his load until the rest of the vets arrive.
"This year, it's different than last year," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "[Wentz] comes in as the guy. He's going to get more reps. The reps aren't going to be split equally. It's just good business to keep that in the equation, just kind of keep monitoring that."
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In addition to Wentz and Foles, cornerback Ron Brooks also got the day off.
Pederson rested veterans on the third day of camp last year too, which meant Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel were off and Wentz got a bulk of the reps (see story). That feels like 10 years ago.
2. In the first (and shorter) 7-on-7 session, third-string quarterback Matt McGloin got most of the reps, while undrafted rookie Dane Evans took just a couple. That's worth noting.
Eventually, the Eagles are going to have a decision to make at quarterback. The top two are set, but will they want to keep McGloin on the 53-man roster? If not, their best bet — if they like Evans — might be to stash the undrafted rookie on the practice squad and save the roster spot.
So there isn't a quarterback competition at starter this training camp, but there might be one for the third job in the building.
3. With all eyes on McGloin, the veteran QB picked a bad time to have a bad day. He was just off early in practice. He overshot Mack Hollins deep, then he threw a pass behind Marcus Johnson. In the second 7-on-7 session, McGloin settled down some and hit some receivers in the end zone.
4. Evans looked OK but was hurt by a couple drops from his receivers. First, Johnson dropped one in the back of the end zone and then Hollins did the same.
5. After Hollins' drop, the rookie dropped to the ground and did pushups. The North Carolina product said he doesn't like doing pushups, so it's a kind of punishment for himself.
6. Undrafted rookie wide receiver Greg Ward, Jr., has been getting a ton of opportunity during the first three days of training camp and he's made the most of it. The former Houston quarterback has been working hard to make the transition to NFL receiver. He played some wideout early in college, but then became a full-time quarterback.
"I think Greg's transition has been phenomenal," Reich said. "I say that, I get excited as a coach. He has some really instinctive, natural movements as a slot receiver. Things that are even hard to coach that he does exceedingly well. He has a knack. He has very good ball skills. I'm really surprised and I think he's way exceeded expectations. Now, the other side of me, 'OK, Frank. Temper that. We have a long way to go.'"
7. We've talked a lot about Donnel Pumphrey's ability to catch passes out of the backfield, but we all had a pretty good idea that he would be able to. The more surprising thing is how smooth undrafted rookie Corey Clement looks as a pass-catcher. The 220-pound back caught just 29 passes during his entire career at Wisconsin.
8. Linebacker Don Cherry might be a long shot for the final roster, but the former Villanova Wildcat has made some plays the last two days.
9. Jordan Hicks reported to the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday without any type of brace or cast on his hand. Head coach Doug Pederson confirmed earlier in the week Hicks needed a minor surgery to repair a broken hand. Later this week, Hicks will hopefully provide some answers about his injury and recovery.
10. It felt pretty good to see the veterans walking into the building this afternoon. Observations from practices with 34 players are tough to find. The entire team will be on the field for a light practice Thursday afternoon. From there, the team will get into the thick of training camp and start preparing for that first preseason game against Green Bay.
Stupid Observation of the Day: After wearing a green Eagles bucket hat for the first two days of training camp, injured cornerback Sidney Jones traded it in for a green Eagles baseball cap on Day 3.