PHILADELPHIA — It’s never easy for a person to uproot their life, especially when the change happens overnight.
But new Eagles cornerback Jakorian Bennett is embracing the move from Las Vegas to Philadelphia and the challenges that come with it.
Five hours after the Raiders informed Bennett of the trade Monday night, he took a red-eye flight to his new city and didn’t arrive until 7 a.m. Tuesday. A few hours later, he watched Eagles’ practice with his new teammates and coaches.
Bennett didn’t suit up for Thursday night’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. On Saturday, he finally made his Eagles’ debut.
He practiced with the second and third-team units for most of the day, but that could change in the next few practices.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said before Saturday’s practice that Bennett will “possibly” be in the mix to start at CB — and that feels like an understatement.
Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson both struggled during the first two weeks of training camp and against the Bengals. Neither CB looks capable of starting at this point, and the Eagles have to hope Bennett can fix the issue.
“I am a guy who’s going to do my job,” Bennett told reporters after Saturday’s practice. “I am going to play hard. I am just going to prepare the right way. And whatever the coach needs me to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. They are going to get a dog.”
On the last play of practice, undrafted wide receiver Taylor Morin ran a slant against Bennett and caught a two-point conversion.
It was the only pass thrown in Bennett’s direction all day, so it’s tough to gauge how well he played.
No matter what happens for Bennett this summer, he’s happy to still be playing in the NFL. He wasn’t expected to make it.
“Cause it happened so fast, there wasn’t really any thoughts,” Bennett said about his reaction to the trade. “I am just blessed to play this game. A lot of people really don’t get a chance to play — like the 1%. I went JUCO (junior college) first. I saw a statistic to where it’s like 0.04% players that went JUCO make it to the NFL. I’m 0.04%, so I’m just blessed wherever I play.”
Bennett’s introductory press conference was today’s biggest moment.
But here are the leftovers from NJ Advance Media’s observations:
A.J. Brown (hamstring), Elijah Cooks (shoulder), Kenyon Green (shoulder), Charley Hughlett (neck), Montrell Johnson (hamstring), Cam Latu (knee) and Byron Young (groin) missed practice. Zack Baun (back) returned after missing seven practices and took part in individual drills.
Ringo started opposite of Quinyon Mitchell. Is he still the front runner? We’ll find that out over the next couple of weeks.
Cooper DeJean started at safety in base personnel and at slot CB in nickel. Free safety Sydney Brown ran with the first-team defense again in nickel. After taking a scary hit Thursday, Brown appears to be okay.
Ogbo Okoronkwo used two speed rushes to beat backup offensive tackle Kendall Lamm in one-on-ones. He also flashed as a pass rusher during team drills. The Eagles could keep him on their 53-man roster.
DeVonta Smith made a diving catch in the middle of the field on Jackson. He makes everything look easy.
With the offense backed up on first-and-10, Eli Ricks jumped Tanner McKee’s pass to Terrace Marshall Jr. for a pick-6. He then punted the ball in celebration.
Jalen Hurts completed a dig route to Johnny Wilson for a large gain. He squeezed it past rookie linebackers Jihaad Campbell and Smael Mondon Jr., and Wilson did a good job of getting to the spot.
Morin beat rookie safety Drew Mukuba for a touchdown in the back of the end zone, demonstrating good body control and concentration. Dorian Thompson-Robinson got it to him.
Moro Ojomo knocked Brett Toth on his back during one-on-ones. He’s known for his quickness, but nobody should underestimate his power.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele may be reached atCSteele@njadvancemedia.com
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.