NFL

Sam Bradford takes first team reps, participates fully in training camp

Sam Bradford takes first team reps, participates fully in training camp
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What QB competition?

The Eagles look like they have their starter, and it only took one day of training camp.

Sam Bradford, though a little rusty-looking at times, took No. 1 team reps during camp at the NovaCare Center Sunday and was, as Chip Kelly said, “good to go.”

“Right now he’s gonna go until we see how his knee responds,” Kelly said. “He feels really confident, he is right now back where he wanted to be.”

Bradford shared first team reps with Mark Sanchez in mini-camp a month and a half ago and didn’t take any snaps in 11-on-11 drills. Sunday, the highly-paid quarterback was unrestricted.

“It was good to get back out there,” Bradford said after practice.”It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there as a part of team drills. It felt good, obviously getting adjusted to the speed again.”

Acquired from the Rams back in the spring for Nick Foles and a second round draft pick, Bradford spent most of his six week break in Philly getting ready for what he called a “big first step,” his first full practice and first without a knee brace.

“I am good to go,” he said,”you might even seem pull one, run it up the middle…”

Though he didn’t do too much scrambling, he certainly did show off his rocket arm. His timing may have been a bit off but it appeared the starting job was, more or less his, as Sanchez took second team reps and Tim Tebow split the third team reps with Matt Barkley.

So for the next two weeks, prior to the Eagles August 16th date against the Colts to open the preseason, training camp for Bradford will be about getting ready for contact and game speed.

“I’m sure once we get into preseason games and it’s real, that will be another step,” Bradford said.

When asked if he expected to be the starter when the season began, the former No. 1 pick smiled and said he did (if all went according to plan).

Mychal Kendricks is safe

For all those Eagles fans who worried that after Brandon Boykin’s11th hour trade last night to the Steelers that Mychal Kendricks could be next, rest assured.

“Mychael Kendricks isn’t going anywhere,” Chip Kelly said when he addressed the media Sunday.”You can write that down in ink, not pencil.”

Kendricks did practice with the 2’s while Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryanswent with the first team Sunday, but in the first week of training camp one shouldn’t look into things too closely. Nolan Carroll III played corner No. 2 with the first team while JaCorey Shephard played nickel in Boykin’s stead.