The Philadelphia Eagles could be heading into Week 1 against the New England Patriots without one of their key pass-rushers.
Rookie Nolan Smith missed his fifth consecutive practice on Monday, putting his status for Week 1 in doubt. The first-round pick suffered a shoulder injury in the second preseason game versus the Cleveland Browns and was removed from the game as a precautionary measure. However, the injury seems to have lingered over the past two weeks.
“I’m feeling good,” Smith said after the Browns game. “I know everybody worrying about my shoulder injury. They just took me out for precaution reasons.”
Smith claimed that he didn’t feel pain and could have returned to the game but he hasn’t been on the field with the Eagles since August 17, so it’s worth wondering if the injury has turned out to be more than just a stinger.
Could The Smith’s Shoulder Injury Be Related To Prior Surgery?
The 22-year-old hinted that the shoulder injury could have been related to his surgery to repair his pectoral muscle in November.
“You could say it’s scar tissue, something simple like (that),” Smith said. “I don’t really want to get too deep into it. But it’s my baby and I take care of it every day. Sometimes she works and sometimes she don’t.”
That doesn’t sound like a good sign for Eagles fans, especially when the team invested such high draft capital in the former Georgia Bulldogs pass-rusher.
Philadelphia will be counting on Smith to provide pressure off of the edge from both the linebacker and defensive end spots, especially after former first-round pick Derek Barnett requested a trade.
Eagles Are Wise To Be Cautious With Smith
The Eagles coaching staff is making the right move by being extra cautious with Smith, who battled injuries throughout his college career.
Drafted No. 30 pick overall, Smith broke records at the NFL Combine and shot up draft boards due to his athleticism.
Compared to Eagles sack extraordinaire Haason Reddick, Smith became the heaviest player to post a sub 4.40 40-yard dash and a vertical leap over 40 inches. To top it all off, his 1.52 10-yard split would be the fastest ever for an edge rusher.
Smith flashed some of that raw athleticism in training camp and was one of the Eagles’ standouts during his short stint in the preseason.
However, production has been a bit of a problem at times for Smith.
In four college seasons, Smith managed only 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss on a stacked Georgia roster in 38 games.
Some of his lack of production was due to injury. He missed time due to injury, including a torn pectoral muscle that cost him his final season at Georgia.
