Observations from Day 5 at Eagles camp

The Eagles took to the practice field again on Friday for their fifth day of training camp at NovaCare Complex in south Philadelphia. Here's what we noticed -- 

1. Sam Bradford looked much better today. His accuracy and decision making was much improved and he made a number of elite throws. Under his control, the offense moved the chains easily and consistently. Particularly in the red zone, tossing a touchdown for Brent Celek. He made right tackle Lane Johnson a believer, who said he hadn't seen passing that accurate in a long time.

If Bradford can repeat the formula on Saturday, he can ease a lot of tension about his progress since being away from the game for a year. He definitely put some space suddenly between he and Mark Sanchez in the technically-open quarterback competition.

2. Could Bradford's injury troubles end up helping more than hurting him? Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur thinks so.

"I think experience makes us all better," he said. "It's not always pretty. Sometimes when you have some things go wrong, it ends up being sort of a blessing. You learn from it. Just from the time we've been together again here in Philadelphia, I think he's gotten his body and his knee right. You can see h e's executing out here at a high level."

3. DeMarco Murray returned to action after missing all of Thursday's session with what coaches declared "an illness." Murray was also kept out on the first day of camp with what Chip Kelly called low hydration. If you came to camp and had no idea what the Eagles' running back depth chart was, you'd assume Darren Sproles was the No. 1. Used the most so far in camp, Sproles is seeking a larger and more varied role with the team as a wild-card option. Coaches seem very eager to find a spot for Sproles in their scheme, trying him in a number of situations at OTAs and camp as a receiver and rusher.

"We'll line him up in a lot of different places," Pat Shurmur said. "We'll find a way to get him on the field. We just think that's a smart thing to do. So whether we're handing him the ball of throwing it to him, we'll certainly make sure that happens."

4. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks didn't practice on Friday, and the team didn't offer any explanations as to why. Unexplained absences are mounting for this team, and Kendricks is a vital cog in the Eagles' inside linebacking group, who lost a potential contributor for the season when Travis Long tore his ACL for a second time this week.

5. Shurmur said wide receiver Josh Huff is making himself an all-round talent.

"He's made huge improvements," he said. "I think when you look at his game as a receiver, you know, he's done some really good things with his release technique, he's making more plays down the field and he's kind of a quick, powerful type of guy that does a nice job in the run game as well." 

6. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor played some both inside the slot and out-wide in some reps with the first team on Friday.

"He's doing terrific," Shurmur said of Agholor, the Eagles' first round pick in April. "You know, he came in and it's always a little bit of a slow start. When you're a high draft pick, you're sort of on the rubber chicken circuit up through the draft, and then you're quickly thrown into competition, where there's a lot going on. But he's actually done a really, really good job. You could see he's becoming more and more comfortable."

7. Tight end Zach Ertz sat out Friday with an undisclosed injury. Coaches have been impressed by his willingness to better himself on his own this offseason and are working on his becoming a better pass and run blocker, and to build on his already-proven receiving ability. 

8. Earl Wolff has been ready to go every day of camp so far, which is important for the Eagles, who are in need of some depth at safety. Wolff is likely their best option right now.

9. Josh Huff needs to play a role this season. He looks every part the rusher converted to receiver. Consequently, catching and route running haven't come naturally, whereas running after the catch has. Shurmur said that Huff is starting to come around as an all-round player, and there's no reason why he can't come along enough to make a difference. Huff snagged all of eight receptions in 2014 for 98 yards.

10. It wouldn't be proper to neglect Tim Tebow. He had an average day, starting off in an ugly series, going 0-for-3, but came back nicely to lead the offense on a touchdown drive.