PHILADELPHIA — Jahan Dotson darted around practice Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field like he’d been with the Eagles all summer, sliding fluidly in and out of routes and catching everything thrown his way.
“The way he runs routes,” said fellow receiver DeVonta Smith. “The way he does things. I feel like we’re kind of similar.”
OK, it was only during individual practices, but even so, it’s easy to see why he was drafted in the first round just two years ago. And it’s a good thing the Eagles signed him a few days ago, considering Johnny Wilson was casually standing by and watching without a helmet more than two weeks after being placed in concussion protocol.
Parris Campbell was also nearby, and if Wilson is unable to go, Campbell could well be a backup to the practice squad when the Eagles play the Packers in Sao Paolo next week.
“I think it’s a great addition,” Smith said of Dotson. “Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I’ve studied his college tapes. I’ve studied what he’s done the last two years. I’ve always been a huge fan.”
“I first saw him in college. We (Alabama) played against Ohio State at the Natty. He played against them (while at Penn State). I was watching some of the corners there and he just showed up on the tape. I’ve been a fan ever since.”
Until the opening, Dotson is busy learning a new language, and it is not Portuguese, the language spoken in Brazil.
The language is football German as his crash course on his new team’s playbook continues after joining the Eagles from the Washington Commanders on August 22nd.
“It can be challenging to go through all that preseason camp and OTAs (with the commanders) and learn a whole different kind of – I call it a language – and then come here and pick up a totally different language,” he said.
To learn the new language, Dotson said, he and receivers coach Aaron Moorehead came early and stayed late so he would be on the same page when the curtain went up on the season.
“I’m just trying to figure out my role in this offense,” he said. “Really learning the playbook is my biggest task right now. We’ve got a lot of time until Week 1, so I need to make sure I’m familiar with the playbook and can play as quickly as possible. That’s my biggest focus right now.”
Now might be a good time to point out that Dotson showed up for his pre-practice interview without a football in his hand, just as he did at his first post-trade press conference on Saturday.
Some people on social media have criticized him for carrying the football for some reason, saying it’s something he does all the time. I don’t know what’s so special about it, but hey, he didn’t have it on Thursday.
He can wear whatever he wants in Philly as long as he develops into the kind of weapon the Eagles believe he can become in an offense loaded with them.
“He’s got a big opportunity ahead of him,” AJ Brown said. “I’m not going to put too much pressure on him, but he’s doing it.”
The defense can’t just focus on Smith and Brown now. Or Dallas Goedert. Or Saquon Barkley.
“It’s very rare that certain teams have three really, really good DBs,” Brown said, referring to when all three are on the field together. “So he’s got a big opportunity in front of him. He’s had problems at the opposite end all day long. I hope he takes full advantage of those problems.”
It starts with learning a new language, as route running and pass catching are already practiced thanks to Thursday’s practice.
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