by Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ.com for NJ Advance Media

For the second time in two weeks the Eagles opened up practice to the media, and just like last week, it was a rain-filled afternoon session.

Last week the offense wasn't very sharp in the rainy conditions, with plenty of dropped passes from a receiving core that struggled in that department last season.

How did they do on Monday?

Here are observations from practice:

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Lori M. Nichols | NJ.com

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CARSON WENTZ

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had an up-and-down workout on Monday, flashing signs of brilliance on some plays, while also struggling with turnovers.

Wentz's best play of the day came midway through the practice during an 11-on-11 drill. With the defensive line in his face, Wentz rolled to his right while keeping his eyes downfield and hit receiver Alshon Jeffery for a 40-yard touchdown.

It was easily the best play from the offense during the OTA practices that have been open to the media.

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Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ Advance Media

Wentz's accuracy slipped as the practice went on, however.

During the team's second-to-last 11-on-11 drill, Wentz was more reckless with the ball. After throwing an interception to linebacker Nigel Bradham, Wentz tossed an interception to safety Jaylen Watkins on the next play.

The throw to Watkins was similar to interceptions Wentz had last season, with the ball sailing on him deep down the field.

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Wentz's stats in 11-on-11 drills on Monday:

REPS: 23

STATS: 12/18, 1 TD, 2 INT

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SHOULD EAGLES SIGN JEREMY MACLIN?

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Tim Hawk | For NJ Advance Media

ALSHON JEFFERY

Jeffery had a strong day of practice, and now has two touchdown catches in the last two practices open to the media.

The Eagles have been sending Jeffery on plenty of crossing routes, an area of strength during his time in Chicago.

Jeffery caught three passes from Wentz in team drills, with his best catch outside of the touchdown coming on a 15-yard gain over the middle.

Although the players are not hitting and don't have pads on, you can see how Jeffery will not be easy to take down once he gets into the open field.

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MARCUS SMITH

The defensive end was not at practice on Monday for the third time in three days.

The Eagles have one more voluntary practice open to the media -- Friday -- before they hold a three-day, mandatory minicamp next week.

If Smith is not at the minicamp, the team can fine him.

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JORDAN MATTHEWS

Wide receiver Jordan Matthews was absent from practice on Monday.

Matthews has been sidelined recently with knee tendinitis, and the Eagles have said they are taking a precautionary approach. Matthews has been dealing with a knee injury since he was hit in training camp last season by Jalen Mills.

The Eagles are roughly two months from the start of training camp, but for a player known to love practice, his absence is a sign that his knee must be bothering him.

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CLOSE LOOK AT EAGLES' CAP SITUATION

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SHELTON GIBSON

Rookie receiver Shelton Gibson is struggling with drops during the OTA sessions.

Gibson isn't just dropping passes in team drills, he is dropping them in individual work, where passes are rarely dropped. Gibson dropped two passes on Monday in individual work despite both being right on the money and hitting him right in the hands.

The wide receiver was the Eagles' fifth-round pick and is perhaps their best shot at a deep threat next season. The way he has played so far, however, he might not even be a guarantee to make the roster.

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BLOUNT: BOOM OR BUST?

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ZACH ERTZ

Wentz and tight end Zach Ertz have been putting in a lot of work to build a rapport.

They spent 20 minutes working together on their own field on Monday, discussing and practicing how they want certain routes run while trying to get in sync.

For the Eagles to become a legitimate contender, they'll need greater production by Wentz and Ertz together.

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Tim Hawk | For NJ Advance Media

TORREY SMITH

Outside of Gibson, the Eagles did a better job catching the ball on Monday in the rain than they did last Tuesday.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith caught five passes during team drills, making a nice catch in traffic when rain was heaviest.

In four-on-four drills, he burned cornerback Jalen Mills for what might have been be a touchdown -- in game conditions.

The Eagles are counting on Smith to be a big contributor and on Monday, he showed promise.

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CJ SMITH

Çornerback CJ Smith jumped a pass by Wentz in a four-on-four drill and picked it off, taking it back for a touchdown.

Smith has been getting a lot of work on the special teams, where he plays mostly with the first unit -- an indication that (as of now) the Eagles see him on their active game-day roster.

Smith spent most of last season on the practice squad, but with the Eagles thin at cornerback, he could earn a roster spot if the team doesn't add a veteran DB during training camp.

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NATE GERRY

Rookie Nate Gerry is busy making the transition from safety, the position he played in college, to linebacker during practices.

On Monday, he made the Eagles look smart.

During a four-on-four drill, Gerry dropped back into coverage on a tight end, saw the ball coming from Wentz and jumped the pass for the interception.

As a former safety, Gerry would give the Eagles better pass coverage at linebacker, where their defense struggled last season.

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CONTACT

The Eagles are not wearing pads during these voluntary OTA sessions, but that didn't stop Monday's practice from getting a little physical.

During the middle of practice during an 11-on-11 drill, wide receiver Bryce Treggs went over the middle for a pass, and Wentz tried to hit him between two defenders.

Instead of getting hit by the ball, however, Treggs collided with Gerry and safety Terrence Brooks, sending him to the ground and eliciting a reaction from the players watching.

All three players bounced up after the play and didn't miss any practice time.

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TIMMY JERNIGAN

The Eagles lost defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan to injury Monday.

Jernigan went down during an 11-on-11 drill near the end of practice and, flanked by trainers, limped into the locker room with his right shoe off.

It isn't clear what happened to Jernigan. The Eagles have not given an update on the injury, but it appears Jernigan suffered an ankle injury.

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WHERE TO REACH ME

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.

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