Things are starting to sort out, as they do in the third week of camp. Sapp and Abiamiri are gone. Chris Wilson has arrived to take reps, with a late start. But Tapp, Hunt and Te'o-Nesheim are making the final decision a tough one; all had sacks in Thursday's preseason opener, with Tapp notching a pair.
"What you see is that they want a job; the hunger, the desire, the energy, the fight, which is what we all want to be about," defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said yesterday. "It's exciting, because they're practicing hard and they're doing a good job."
Of the group, Hunt is probably the longest shot. He is the smallest d-end on the roster, at 6-foot, 244. The Eagles traded for Tapp, sending Stacy Andrews to Seattle a year ago, and they drafted Te'o-Nesheim, in the third round in 2010. Hunt represents less of an investment, as a guy they signed from the CFL last winter when nobody knew whether there would be free agency this year because of the lockout.
Asked about Hunt's size, Castillo said, "The key is how fast, how quick you can run, so you can get around those big linemen. And if you can run and they can't catch you, it's hard for them to block you."
We have seen a bit of that at Lehigh, particularly in one-on-one blocking drills.
"I think I'm out here just to grind, and show the coaches and the players that I'm a good guy to have on their side," Hunt said yesterday. "Every day, just being here, I know it's a blessing. I don't want to leave."
Playing in the CFL, where Hunt estimates offenses pass "90 percent of the time" (Andy Reid just booked a flight north), Hunt said he developed "good control of my get-off, just working pass-rush moves, play-in and play-out."
