Eagles running back Chris Polk is making an impression so far at training camp.

"I think in the last couple of days you've really seen Chris show up," head coach Chip Kelly said.  "He had a great practice when we were in the stadium.  Hit a couple of nice runs today."

The former Washington Huskies star signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2012.  While at Washington, he'd been projected as possibly as high as a second-round pick and no lower than the fourth or fifth after rushing for 4,049 yards in his UW career, the second-most in school history.

However, NFL teams were scared off by his injury history, specifically to his left shoulder and his knee.  The shoulder and knee issues were well-documented during Polk's UW time but have not been a factor yet at the NFL level.

Even with all the injuries while at Washington, Eagles coach Chip Kelly still got to see plently of Polk in the Pac-12.

"I did see him in college," Kelly explained.  "He was a workhorse for Washington.  He was really the guy you had to stop.  But he has versatility and can catch a ball coming out of the backfield.  I think he's not just a one‑dimensional guy either."

The Eagles have some good competition at running back at this training camp with LeSean McCoy the obvious starter, and Bryce Brown, Polk and veteran Felix Jones vying to roster spots - doing something that stands out might earn a position on the team AND recently, Coach Kelly went out of his way to praise Polk.

"He Really truly understands the blocking scheme, so he's patient in terms of understanding ‑‑ letting the blocks develop," Kelly said about Polk.  "But when he sees them, then sticking his foot in the ground and taking off.  I think the last couple of days he's really come across."

Polk dropped weight in the offseason and is reportedly taking away some second-team reps from Brown.  The second-year pro is dropping weight in order to play in new coach Chip Kelly's offense, which Polk says he is "excited" about.

 

 

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