The New England Patriots' second joint practice session with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday brought more intensity -- and more trash talk.
Cam Newton was working in a 7-on-7 drill against the Eagles' defense at the NovaCare complex when Philly safety K'Von Wallace took a dig at the Patriots quarterback within earshot of NJ.com's Mike Kaye.
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"Checkdown king!" Wallace yelled at Newton, according to Kaye, who noted that Newton threw short passes to running backs on three consecutive plays.
Wallace was calling out Newton's aversion to taking shots downfield, but the veteran QB was hardly conservative at a crucial point during Monday's practice, as our Phil Perry pointed out.
Curran: Key takeaways from first Pats-Eagles joint practice
Either way, this trash talk is common as players face opponents for the first time in training camp. Wallace is a second-year defensive back trying to make a name for himself after a solid rookie campaign, so Eagles fans will appreciate his competitive spirit. And we'd imagine Wallace's call-out lit a fire under Newton, who is already motivated to beat out rookie Mac Jones for the Patriots' starting quarterback job.
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Being a "checkdown king" may not hurt Newton in the QB competition if it means fewer interceptions while keeping the offense moving, so maybe the 32-year-old can take Wallace's words as a compliment.