Through 10 training camp practices, the Eagles have already handed out a handful of clues about where this roster is headed, and Tuesday’s session added a few more.
Some of the noise is easy to overstate. Some of it feels a lot more real.
Start with Eli Stowers, who turned in another encouraging day. He came down with a few strong catches and kept showing up as a useful red-zone option.
That matters because his camp began on the wrong foot, and this recent run of solid practices marks a real turnaround. He’s no longer sitting in the camp’s “losers” bucket, and there’s at least a legitimate conversation now about whether he can push Johnny Mundt for the TE2 job.
If Stowers keeps trending up and carries that into the preseason, he can climb out of what’s been a disappointing rookie class. The last several practices have been a much better sign.
Darius Moore made his own case on Tuesday with the play of the day: a long touchdown grab from Jalen Hurts. That’s the kind of downfield shot the Eagles want more of from their receivers, and Moore has kept stacking strong days.
He’s running smooth routes, catching the ball cleanly when Hurts looks his way, and looking more roster-worthy by the practice. If the decision were made after 10 practices, Moore would be on the 53 over Hollywood Brown.
Right now, he looks like a real candidate for the WR5 spot, and the fact that he’s a veteran only strengthens the argument. On this snapshot, Moore gets the nod.
Patrick Robinson has also started to change the conversation. He opened camp slowly and found himself in the cut-candidate discussion, but that picture is getting brighter.
He recorded a sack on Tuesday and has been showing more juice in the backfield lately after spending most of camp on the third team. There’s still work to do, but the improvement is there, and being a fourth-round pick from last season gives him some runway.
If he keeps building, he’s got a good shot to make the roster.
Then there’s the Quinyon DeJean depth-chart fuss, which sounds bigger than it really is. The Eagles listed him as a starting safety, but that only tells part of the story.
He starts at safety in base defense, and the Eagles use that less than 20% of the time. In nickel, where they live more than 80% of the time, DeJean is in the slot.
That leaves Marcus Epps or Michael Carter as the safeties in those looks, and that battle is still ongoing. The depth chart says one thing, but the alignment tells you why DeJean is where he is.
No real reason to make a mountain out of it.
In Other News...
Quinyon Mitchell Injury Suddenly Puts Eagles Cornerback Depth In Focus
A midweek practice scare briefly shifted attention to one of the Eagles most important young defenders, as Quinyon Mitchell left drills and did not return. The injury did not appear serious, but it was enough to interrupt the look Philadelphia got on the field and put the secondarys depth under the microscope for the rest of the session.
Mac McWilliams stepped in with the first-team defense in Mitchells place, a reminder that the Eagles are leaning on a cornerback group that is still sorting itself out. Behind Mitchell, the options include Jakorian Bennett, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo and Tariq Castro-Fields, a mix that gives Philadelphia bodies but not a lot of certainty if the team has to stretch that depth further. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Camp Is Creating A Real WR3 Debate Behind The Stars
Training camp has a way of turning a depth-chart afterthought into a real talking point, and thats where the Eagles find themselves with their receiver group. With DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon slowed by injuries, Darius Cooper has had more chances to work and has made the most of them, stacking up catches and looking noticeably sharper than he did a year ago. In a room built around stars, those extra reps matter, especially when the staff is trying to sort out who can reliably handle a larger role.
Marquise Brown was brought in to be part of the answer, but the early camp work has made this more interesting than a simple veteran-vs.-young-player competition. Cooper has shown encouraging timing with Jalen Hurts, and the more he keeps doing it in camp, the harder it is to ignore him in the conversation for the Eagles next receiver behind the top options. The question now is whether Brown can close that gap before the preseason picture starts to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Already Face One Big Concern With Their New Pass Rusher
Jonathan Greenards first summer with Philadelphia has already taken an uneasy turn. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said the new pass rusher is expected to miss all of training camp because of a lingering pectoral injury, and Greenard has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list while staying involved in meetings and other off-field work.
The concern now is not just the injury itself, but the time Greenard is losing at a point when newcomers usually need every rep they can get. Fangio made clear the missed camp work matters for readiness, and the Eagles will have to wait and see how quickly Greenard can get back into physical drills once he is cleared. [Read more 🡒]