Eagles Roster Battle Is Starting To Show Clear Preseason Clues

Deck: With the Eagles' preseason game offering crucial snap count insights, Coach Nick Sirianni's decisions may hint at the final 53-man roster.

The Eagles’ preseason loss to the Ravens was ugly enough to file away quickly, but the snap counts still left a trail of clues about where the roster stands. Nothing is settled yet, but the way Nick Sirianni deployed certain players made a few battles a lot easier to read.

At quarterback, Dalton looks like the QB2 for now. He started, handled the first quarter, and has been getting more work with the second team in camp. That said, the spot is still open to debate.

The backfield usage pointed in a pretty straightforward direction. Tank Bigsby worked with the second team, while Shipley handled the RB3 snaps with Dameon Pierce out because of a hamstring injury. That lines up with Shipley as the RB3, even if his roster spot still isn’t fully secure.

There were also some meaningful hints at wide receiver. Brown or Moore getting only seven snaps stands out, especially because those reps came early with the second-team offense.

Brown hasn’t had a strong camp, but his spot may be safer than it looked. Cooper got a long look, playing a significant chunk of the first half, and Watkins received the same treatment before Cole Payton and company came in.

Tight end was another area where the Eagles made their intentions clear. Stowers got extended run because Johnny Mundt didn’t play, and Mundt is the TE2.

Stowers looks like a roster bet, though he could still open the season as a game-day inactive. If Philadelphia keeps four tight ends, Calcaterra, Jenkins, and Latu all have a chance.

Up front, Kendall and Johnson look like roster locks. They played the same number of snaps as Tank Bigsby and came out at the same time.

Bell also appears to be on the team as the No. 3 tackle. Ojukwu’s usage at both guard and tackle suggests he’s trending toward making the roster, and Lampkin looks like another good bet since he wasn’t out there late.

Cameron Williams is still getting a long look at tackle, which puts him in bubble territory.

The edge-rusher picture is mostly set, but there’s still a fight for the fourth pass-rusher role and the playing time that comes with it. Epenesa and Ebiketie are in a dead heat for that job, and it could even be the No. 3 pass-rusher spot if Jonathan Greenard isn’t ready for Week 1.

Joshua Weru, who stayed in deep into the fourth quarter, is clearly not a lock. Jose Ramirez, who came out midway through the fourth, may have the edge on him.

On the defensive line, Young looks safely in. Robinson logged a lot of time, but the Eagles seem to want a close look at him and Hall as they battle for the final defensive tackle spot. Both entered in the first quarter and left together midway through the fourth, which makes this one look like a true toss-up.

Campbell’s early exit was a little surprising, though he is coming off an offseason shoulder procedure and was out in the first quarter. Trotter Jr. played a heavy load in the first half, which makes sense because the Eagles’ defense spent so much time on the field over the first 30 minutes. Mondon also got a long runway after entering in the first quarter, and while the team needs bodies, he’s still the No. 4 linebacker.

In the secondary, McWilliams got plenty of tape, but he remains a bubble player. He played the entire game with the second and third teams. Ringo, who is ahead of McWilliams, only played the first half, which tells its own story.

The hybrid group was folded into the safety picture, and Sam looks like the clubhouse leader for the No. 4 safety job, assuming Philadelphia keeps four. He played through the first three quarters. Pulley and Gushiken only played the second half, while Gray stayed in until the middle of the fourth quarter, which suggests he’s still behind Sam right now.

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