The Eagles have one preseason game left, and a few roster calls are about to get a lot tougher.
That’s because not every player who’s made a real impression in camp has the box score to prove it. A handful of guys have been doing useful, noticeable work without putting up the kind of preseason numbers that jump off the page. The production is there in flashes, in pressure, in versatility, in the kind of stuff coaches notice even when fans have to squint a little harder.
Britain Covey is one of them. The wideout has three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown, and that scoring grab against the Patriots gave his stat line a little more shine.
Covey is still best known as a returner, but he’s been trending upward as a receiver. If that continues, it only helps his case as the roster picture gets tighter.
Uar Bernard is another name worth watching. The defensive tackle has only two tackles, but that’s almost beside the point when you remember he’s just two games into his football career after not playing the sport until this year.
He had no stats in Week 1, then followed it up with two tackles against the Patriots. For someone developing that quickly, the progress matters more than the raw totals.
Whether he makes the team is still up in the air, but he’s clearly moving faster than expected.
Cameron Latu hasn’t piled up eye-popping numbers either, but he keeps showing why he’s useful. He’s listed with one reception for 14 yards and one tackle, and that 14-yard catch in the loss to the Patriots was a good one. Latu has a knack for doing a little bit of everything at tight end, fullback and on special teams, and he’s the kind of player who can earn his keep by filling whatever role is needed.
Jose Ramirez has been one of the more encouraging defensive performers. The edge rusher has five tackles, but the more important part is how often he’s getting into the backfield.
He’s been creating pressures better than any other Eagle on the roster, and that’s been especially valuable in a pair of games where the edge group hasn’t played particularly well. At this point, he looks like a player who’s working his way at least onto the practice squad.
His performance is earning him.
Then there’s Cole Payton, whose line reads 5-of-10 for 47 yards and one touchdown, plus three carries for 45 yards. He also fumbled on his lone drive against the Patriots, so it hasn’t been spotless.
Still, for a rookie with only one full year of starter experience in college, he’s looked better than the basic numbers might suggest. His touchdown pass to Erik Ezukanma in the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens was an NFL throw.
Payton should get plenty of snaps in the final preseason game, and even if the stat sheet doesn’t scream it, he’s done better than Andy Dalton at least.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Have A Real Roster Battle Fans Should Watch
Kapena Gushiken has spent the summer turning himself into one of the more interesting names on the Eagles roster bubble. The undrafted rookie has made a strong impression in training camp and preseason action, and what has helped him stand out is the kind of versatility coaches always notice this time of year. Gushiken has worked at both safety and cornerback, giving Philadelphia a flexible defensive back who can move around and potentially fill more than one role.
The timing has only made his push more relevant. With J.T. Gray released and Tariq Casto-Fields dealing with an injury, the battle for backup safety spots behind the starters has become even more open, and Gushiken has put himself squarely in that mix. For a player who arrived without draft-day fanfare, that kind of visibility matters, and the final weeks of roster decisions should tell whether his preseason play was enough to separate him from the rest of the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Face Tough 53-Man Calls With Several Bubble Spots Still Open
The final week of roster trimming has arrived, and the Eagles are staring at the hardest kind of late-August decision-making: not just who belongs, but who has done enough to stick after months of camp, preseason reps and positional shuffling. Philadelphia has until Sunday at 6 p.m. to get from 90 players down to 53, and the list of bubble names is long enough to make clear that the back end of the roster is still very much in flux.
Among the players still fighting for a place are Johnson, Chance Campbell and Cameron Latu, each of whom has shown enough to stay in the conversation without feeling secure. The article also notes there are some near-locks, but the real intrigue is in that murkier middle where performance, upside and fit all have to line up at once. For a team trying to balance immediate depth with developmental bets, these are the calls that can shape the first month as much as any headline addition. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Public Practice Suddenly Put Two Key Linemen In Focus
Lincoln Financial Field felt a lot like game day with more than 45,000 fans on hand for the Eagles public practice, and the crowd got a real look at how the roster is sorting itself out. There were depth chart tweaks to follow, a touchdown catch by Saquon Barkley to cheer, and Riq Woolen came away with interceptions that added some juice to an already lively session.
The bigger storyline, though, landed in the trenches, where Lane Johnson and Jordan Davis both came up injured during practice. Davis did return wearing a brace, which at least offered some short-term reassurance, but any time two linemen with that kind of importance get nicked in front of a packed house, the attention shifts quickly from the highlights to the health report. [Read more 🡒]