FOXBOROUGH, Mass.-The Eagles’ camp has turned into a pretty revealing snapshot of where this team is headed, and the biggest questions all seem to orbit the same idea: what happens now that A.J. Brown is gone from the offense?
That answer starts with Jalen Hurts. Around the team, there’s a sense that he understands the way the last couple of seasons have been viewed and is making a real effort to address it in the way he carries himself.
One part of that has been building stronger relationships inside the locker room. That fits right in with Nick Sirianni’s approach, but the push does seem more deliberate now, and it has been noticeable on the road.
The football side is changing too. With Sean Mannion stepping in as offensive coordinator, the Eagles are expected to spend more time under center and put a renewed emphasis on the run game.
That should help Hurts and the rest of the skill group. It also brings a different challenge, because the system asks for precision.
The run game itself looked healthy against the Patriots on Wednesday, and the response on Thursday told its own story. New England came back with some borderline shots at Saquon Barkley, and several Eagles immediately stepped in to back him up. That kind of moment says plenty about the tone in the room.
Replacing Brown on the field is the next piece, and there’s real optimism about Dontayvion Wicks. The Packers import is now in his fourth year and has previous ties to Mannion from Green Bay. His size, separation, physicality, toughness and route-running have stood out, and the feeling is that more opportunity could finally unlock more production after three years in a rotation with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.
The Eagles still have DeVonta Smith, and they’ve added Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Makai Lemon, so there’s no shortage of options. If you’re searching for a sleeper, Darius Cooper has made a strong impression as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He’s looked smooth and savvy throughout camp.
There’s also a major question up front after Jeff Stoutland stepped away in February following 13 seasons with the team. Tyler Steen is the name to watch first. He’s the only starter on the offensive line who hasn’t been either a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro, and the 2023 third-round pick is entering a contract year after a really strong offseason.
Two more interior linemen have also created some confidence that the line can keep functioning well over time without Stoutland. Drew Kendall, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and Willie Lampkin, a 2025 UDFA, are both being cross-trained at guard and center, and both look like they have real futures with the team.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive line has its own set of questions. Jaelan Phillips, whom the Eagles made a real push to keep, is now in Carolina.
Jonathan Greenard is the most obvious answer on the roster, though he’s coming off a down year in Minnesota and is dealing with some nicked-up issues right now. Still, the pass rush is expected to be more of a committee than a one-man operation.
That opens the door for a few younger players. Moro Ojomo, who effectively stepped into Milton Williams’ role a year ago, is showing he can be a bigger piece of the defense. So are edge rushers Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt, both 25, who have also made positive strides.
Vic Fangio’s defense, in a lot of ways, is bringing back more than it did a year ago after the Super Bowl run. Only three spots are really changing.
One is the edge role Phillips handled before Greenard was acquired. Another is the off-ball linebacker spot, where new Raider Nakobe Dean is out and 2025 first-round pick Jihaad Campbell is in.
The third is strong safety, where Reed Blankenship’s departure has created what might be the biggest competition in camp, with Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II fighting for reps.
If the Eagles get solid play from those three spots, Fangio should have a defense in good shape. There’s a lot of young talent here, and it’s starting to show.
In Other News...
Cooper DeJean Practice Clip Has Eagles Fans Talking For The Wrong Reason
Joint practices usually provide the cleanest snapshot of where a roster stands before the games start counting, and one of the most watched matchups on the field Thursday in New England came with Cooper DeJean lined up across from DeMario Douglas. The Eagles defensive back entered the offseason with plenty of momentum after earning first-team All-Pro honors as a slot defender last season, so every rep against a quick, elusive receiver was going to draw attention from fans looking for clues about how Philadelphias secondary is coming together.
Douglas made the most of the spotlight, winning all three of their 1-on-1 reps by snapping off sharp cuts and exploding into separation, and the clip moved quickly through social media as Eagles followers reacted to what they saw. It is still only a practice setting, of course, but when a player with DeJeans reputation looks out of sync in a widely shared drill, it is the kind of thing that tends to linger until the pads come on and the matchup gets another chance to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Bubble Players Suddenly Feel Like Real Trade Candidates
With roster cutdown day looming on Aug. 30, the Eagles are at the point in camp where the back end of the roster starts to matter as much as the headline names. The usual churn of preseason competition has turned into a real evaluation of who can help Philadelphia now, who has a future here, and who might bring back something useful if the front office decides to move a player instead of simply waive him.
That is why a few bubble cases suddenly carry more trade intrigue than they did a week ago. Andy Dalton, Smael Mondon Jr., Hollywood Brown, Jakorian Bennett and Fred Johnson all sit in different spots on the depth chart, but each comes with a mix of team need, contract situation and performance questions that could make them attractive to another club before the deadline. Nothing is settled yet, but this is the part of camp when a player can go from fighting for a roster spot to being discussed as a legitimate trade chip. [Read more 🡒]
Former Penn State Standout Sees Strong Eagles Camp Cut Short
Tariq Castro-Fields had been one of the more intriguing names in Eagles camp, trying to turn a strong summer into a legitimate push for a 53-man roster spot while working back from a heel injury. The former Penn State standout brought enough familiarity and upside to make him worth watching in a secondary that always seems to have room for another corner to force the issue.
Instead, Philadelphia moved Castro-Fields to injured reserve, which ends his training camp and likely his season before the real evaluation could even finish. The Eagles also waived/injured wide receiver Johnny Wilson while adding center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Brandon Hayes, a reminder of how quickly roster opportunities can shift at this stage of camp, especially for players trying to survive on the margins. [Read more 🡒]