Day 2 of Eagles training camp brought the kind of early-summer noise that always gets people talking, and two names jumped straight into the spotlight: Cole Payton and Ty Robinson.
For Payton, the concern is simple. He has not done enough this spring and summer to look like a roster lock.
His spring work already raised issues with his progressions, and he piled up errant throws and interceptions. Then came Day 2, when the wheels came off in a big way.
After a strong opening day of camp, Payton followed it with a rough outing, throwing three interceptions. Two of them stood out - one picked off by A.J.
Epenesa in the flat and another by Chance Campbell on a deep ball.
Payton is willing to let it rip, but that aggressiveness only helps if the decision-making keeps pace. Right now, it doesn’t.
The Eagles already have a QB2 competition going on between Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, and the team still hasn’t settled on a direction there. If McKee isn’t traded, the case for keeping him around is obvious.
Philadelphia has even been open to carrying four quarterbacks, though that is far from a guarantee. Payton is likely to be the QB3, but at this point he has to play his way onto the roster rather than assume he belongs on it.
Robinson’s situation is different, but the warning signs are just as loud. The fourth-round pick from last year is, at the moment, only being discussed by draft slot.
He’s working with the developmental players early in practice, and that’s not where you want to be if you’re trying to climb the depth chart. Byron Young is already ahead of him, and Young got here after being let go by the Raiders.
Tae’Quon Graham and Gabe Hall are also sitting above Robinson right now.
That puts real pressure on Robinson once the pads come on. He needs to show he can disrupt plays in the backfield and make himself impossible to ignore.
The problem is the room around him is crowded with players who can legitimately make a 53-man roster. That depth says as much about the Eagles’ strength at defensive tackle as it does about Robinson’s current standing.
And that depth has already created a bigger conversation about what comes next for Moro Ojomo.
Vic Fangio already made his case for the Eagles to preserve some financial flexibility for Ojomo after extensions for Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. It’s not hard to see why.
Ojomo broke through last season, rotates with Carter and Davis, and has become part of what looks like the best defensive tackle trio in the NFL. He’s only 24, and there’s a real argument that he’s earned his next deal.
The catch is the money. Carter and Davis are already tied to a combined $64 million a year, and Ojomo is playing well enough to put himself in line for a contract north of $20 million a year after this season, when he becomes a free agent. That would push the total to more than $84 million for three defensive tackles, and that doesn’t look realistic when the Eagles still need pass-rush help and would also have to pay either Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt.
Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are also going to need to get paid. There isn’t room for everybody, and Ojomo may end up being the odd man out. If that happens, he’d be getting his money somewhere else, much like Milton Williams did last year.
In Other News...
Eagles Camp Is Sending An Early Warning About Eli Stowers
Training camp has already made one thing clear in Philadelphia: the tight end room is being sorted by role, not just by name. Dallas Goedert is handling the starters job, while veteran Johnny Mundt has been getting notable work as the blocking presence in the Eagles 12-personnel looks, the kind of package that asks one tight end to help in the run game and another to threaten the defense as a receiver.
Eli Stowers, meanwhile, has not been seeing much action early on, which is a reminder that camp reps can tell you as much about the pecking order as any depth chart. The Eagles are trying to build a tight end mix that can do both jobs, and for now the competition behind Goedert is still taking shape as the staff sorts through who fits best in those specialized snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles May Have Finally Found Hurts New No. 2 Target
Training camp has a way of sorting out the pecking order quickly, and Dontayvion Wicks has given the Eagles a reason to keep watching. The receiver, acquired from Green Bay and locked in on a one-year extension, has flashed enough early to make himself part of the conversation as Philadelphia looks for a new running mate for DeVonta Smith.
The most encouraging sign has been the kind of play that turns heads in camp, including a tough catch in double coverage that suggested he can win when the window shrinks. With the Eagles still evaluating who can step into the WR2 role, Wicks is starting to look like more than just another name in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Are Already Committing To A Stunning Fangio Development Gamble
Uar Bernard is getting his first taste of an NFL training camp with the Eagles, and the early stages of his development are as raw as they come. Philadelphia took the seventh-round pick as a long-term project, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Bernard is still in the learning phase as the team starts to map out how he can eventually fit.
The Eagles are willing to be patient with that process, even carving out a roster spot for Bernard while they work through the details of his growth. It is the same kind of developmental bet they once made with Jordan Mailata, and the hope is that patience and persistence can turn a fascinating gamble into a real contributor down the line. [Read more 🡒]