The Philadelphia Eagles completed another practice today down at the NovaCare Complex. Here’s all you need to know from Tuesdays’ practice as the road to the regular season winds down.
Eagles injury report
The Eagles still have a few minor injuries to work through and while none are serious, reps are vital at this stage.
A player like Johnny Wilson is a prime example. After the preseason opener, he felt as close to a lock to make the roster as you could find, but after missing several practices, his spot on the final 53 could well be in jeopardy.
Tyler Steen is another example. The young guard really needed to take a leap forward this Summer but has spent a bulk of it on the sidelines, leaving Mekhi Becton to reap the rewards of the starting RG role.
Speaking of guard, rookie Trevor Keegan’s practice ended prematurely after picking up a knock. Depth on the interior is already thin and while it does present opportunities to guys lower on the depth chart, the Eagles need to get this group healthy asap with time running out.
Hopefully the players below are able to contribute in the preseason finale against Minnesota at the end of this week.
Saquon Barkley also seemed to pick up a knock during practice, scaring plenty of Eagles fans in the process. The good news is that it doesn’t seem to be anything serious, with Barkley staying on the sideline and interacting with fans after the injury. Crisis averted, the Eagles still have their franchise running back in tact.
Best receiving tandem in the NFL
A scintillating Summer continues for both DeVonta Smith and A.J Brown. The two wideouts have been dominating all offseason long and today was a day that saw A.J especially draw plenty of praise.
The two wideouts combined for 2,512 yards last year along with 14 total touchdowns. There’s no reason to believe those numbers won’t at least be matched, if not surpassed this season.
Other Eagles notes
After a bumpy start to Training Camp, Ainias Smith finally seems to be hitting his stride. The rookie wideout showed a marked improvement against the Patriots and confidence looks to finally be finding the Texas A&M product. He’ll have one more chance to prove he can break into the receiving rotation against the Vikings on Saturday.
Quinyon Mitchell drew first-team reps outside today, which has been something of a rarity over the Summer. While it might not be a firm indication of imminent things to come, Mitchell made his paydirt on the boundary and figures to be a prime CB1/2 candidate in 2025 and beyond. The rookie will likely start his season in the slot, but there’s no reason he can’t be moved outside on occasion if he can continue to hold his own.
On that note, Cooper DeJean drew 2nd teams looks in the nickel. It doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing much of him at Safety for the time being. The Eagles were intent on keeping things simple for the rookie and a shortened Summer might have only further cemented that decision.
Finally, E.J Jenkins has followed up on his strong outing against the Patriots by putting together a couple of big practices. The Eagles are still light at tight end and there are no real viable TE2 candidates outside of Grant Calcaterra. If Jenkins can put in another solid day against the Vikings, he might just sneak a roster spot.
Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
