It wasn’t pretty, but preseason finales rarely are. The Eagles will enter the regular season with a 2-1 preseason record following their win over the Jets, and there were some big moments and standout storylines that could have a huge impact on the formation of Philly’s 53-man roster.
Cornerback 2 victor?
It came down to the wire and we still might not have a definitive answer, but of the three corners looking to stake their claim to the starting role, it was Adoree Jackson who got the night off on Friday, potentially hinting at his place being secured.
What only compounded that was a particularly bumpy night at the office from newly-signed Jakorian Bennett. The former Raiders corner struggled against the run at times, and while he did get a PBU on a flag-worthy play, he allowed a few too many receptions to assert himself into the mix going into those crucial final hours of roster formation. He was okay. But this is a guy brought in for his experience, looking okay in a preseason finale. It’s likely we see a combo of Jackson and Ringo, but I’m sure Bennett will improve once he’s spent more time in this scheme.
A rookie breakout
One of the big winners from the Eagles’ win over New York was Antwaun Powell-Roland. The rookie was effective druring his snaps, winning reps in a variety of different ways, and culiminating in a sack and a forced-fumble. He might not break into the rotation as a rookie, but this is certainly validation that those staggering college numbers are transferable to the NFL.
Eagles wide receiver depth tested
The injury to Johnny Wilson, in theory, opened up opportunities to the likes of Ainias Smith and John Metchie III. Smith had a small case of the dropsies and was ineffective on special teams, while Metchie III had a burst into life early on before he too missed a catchable pass that got flagged for holding anyway.
The real winner in the wideout room last night was Darius Cooper, who has had an incredibly consistent Summer and should now be unchallenged for one of the final spots on the depth chart.
A long way to go for rookie Eagles QB Kyle McCord
Tanner McKee’s sizzling Summer of hits only showed how long the road is for rookie QB Kyle McCord. The Eagles gave him the whole game to sink his teeth into, hoping he would build on a pretty topsy-turvy campaign so far. He ended the night with 15/35 passes completed, for 136 yards and an interception. The footwork and pocket presence concerns are still lingering for the rookie.
Offensive line depth
The Eagles’ depth behind their offensive line starters is light at best. The veterans all seem to have question marks – with Kenyon Green’s durability concerns, Brett Toth being unable to move the needle, and Kendall Lamm getting rocked a few times against the Jets, and the youngsters, aside from Drew Kendall have all seemed to struggle at times. Trevor Keegan didn’t fare too much better. This could well be a season where vets like Matt Pryor get those sought-after spots, allowing Jeff Stoutland to keep his students in university for another year while they develop.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
