Morgan Burkett
The Philadelphia Eagles finally took to the field after a long summer without football. The long-awaited return to the gridiron did not go without a hitch. In fact, overall, it was a pretty messy game for the boys in midnight green. Still, the whole purpose of the preseason is to separate the pretenders from the real players. While the team as a whole looked less-than-stellar, a few names shone brighter than others. On the contrary, some didn't take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. So, what did we learn from the Eagles clash with the Titans and what will it mean to the depth chart. Following the first preseason game, here is how I see the lineup shaking out:
Offense
Receiver
| Alshon Jeffery |
| DeSean Jackson |
| Nelson Agholor |
| J.J. Arcega-Whiteside |
| Mack Hollins |
| Marken Michel |
| Shelton Gibson |
| Charles Johnson |
| Greg Ward Jr. |
| Carlton Agudosi |
| DeAndre Thompkins |
| Braxton Miller |
(Names in bold are projected to make the final 53-man roster)
No movement at this position. Charles Johnson did himself no favors; neither did Carlton Agudosi. Both have the size the Eagles covet at the wide-out position and will get chances to redeem themselves before the preseason is over. It's fair to mention, with Nate Sudfeld on the sidelines, the entire offense stalled. Hearing that his broken wrist will keep him out for a while is not good news for any of the receivers fighting for a roster spot. Their opportunities will be limited and they will have to show some contested-catch fortitude and the ability to adjust to poorly thrown passes. If the Eagles keep six receivers, Marken Michel is the obvious choice.
Expect Braxton Miller, Greg Ward Jr. and DeAndre Thompkins to get more looks in the preseason games to come. None of these three really had the opportunity to raise their stock. Thompkins has an edge due to his returning ability.
Offensive Line
| LT | RT |
| Jason Peters | Lane Johnson |
| Andre Dillard | Halapoulivaati Vaitai |
| Ryan Bates | Jordan Mailata |
No changes at this position either. Dillard looked every bit the part of a first-round tackle. His post step is lightning quick and his length and anchor really showed on tape. He even showed some improved run blocking. Mailata, on the other hand, made it clear just how fresh he is to the position. If Lane Johnson misses any snaps it likely will be Vaitai slotting in at right tackle, at least for this season.
| LG | C | RG |
| Isaac Seumalo | Jason Kelce | Brandon Brooks |
| Stefen Wisniewski | Isaac Seumalo | Halapoulivaati Vaitai |
| Sua Opeta | Stefen Wisniewski | Stefen Wisniewski |
| Anthony Fabiano | Keegan Render | Matt Pryor |
The first position group with some movement from the unofficial depth chart. Wis' name is featured three times on this list. He should be the first backup off the bench until Brandon Brooks returns from injury. However, he has not shown the ability to snap the ball with any consistency this summer. During the game, the ball was constantly low and caused timing problems for the offense. Seumalo has taken reps at center for the Eagles before and if Kelce spends any time on the sidelines, the team should be much more comfortable with Wis at guard.
Matt Pryor made a ton of mental mistakes last night. He's a massive dude and has all the physical tools to be an NFL guard, but will have to get the other side of the game down before he can be a dependable backup. For now, Wisniewski should be the first option off the bench at both guard positions.
Tight End
| Zach Ertz |
| Dallas Goedert |
| Richard Rodgers |
| Joshua Perkins |
| Will Tye |
| Alex Ellis |
No changes here; nobody outside of Dallas Goedert really made an impact. Staying on Goedert, he is the real deal -- smart, strong and smooth. The combo of he and Zach Ertz will be a nightmare for opponents all season. Perkins had a nice reception, but will have to show quite a bit of improvement to unseat Rodgers. The only time we heard Alex Ellis' name was for a holding call, and that's not good news for anyone trying to make an NFL roster.
Running Back
| Jordan Howard |
| Miles Sanders |
| Darren Sproles |
| Corey Clement |
| Wendell Smallwood |
| Boston Scott |
| Josh Adams |
| Donnel Pumphrey |
Some movement on this list. Josh Adams looked determined to make the roster until a costly fumble. This has been an issue for Adams throughout his career and will be held against him come cut day. Wendell Smallwood ran very well last night, including a very physical run up the middle in which he broke a few tackles. He will be hard to keep off the roster, especially considering how loved he is by the coaching staff and around the locker room. However, not seeing Corey Clement and Boston Scott makes this a very difficult list to lock-in. Any three of those names could be on the chopping block, although Clement has the inside track. Donnel Pumphrey actually ran pretty well against the third strings, but has too large a mountain to climb to make this roster. He may stick to the practice squad if he keeps it up.
An important note: Jordan Howard is the first name on this list. Even with the backup offensive line in, Howard ran for gains on all of his handoffs. That is what he is known for. He fits this offense a lot better than people give him credit for and will feast behind the best offensive line in the game. Add that to the fact that Miles Sanders' debut was less-than-impressive. He looked indecisive with the ball in his hands and he failed to recognize blitzes in pass protection.
Quarterback
| Carson Wentz |
| Nate Sudfeld |
| Cody Kessler |
| Clayton Thorson |
No surprises here. Thorson looked downright awful. Kessler was not impressive by any stretch of the imagination either. With Sudfeld down, the Eagles should really look to bring in a vet to back up Wentz. On Sudfeld, he showed off his mobility in and outside of the pocket. His arm seemed a tad off, but he made no major mistakes and finished the game with a nice stat line.
Continued on the page below.
Defense
Defensive End
| Brandon Graham |
| Derek Barnett |
| Vinny Curry |
| Shareef Miller |
| Josh Sweat |
| Daeshon Hall |
| Kasim Edebali |
The top three spots are a lock, but there are some shifts at this position. After just one preseason game, it may be premature to pencil Daeshon Hall into a roster spot, but
boy was he disruptive. Pushing him above Sweat has more to do with the latter's performance. Sweat was almost non-existent. Despite looking bigger, he failed to generate any push. Hall made plays early and often and looked downright dominant against the third-stringers. Miller made some mental mistakes but also showed some upside. I believe the Eagles will take a long look at keeping six defensive ends this season. If Hall keeps the train rolling, Sweat will have to prove himself if he's to stick to the final-53.
Defensive Tackle
| Fletcher Cox |
| Malik Jackson |
| Tim Jernigan |
| Hassan Ridgeway |
| Treyvon Hester |
| Bruce Hector |
| Kevin Wilkins |
Again, the three top spots are cemented. Jackson took the field, but was quickly yanked. Timmy watched in street clothes. Ridgeway looked fantastic before leaving with a shoulder injury. Hester blocked yet another kick and held his own on defensive snaps. Altogether, the defensive line barely made their presence known after the first half. Hector may be a victim of circumstance more than poor play. I think the Eagles will choose to keep an extra player at another position rather than a tackle with essentially three starting DTs on the roster.
Linebacker
| Nigel Bradham |
| Zach Brown |
| Kamu Grugier-Hill |
| Paul Worrilow |
| L.J. Fort |
| Nathan Gerry |
| T.J. Edwards |
| Alex Singleton |
With Kamu Grugier-Hill starting the season on the injured list, the Eagles will have to keep Nathan Gerry, but otherwise, he would struggle to make the roster. Despite ample opportunities, he has not been able to prove himself in his few years in Philadelphia. L.J. Fort was better, but not solid. He was stout against the run but got beat in coverage a few times. Zach Brown was around the football as per usual, but we all know his limitations in coverage. T.J. Edwards made some nice plays, but still has a way to go before sneaking onto an NFL roster. Singleton, despite being a PSN favorite, looks like a special teams player at best and will face an uphill battle to make the final roster.
Cornerback
| Ronard Darby |
| Avonte Maddox |
| *Jalen Mills (PUP) |
| Rasul Douglas |
| Sidney Jones |
| Cre'Von LeBlanc |
| Josh Hawkins |
| Orlando Scandrick |
| Ajene Harris |
| Jeremiah McKinnon |
| Jay Liggins |
It was a relatively rough night for the Eagles' secondary outside of the starters. Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones started on the outside with Avonte Maddox in the slot. Maddox was his usual self, showing tight coverage on a very good route runner in Adam Humphries. Rasul and Sid did a good enough job in coverage to force check-downs from Mariota. Although I did notice Jones was giving an awful lot of cushion and may have been taken advantage of by a savvier quarterback.
We heard a lot about McKinnon and Hawkins coming into yesterday's game. Both showed glimpses of their ceilings and floors. Hawkins had a nice PBU a play after getting beat -- although it was on a severely under-thrown ball to a wide-open receiver. The significance to that play is that he demonstrated a short-term memory, something Jim Schwartz lauds his corners for constantly. Ajene Harris will be a name to watch. He registered a sack in his short time on the field and showed fantastic discipline not to bite on the ball fake. McKinnon faired well in coverage but was picked on a bit by Tennessee's larger receivers. Scandrick's experience and slot coverage will give him the leg up for now.
Safety
| Malcolm Jenkins |
| Rodney MacLeod |
| Andrew Sendejo |
| Jonathan Cyprien |
| Blake Countess |
| Tre Sullivan |
| Deiondre' Hall |
| Trae Elston |
It was telling that Blake Countess and Andrew Sendejo started the game. Although he was listed above those two on the unofficial depth chart, Tre Sullivan was clearly the 4th best safety on the field for the Eagles. Countess went off the field at one point with an injury, which will be something to keep on eye on. Cyprien had his ups and downs but looked solid overall. His versatility is key to him making the team. Deiondre' Hall and Trae Elston had similar games and identical stat lines. That's an interesting battle to keep an eye on for a possible practice squad spot.
Specials
| Rick Lovato |
| Cameron Johnston |
| Jake Elliott |
No controversies here. Elliot pinged the upright but was otherwise perfect. Johnston already looks like one of the best punters in the league. We knew he had a leg, but he also pegged a few inside the 20, showing some accuracy as well.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
