Building Depth

You need stars to win in the NFL. The Rams have Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp and Matt Stafford. Those elite players helped them to win the Super Bowl. The Rams also had good depth.

TE Kendall Blanton started two games in the regular season, but there he was starting the Super Bowl. A’Shawn Robinson didn’t start at all in 2020. He started 14 games last season and was a key part of the DL. Safety Nick Scott only started one game all year. He started in the Super Bowl.

Starters are going to get hurt. You must have good players behind them.

Depth was less than ideal for the Eagles last year. The pass rush struggled after Brandon Graham got hurt in Week 2. The Eagles had to rely on rookies like Tarron Jackson and Jack Stoll more than they would have liked. The Eagles had to rely on mediocre veterans like Alex Singleton and Greg Ward more than they would have liked.

This year feels different.

Jordan Davis could be an impact rookie. He might not start, but he will play a key role in certain looks. If anything happens to Javon Hargrave or Fletcher Cox, you have Davis instead of Haason Ridgeway. That’s a major upgrade.

Milton Williams is in his second year and will provide depth all over the DL. He can play inside or outside.

Even a guy like Marlon Tuipulotu could help this year. He’s made plays in camp on a regular basis. Check out this note from Jeff McLane.

Making gains. Marlon Tuipulotu might not have made the 53-man roster last year had he not been a draft pick. He struggled in camp and the preseason. But he apparently took the necessary steps in the ever-important first full offseason. Several teammates have noted Tuipulotu’s improvement. Fletcher Cox said earlier Sunday that the defensive tackle lost about 15 pounds.

Jimmy Bama has also been impressed.

1. Marlon Tuipulotu had the best rep of the night. He beat Cam Jurgens on a push-pull-swim move. Tui has been significantly better in this camp than he was a year ago.

You want the guys at the bottom of the roster to show improvement. Tuipulotu didn’t play much last year, but he seemed to learn some lessons. He’s been much better this summer and might actually earn a spot with his play. He got very lucky last year.

Ben Fennell had this to say about Williams and Jackson.

Second-year defensive lineman Milton Williams also had a really impressive rep where he won with quickness off the ball.

Also, the young Tarron Jackson continues to flash, not just in team drills but in these one-on-one sessions as well. One thing I really appreciate about Jackson’s approach is that you can see that he’s always working on different rush moves. He has a lot of tools in his toolbox, and he’s constantly trying to find new ways to sequence his rushes and attack opposing linemen. He’s had a sneaky good camp.

Williams is the more important player. He’s looked good this summer after flashing at times last season. The coaches will have a defined role for him. Jackson is more of a pure backup. Last year he was more of an effort player than anything else. Jackson now has a toolbox and a better understanding of how to beat blockers. He should be more effective when he’s on the field.

This isn’t all about the DL. Here is Jimmy Bama on RB Jason Huntley.

Jason Huntley had a few highlights. He made Patrick Johnson whiff in the flat on a nice cutback. He also found a huge lane on the left side of the line, ran through it, and then turned on the jets, leaving Josiah Scott (playing safety) in the dust. Scott looked like he had angle on Huntley, but Huntley just exploded right past him. I think Huntley has to make this team.

Nick Sirianni loves explosive plays. Huntley has the speed and burst to deliver them on runs, passes or kickoff returns. One of the questions with Huntley is whether he’s physical enough for the NFL. Huntley had a play recently where he ran over a defender. I’m sure he’s getting the coaches attention with his improved play. He just might be in the middle of winning a roster spot.

Speaking of returners…WR/RS Britain Covey has come alive in recent practices. Here is Mr Bama sharing his take.

• In our Day 6 notes, I noted that Britain Covey was starting to make some plays, and I wondered if we might see him get some first-team reps. Ask and ye shall receive. Covey got first- and second-team reps today, and he made the most of them, making catches all over the field, and getting yards after the catch. Gardner Minshew found Covey down the field for a big play on one rep, and over the middle in the intermediate part of the field on another.

Jeff McLane as well.

Great Britain. After watching a couple of spring practices and the first few of training camp, Britain Covey didn’t stand out much. If anything, the 5-foot-8, 173-pound wide receiver garnered attention because of his relative lack of size. He got knocked around some. But Covey has made an impression since the full pads have come on. He had his best outing Saturday and likely earned some repetitions with the first team offense on Friday as a result.

We know AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins will be the key receivers. Jalen Reagor has been good recently and will probably be the #4 receiver if he’s not dealt. Zach Pascal will also be part of the rotation. Covey could force the team to keep six receivers if he continues to play well. He needs to do a good job on punt returns in the preseason games to help his cause. This could be the end of the Greg Ward era.

Let’s talk about the OL. The Eagles have had a ton of injuries at LT. That opened the door for Kayode Awosika to get reps there. He did not look good, but it says something that the coaches trusted him enough to give him a shot. Awosika will push for a spot as a backup OG and possibly RT.

Will the loss of Nate Herbig hurt depth at OG? Jimmy doesn’t think so.

1. Sua Opeta had a good season in 2021, and he’s having an excellent camp in 2022. In my opinion, he is better than Nate Herbig, and it’s not really even that close. Opeta will very likely be the first guy of the bench at both guard spots, and he could start on a lot of teams.

Interesting. I’ve never seen Opeta look as good as Herbig so that’s high praise to me. Not that Herbig was some star, but he was a functional starter. Opeta has flashed potential, but only has four starts (Herbig had 17). It would be great if the starters could just stay healthy. If that doesn’t happen, Opeta will get a chance to show what he can do.

QUICK HITTERS

WR Deion Cain has very little chance to make the team, but he’s consistent and productive. He’s doing everything he can to make the team.

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DB Josiah Scott has mainly played in the slot, where he’s at his best. He also has gotten reps at safety. That’s a good sign for his chances of making the team. Backups must be versatile.

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Rookie center Cam Jurgens has impressed on a daily basis. It looks like the Eagles found a good successor to Jason Kelce.

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