Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Short Term vs Long Term

Posted August 27th, 2026 | No Comments »

The Eagles wrapped up their Training Camp on Wednesday. They have a preseason game on Friday and then it is time to sort out the 53-man roster. Howie Roseman will be balancing immediate needs against long term planning as he and the team make roster decisions.

Football is a sport of development. Most players need time to adjust to the NFL, physically, mentally and emotionally. Teams know this when they draft players and generally plan accordingly. They don’t tend to count on rookies being key starters right off the bat. It is great when Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are impact rookies, but they are outliers. Most rookies need more time.

Howie likes to draft some key players early so that they have time to be mentored. Cam Jurgens got to spend a season learning from Jason Kelce. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter got to spend time with Fletcher Cox. Dallas Goedert got to play with Zach Ertz. Markel Bell is learning from Lane Johnson this year. High quality veterans are a great source of info for young players.

The Eagles drafted Eli Stowers knowing that he was a project and would need some time.

Stowers is off to a slow start. That has some people questioning why Howie chose him, knowing this team had Super Bowl potential. Was adding a project a smart move? That is debatable. But Howie did this with his eyes wide open. He valued Stowers potential enough to make the move. Howie thinks Stowers can be an impact player that is a major factor for the Eagles in the future. We don’t know how much Stowers will be able to do this year.

The problem with Stowers isn’t a lack of talent. He’s struggling because he is thinking too much. I’ve used this example before. Think about driving. You hop in a car and take off without doing much thinking. A 16-year old who is new has to think about every step. They lack experience. The veteran driver does things without even realizing what they are doing. It is more instinctive than thinking. Stowers is like the young driver. Things aren’t natural for him right now. He’s not able to take advantage of his natural ability.

I think Stowers will overcome this. He’s stayed late to work on the JUGs machine. His effort on STs is good. His effort as a blocker has improved. Stowers is doing what he can to play better. The more reps he gets, the more natural he’ll play. He needs time, reps, and coaching.

Howie does need to figure out what to do this year. He can’t count on Stowers for 2026. Does he go with Cam Latu? It feels like the Eagles need to add a veteran TE who can be a productive part of the passing game if needed. Johnny Mundt is primarily a blocker. Goedert misses games just about every year. Who would take his place? Expect Howie to be working the phones this week to see who might be available.

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Stowers isn’t the only project on the roster. Both Uar Bernard and Josh Weru are long term players. Weru might be able to contribute in the second half of the season (he needs more practice reps). Compare that to a guy like Jake Majors. He has a limited ceiling. Majors isn’t overly big. He’s not special athletically. But Majors could contribute if needed right now. He’s a good fit for the new scheme and has played well in the preseason games.

The Eagles will keep Bernard and Weru on the roster because of their upside. They could develop into key players in the future. Majors will likely be cut and could go to the practice squad. He projects as a backup OL. The Eagles could try to trade him. I don’t know how much of a market there would be for him.

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Health will be a key factor in roster decisions. Markel Bell has missed recent practices. That could help Fred Johnson to make the roster.

DB Jonathan Jones returned to practice yesterday. He’s missed a lot of time, but could still push for a roster spot because of his versatility and experience. He’s more likely for the PS, but we’ll see how things play out.

Cole Wisniewski is still dealing with a concussion. He could be headed to IR. Wiz has been banged up most of the spring and summer.

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Look forward to seeing Lemon in action. And I hope McKee can build on last week’s performance.

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The Open Practice

Posted August 26th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

The Eagles held an open practice at The Linc on Tuesday evening. Based on everything we heard, the defense won the session. There were some offensive highlights as well. Thankfully there were no major injuries (some of us will always associate Stewart Bradley with these practices).

There were some issues. Jordan Davis hurt his arm/wrist and sat out for a while. He did return to action. Lane Johnson left the field, but stood on the sideline afterward so that was a god sign. You don’t to lose Lane. Landon Dickerson sat out with this designated as a rest day for him.

Jeff McLane has an update on Eli Stowers and his hamstring injury.

Eli Stowers missed a second straight practice with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the second preseason game against the Patriots. The rookie tight end is expected to be out for about two weeks, from what I understand. If he’s healthy by the Wednesday before Week 1 of the regular season, he could be available for the season opener.

It doesn’t sound like he’s an IR candidate based on this timeline.

Markel Bell missed practice with leg/thumb issues. That meant Fred Johnson took over at RT when Lane went out. Jalyx Hunt ate his lunch and gave the offense fits. Moro Ojomo had multiple sacks and was disruptive.

Riq Woolen had 2 INTs, including this pick-six.

That is an impressive play from the new corner. He has good ball skills and should make his share of plays this season.

Jalen Hurts and the offense did have some good moments.

There is some good creativity in the passing game. You had Saquon scoring on the wheel route. And the Makai lining up in the backfield and confusing the defense. That left him wide open for his own TD. We’ve heard a lot about Lemon being a player that will move around and be used creatively. It was cool to see this in action.

Here was another interesting nugget.

I do like Sean Mannion’s creativity so far.

A couple of veteran receivers made plays.

DeVonta Smith had a good overall showing and made his presence felt. The passing game is much better when he’s on the field. Smitty is a difference-maker. He is poised to have a monster year.

The offense was a mixed bag. There were plenty of mistakes made by a variety of players. Hurts threw the INTs. There were some dropped passes. The blocking was erratic with Lane out. We know the offense is going to have ups and downs as they get used to the new system and there are new players learning to play together. I’m more encouraged by what went right than discouraged by what went wrong. Mistakes can be fixed. It is good for the players to get a taste of success and to see what things look like when they do execute properly. We also have to remember that the offense is going up against one of the best defenses in the league. That isn’t an easy group to learn against.

Makai Lemon got some reps as the punt returner and could take on that role. It doesn’t feel like Elijah Moore will make the roster. Britain Covey will likely start the season on the PS. It would be great if Lemon could handle that role.

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