Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Preview of the Preseason Finale

Posted August 28th, 2026 | No Comments »

The Eagles host the Bengals on Friday night to conclude the preseason schedule. This game won’t be significant to most guys, but will be critical to others. Expect the second stringers to play just a bit. Most of the reps will go to third stringers.

I look forward to seeing Lemon in action for the first time. I’m curious to see McKee play with the 2’s. He has been stuck with mostly third stringers in the preseason games and that as made things tough at times. Will playing with the 2’s help him get off to a better start? McKee seems like he should be QB2 this season. A good showing will certainly help his cause.

We’ll see a lot of Cole Payton. It feels like he’s done enough to make the team so this game is just a chance for him to get valuable experience. The thing to watch is if he can make plays in the passing game without having to ad-lib. Being a playmaker is valuable, but you must be able to play within the offensive structure first.

I’m guessing Markel Bell will miss the game since he’s missed practice this week. It will be interesting to see if they play Fred Johnson at all. I don’t expect him to play much. John Ojukwu can help his case for a spot on the roster or PS with a good showing. Rookie Micah Morris should play most of the game. He feels likely to make the team so these reps will just be about getting experience. Cam Williams feels like a PS guy, but here is some interesting perspective.

I don’t know if Cam Latu can prove anything in this game. Playing well will help his argument for a spot. It would be great to see him get chances to make catches. That is the unknown area with him.

Uar Bernard and Josh Weru should play a decent amount. They need all the reps they can get. I think both will make the roster. Weru is trying to show he might be able to contribute this season. Bernard has a tougher learning curve because DT is a more challenging position. He’s just trying to learn.

I hope rookie Keyshawn James-Newby is able to play. He was hurt for a while, but has come on recently. KJN could battle Jose Ramirez for a PS spot.

Deontae Lawson has flashed in the first two games. He is LB6 right now because it is such a deep group. Lawson needs to cover better and look more comfortable in space if he wants to steal a spot from someone else.

Maximus Pulley and Kapena Gushiken are competing for spots. I have Gush in the lead right now, but both guys have played well and either one could make it. Both guys are tackling well. It would help if one of the made some coverage plays.

Kelee Ringo is coming off his best game. Another good showing would secure a spot for him. I’ll be interested to see if Jonathan Jones plays. He’s a veteran DB so he doesn’t need the experience, but he missed most of the summer so shaking off any rust might get him on the field. He is also new to this scheme so some game reps wouldn’t hurt.

As always, the most important thing is for the team to avoid injuries.

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Doug Farrar wrote about three underrated Eagles. Keep in mind this is from a national perspective. Dontayvion Wicks was one of the choices.

Which is where the trade for former Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks comes in. Last season, the 6’1”, 206-pound Wicks caught 30 passes on 44 targets for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Calf and ankle injuries, as well as concussion issues, limited his time on the field in 2025, which is why he wasn’t able to replicate his 2024 production, when he caught 41 passes on 80 targets for 454 yards and five touchdowns.

Still, when your yards per catch stays exactly the same from one season to the next (11.1), and your catch rate increases from 51.3% to 68.2%, that’s a good thing.

“Me and Sean built a relationship, just like [with] Coach Mahaffey,” Wicks said of his new home with Mannion and former Green Bay receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey. “Relationships play a big part in things, so I felt like that was a big part of the reason [for] the trust for me to be here and for them to bank on me.”

DeVonta is the star. Lemon is the rookie. Wicks cab get overlooked, but will be a key part of the passing game.

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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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