The 2025 Training Camp came to a close on Wednesday. Let’s take a look at some of what we learned, good and bad.
Moro Ojomo – If there was a star this summer, Ojomo was the guy. Every day we seemed to read about him being disruptive and making plays. It didn’t seem to matter who he went up against, Ojomo made his presence felt. I’m excited to see him in the season opener. I’m expecting 10 sacks and 2 TDs…in the first half.
WR depth – The days of Quez Watkins, Julio Jones and Greg Ward are in the past. The Eagles have great starters and then Jahan Dotson stepped up this summer and did well as the #3, hopefully building on his playoff performance. Johnny Wilson got going, which was good to see. Now we have to find out about his health status. Darius Cooper came out of nowhere to get everyone’s attention. Ainias Smith was solid and then Howie traded for John Metchie. How the hell is Paul Turner going to win a roster spot?
CB battle – You thought the Hundred Years War lasted a long time? That’s nothing compared to Adoree Jackson, Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett and the rest of the guys stacking mediocre days upon mediocre days. This is like an episode of The Bachelor starring Jimmy Bama where none of the contestants wants to win.
Rookies look ready – Jihad Campbell fell in the draft because of health concerns. He’s stayed healthy this summer and has practiced a lot and played in two games. He is athletic, physical and talented. Campbell sure looks on pace to start this season. Drew Mukuba has looked good when he’s been healthy. If his hamstring is okay, he will likely start. Drew Kendall has played left guard and center. He’s got a chance to be active on gamedays. Smael Mondon, Ty Robinson and Mac McWilliams should contribute as rookies. This looks to be another strong class.
Stoutland Junior College – It sure feels like Stoutland University has taken a step back this summer. The new students have not been getting A’s or even B’s. Jeff Stoutland might say “My kingdom for Jack Driscoll”. Stout is a great coach and might end up figuring this out, but there are more questions than usual. One player who did get an A is Tyler Steen. He will be the starting RG and had a good showing this summer. Steen gives the team arguably the best starting OL in the league. Depth is the question.
No Fat Cats – Winning a Super Bowl can inflate egos and really distract some players. The Eagles seem to be locked in on 2025 and not basking in the glory of 2024. The team has a really hard schedule and will get everyone’s best shot so they can’t afford to be looking anywhere other than straight ahead. This is where team leaders like Saquon Barkley, Lane Johnson, Zack Baun and that Hurts guy will be critical. If they set the right tone, the team will follow.
In a rush? – Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt give the team an outstanding pair of young edge rushers. If they stay healthy, the defense will be in good shape. No one behind them emerged in a definitive way. Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo all had their moments. Do you actually trust any of them? We’ll find out in the next week if the Eagles do. They haven’t tried to add anyone else so maybe Vic Fangio is comfortable with the trio. Or this could be the year that Patrick Johnson finally gets playing time and makes his mark.
Tanner McKee – Good.
Overall vibes – This was a bit of an odd camp. There were no major injuries, but players were coming and going with minor issues. There were also plenty of rest days for key veterans. The Eagles got outplayed in the joint practices and then struggled in the Browns preseason game. If you wanted to see a smooth machine, this wasn’t the summer for you. The coaches were trying to find and develop depth. That meant a lot of young guys played and they had ups and downs. Working on depth may have made for a sloppy summer, but it could serve the team well in the season when the depth will be needed.
Posted August 19th, 2025 | Comments Off on Concerns?
The Eagles have the best GM in football. They have one of the best coaching staffs. They have arguably the best roster. There is a lot to be happy about and expectations for the upcoming season are high.
But…are there some things to be concerned about? Let’s talk about some possible issues.
CB2 still isn’t settled. I thought Jakorian Bennett would be in the lead after the Browns game, but Adoree Jackson still gets most of the reps with the starters. You could make the argument that Vic Fangio loves him and that’s why he’s up there. But Fangio hasn’t said much publicly that would make you think he’s high on Jackson. I’m officially confused.
I would be a lot more concerned about this if not for the combination of Fangio and Roseman. Fangio is a great DC. He has a lot of experience and knows what he’s looking for. Fangio played a pair of rookies last year and it worked great. He didn’t rush Cooper DeJean into the lineup. He wanted DeJean ready and waited until the bye week. I feel like Fangio is okay with what he’s got to work with, even if it isn’t ideal.
Roseman is less patient to be sure. If he felt this was a critical issue, I think he would have made a move by now. I think Howie is trusting Fangio’s plan, while also knowing that moves can be made over the next week. Rosters get cut a week from now. There could be a veteran CB available at a reasonable price, or one could get cut.
We’ve talked a lot about OL depth. Jordan Mailata missed Tuesday’s practice with a concussion. That shouldn’t affect the season opener, but it isn’t ideal. Matt Pryor replaced him at LT in practice and struggled. Jeff Stoutland continues to move players around and try different combos. The five starters are a great unit. I like Drew Kendall and Darrian Kinnard as backups, but they aren’t experienced players that you can plug in without worrying a bit. Matt Pryor and Kendall Lamm have not been great this summer.
At the same time, real games would be very different than practice and drills. There would be a gameplan to help the backup lineman in the game. In practice the coaches want to see what a guy can do so there isn’t help. They aren’t calling favorable plays.
This is another spot where Howie could make a move if he thinks it is needed. No one has a ton of great OL, but there could be a player here or there that Howie and Stout think might help out.
The Eagles already made a move at WR and that looks pretty smart now. Johnny Wilson got carted off the field on Tuesday after an OL rolled up on his legs. That’s not good. AJ Brown is still working his way back from a hamstring injury. The team is leaking through national reporters that they aren’t worried, but hamstring injuries have been know to linger. DeVonta Smith missed Tuesday so you had Jahan Dotson, Darius Cooper, Ainias Smith and John Metchie as the key receivers. Good backups, but not a group that would scare many secondaries on their own.
The Eagles should be fine at WR. Dotson seems to be taking advantage of the extra reps. He’s playing well and improving his chemistry with Jalen Hurts. The Eagles can’t afford a serious injury to Brown or Smith, but both should be back for the opener and the overall depth is better than recent seasons.
Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are a talented young pair of edge rushers. Behind them are some question marks. Smith is dealing with a shoulder issue and the season hasn’t started. I’m guessing Fangio and the coaches may like what they are seeing more than those of us in the media or public. The Eagles haven’t done anything to add to the position.
We know Roseman and the Eagles obsess on the DL and pass rushers. If they had serious concerns I think they would have made a move. There have been some veteran free agents available.
We all like Drew Mukuba. The rookie has a bright future…if he can stay healthy. Mukuba missed time with an injury earlier and then suffered a hamstring issue on Tuesday. You must have a good backup behind him. The Eagles do, in the person of Sydney Brown. After Brown you have Tristin McCollum and Andre Sam. Not exactly Wes and Andre.
The team will need to get a feel for Mukuba’s situation. If this is a minor injury, they could be fine as-is. If they are worried about his hamstring, they might need to add a veteran.
The regular season is just a couple of weeks away. Friday’s game against the Jets will be critical for some of the backups we’ve talked about. You know Howie and his staff will be working the phones to figure out who is available and what might need to be done.
Understand that all 32 teams have areas to be concerned about. With the salary cap, no one has the kind of depth they ideally want. You take chances on young players or cheap free agents and hope you hit on some of them. Think of all the players who stepped up for the Eagles last year.
Zack Baun Mekhi Becton Tanner McKee Quinyon Mitchell Cooper DeJean Oren Burks Isaiah Rodgers Milton Williams
The Eagles aren’t likely to hit on as many guys this year. Still, if they can just find a few key guys, they’ll have better depth and can once again have a great season.