Posted September 3rd, 2026 | 1 Comment »The offseason is over. So is Training Camp. And the preseason as well. It feels like the end of a journey. It isn’t, though. This is just the beginning of the season, part marathon and part war of attrition. Players aren’t finished products. They can be constantly evolving. This requires patience when truly evaluating them.
Last summer QB Kyle McCord struggled with his transition to the NFL. The Eagles put him on the practice squad. McCord eventually signed with the Packers. He was their #3 QB this summer and played well. He got traded to Miami and will be their #2 QB this season. No one saw that coming with how he looked a year ago. It took time for things to click for him.
Cooper DeJean had a rough beginning to his career. Injuries got him off to a slow start. He missed a lot of time in the summer and then was a role player for the first four weeks of his rookie season. He started nine games after that and became a key part of the defense. He’s now arguably the best nickel in the league.
Obviously things don’t always work out like that. Andre Dillard was with the Eagles for four years and never panned out as hoped. Still, you would rather stick with a player too long and have him not pan out than to give up on someone too early. This isn’t a perfect science. Teams are taking calculated risks. You look at the player’s background. You consider his potential. You also think about the raw numbers (age, salary, etc.) Then you decide how much of a leash the player will get. Some guys get years, others just months.
The Eagles are being patient with Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers. Both guys had limited summers. Lemon was hurt and Stowers struggled before getting hurt. The Eagles spent Top 60 picks on both players so they will get plenty of time as long as the players are making a good faith effort to improve. And both are doing that.
The QB situation is trickier. The team says all the right things about Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton. The tape says all the wrong things. But tape can be tricky.
We’ve seen players struggle before and then improve, going on to play key roles. Getting an accurate evaluation from practice or preseason games is tough, especially with QBs. That position requires others doing their job well for it to look right. I’m not excusing the erratic play by McKee and Dalton from this summer, but it does need a bit of context. These guys have played well in real games.
It is confusing to think about their good play in the past and then their struggles from this summer. I don’t think the Eagles did them any favors with the competition. That kept either guy from getting into a comfort zone. I still think one of them needs to go for the situation to really improve. We’ll see if that happens in the near future or if the Eagles stubbornly hold onto both guys for an extended time.
I do think they would look better if put into a real game, especially if they knew ahead of time and had a chance to prepare. These guys aren’t physically gifted. They need little things to help them out. Playing behind the starting OL and with the best skill players would be huge. Working with Sean Mannion on the gameplan would help. Neither guy would suddenly turn into Joe Montana, but I think they would be better. Hopefully Jalen Hurts will stay healthy and all this QB talk will be much ado about nothing.
The Eagles were patient with Ty Robinson and Kelee Ringo this summer and both players responded well. This is Year 4 for Ringo and Year 2 for Robinson. Each player works at a unique pace. there is no definitive schedule. A couple of yeas ago Howie was asked about Nakobe Dean, who hadn’t done much at that point. Howie staunchly defended Dean. We weren’t seeing good results on the field, but the team was seeing all the right things behind the scenes. Dean got healthy and turned into a key player.
Those of us on the outside only see part of the picture. Jake Majors got ripped throughout the summer. He really struggled in practice. Then we got to see him in games and he looked completely different. The coaches liked his potential for a reason. They turned out to be right. The negative TC reports from the media weren’t wrong, but they only told part of the story.
Understanding why a player is having success or struggling is important. That will help you to know how a player is really doing and what the future might hold for them.
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I don’t think the Eagles will have to be too patient with Jihaad Campbell. He had a good summer and could take a big step forward this year. His athleticism will help the middle of the defense.
I’m excited to see what he does this year.
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Posted September 2nd, 2026 | Comments Off on More on the Practice Squad and RosterThe Eagles completed their practice squad additions on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the guys they added and talk a little more about the overall roster. Howie Roseman made some interesting decisions.
Howie hasn’t been afraid in the past to keep some developmental guys on the roster. Last year he kept Cam Williams when Cam clearly wasn’t ready to play. The Eagles knew Williams was a project when they drafted him. He made the roster because they valued him long term. Someone has to be inactive every week so why not have it be a player with good future potential? That made me think Howie would keep Uar Bernard and/or Josh Weru. The Eagles added them knowing they were projects and would need time.
I wonder if the decision to keep Elijah Moore and Jonathan Jones was influenced by last year being a disappointment. Maybe that team needed less focus on potential and more on results. This roster certainly feels more results oriented.
Howie said Moore had a great camp. You want to reward that with a roster spot. Keeping Bernard over him might have sent the wrong message to the team. The Eagles went with the player who earned it. They kept EJ Jenkins because he had a good summer. I was crazy enough to rewatch part of the Cincy game. Jenkins blocking stood out to me. That requires effort and physicality. Jenkins got rewarded for being a good blue collar player. Good for him and Moore.
This team should be hungry after the disappointing end to 2025 and the offseason changes. AJ Brown is gone. Jeff Stoutland is gone. Adoree Jackson is gone (just seeing if you’re paying attention). They aren’t running last year back. This is a different team. I think the roster moves reflect a different mentality. The projects went to the practice squad so they’re still part of the organization and the future. They just didn’t get roster spots like we expected. I’m glad the team was able to bring back Bernard and Weru. I still believe in them.
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Now for the PS guys.
RB Jaydon Blue – Smaller build at 5-9, 196. Here are my pre-draft notes on him. “Started 5 gms in 3 yrs. 2024 was best season. 134-730-8. 42-368-6 as a receiver. Explosive playmaker. Ran 4.38 at the Combine and you see that speed on tape. Ran 4.28 at his Pro Day. Good receiver. Shows a feel for getting open and has good hands. Can line up in the slot. Speed runner, but is able to deal with contact at LOS or behind it. Able to make guys miss out in space. Could be good role player at the next level. ” Had character concerns coming out of college. The Eagles obsess on explosive plays and must think Blue has the potential to deliver them if he can get back on track.
RB Carson Steele – Summer sensation was the most fun player in the preseason games. Has good size and plays hard. Ideal practice player because of his versatility and effort. Can play FB or RB. Has some game experience.
RB Dameon Pierce – Had a strong rookie season in 2022 and then was up and down over the next three seasons. Looked good in camp this summer, got hurt and then finished strong. At his best is a physical downhill runner.
WR Danny Gray – Former third round pick who has good speed and okay size. Made plays in camp and the games. Good practice player who could play if needed.
WR Britain Covey – Solid punt returner (11.3 ypr) who is only okay as a receiver. Can also return KOs. I’ve been surprised that no one has picked him up and let him be the full time RS. Not explosive, but is elusive and runs hard.
C/G Jake Majors – Struggled in camp and then turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the games. Looked good at C and G. Not special physically, but gets off the ball well and is a good fit for the new scheme. Excellent effort as a blocker. Pretty good in space.
OT John Ojukwu – Versatile blocker with some starting experience. Played everywhere but C this summer. Solid athlete with 9 career starts. Good fit for the new scheme.
OT Kiran Amegadjie – A former third round pick by the Bears. Struggled mightily in pass pro. His tape makes Cam Williams look good, if that gives you an idea of his struggles. Amegadjie did show promise as a run blocker. The Eagles new system helps the OTs in pass pro so he could benefit from that. Has solid size at 6-5, 323 and great length with 36 3/4 arms. Played both RG and LT in college. Chicago had him focusing on LT, but does have some snaps at G. The Eagles spent time with him before the 2024 draft so this is a guy they had interest in. Interesting project who needs coaching and development.
DT Gabe Hall – Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Has played well the last two summers, but ended up on the PS both times. Made the roster last year for about a day before going to the PS. Good combination of size and athleticism. Has legit NFL ability. I’m surprised another team hasn’t taken a chance on him. I think the Eagles were lucky he wasn’t claimed.
DT Uar Bernard – IPP player with good potential, but has a long way to go. Great athlete who is learning how to play football. Got better each preseason game, but won’t be able to play in a real game until 2027 at the earliest.
ED Mason Reiger – Highly athletic edge rusher with a great motor. Plays with excellent leverage. Got hurt this summer so the Dolphins let him go. He is a good fit for what the Eagles seem to like in edge guys, with a solid combination of size and athleticism. I liked Reiger coming out. Good addition.
ED Joshua Weru – Maybe the biggest surprise of the summer. Raw IPP prospect who flashed legit NFL ability and serious athleticism. Had a sack and showed good pass rush potential. Needs a lot of work as a run defender.
ED Keyshawn James-Newby – Late round pick who was hurt for most of camp. Played late in TC and showed promise. Had some good moments in the preseason finale. Good athlete with some pass rush ability.
LB Chance Campbell – A favorite of Vic Fangio. I’m sure it bugged him to see Campbell cut, but Eagles only wanted to keep 4 LBs. Has had injury issues and that could have affected the decision as well. Guys with durability issues aren’t as valued by teams. Campbell played well enough to make the roster. Physical run defender and can also play in space.
S Maximus Pulley – UDFA had a solid summer but didn’t do quite enough to make the roster. Could make his way onto the roster in the future. Good athlete who made a lot of plays in college. Didn’t make many plays this summer. Did play well on STs and generally tackled well. Solid vs the run.
S Cole Wisniewski – Late round pick who missed a ton of time in the spring and summer. Showed good ability when he did play. Has excellent size. I don’t know if he’s got the speed needed to cover the deep middle. That something he’ll need to prove over time.
CB Robert Longerbeam – Feels like the replacement for Kapena Gushiken. Small at 5-11, 174. Started 31 games at Rutgers. Had a great showing at the Combine and ran 4.39. Has slot size and outside corner speed.
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If you need a good laugh, here you go. Fun read.
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