Posted July 30th, 2026 | Comments Off on Camp Opens – Good Vibes
Training Camp is a funny time. You are going against your own players. If the offense is good, the defense struggles or vice versa. There is also the question of what is going on in a given day. Jim Schwartz famously told the story of Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer getting lit up in spring training. Palmer wasn’t worried because he only threw curve balls that day. He was working on them, not trying to get guys out. Maybe an OL is working on a certain technique. Or a DL is focused on a certain pass rush move. You have to be careful with results, good or bad.
The overall sentiment from the beat writers covering camp is that the offense looked good. They didn’t overwhelm the defense, but Jalen Hurts and company looked comfortable in the new scheme and won their share of battles. There was a lot of under center plays and play-action passes. They incorporated more motion than in the past. It wasn’t always perfect, but it sure sounded like Hurts looked solid in the offense and worked the middle of the field.
Give Sean Mannion credit for having the offense at a good starting point. New schemes can be sloppy at times. It sounded like the Eagles were prepared and looked mostly smooth with what they were doing. There will be growing pains, but they got off to a promising start.
Just like the headline says, there were encouraging signs from the Eagles’ quarterback and the team’s new offense. Was it perfect? No, it wasn’t. There were drops. There were procedural penalties, as Lane Johnson brought up during his post-practice press conference. But this offense looked much more functional than the version that was largely dominated by Vic Fangio’s defense during the team’s spring practices.
Hurts mostly had a good day. There were some erratic moments, but he looked good under center and executing the new scheme. Jimmy Bama shared some thoughts.
But Hurts settled in and got better as the day progressed. He hit DeVonta Smith for a nice completion on a similar route run by Wicks. Smith beat Mitchell on the play. We already know that Smith is a good football player, and he’s primed for a big season taking over for A.J. Brown as the clear-cut WR1. Last year Mitchell shut Brown down throughout camp, so it’ll be a positive sign if Smith can get his share of wins against the cornerback phenom.
The play of the day was a Hurts laser down the seam in 7-on-7’s to Darius Cooper, who made a diving grab. The defense was in zone, but Cooper DeJean followed Cooper down the seam from his slot corner spot. Cooper outraced DeJean to the ball and laid out for a great catch.
Tanner McKee opened as the #2 QB, but he split time with Andy Dalton. Neither one had a great day. Rookie Cole Payton got a few reps and made some good throws. Bo Wulf thinks he did enough to make the team. Jeff McLane was impressed as well.
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton had his ups and downs in the spring, but he continued to display a willingness to throw downfield a month later. He ripped a pass to receiver Quez Watkins during 7-on-7s, and found receiver Britain Covey on a deep corner route.
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Jonathan Greenard will start on the PUP list due to a pectoral strain he suffered while lifting weights this summer. Howie Roseman said the team isn’t concerned and expects him to be ready for the season. This will mean more reps for Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith and the other edge rushers. They need the reps more than Greenard. He’s new to the Fangio defense, but is a veteran player who knows what he’s doing.
Hunt shot into the backfield unblocked and forced Hurts to check down to Cooper on one play-action pass that came from under center. He blew up tight end Dallas Goedert with an edge rush and Hurts had to hurry a dump to Bigsby that wasn’t caught. And he beat Mailata on back-to-back rushes — one with an inside move and the other from the outside — that blew up pass plays.
Hunt could have a big time season if his game jumps up a level, as it did from his rookie season to Year 2. Jimmy Bama had a good note on Ebiketie.
Arnold Ebiketie also had a “sack” today. He was actually lined up in the slot feigning coverage before coming on a blitz (I guess) off the left side of the defensive line. Markel Bell noticed him and was ready for it, but Ebiketie still got around the edge on Bell for the sack. I though Ebiketie showed some explosiveness.
I think he’ll be an upgrade on the backup rushers from last year.
First team: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson
Second team: Fred Johnson, Michael Jordan, Jake Majors, Drew Kendall, Markel Bell
Third team: John Ojukwu, Myles Hinton, Willie Lampkin, Micah Morris, Cameron Williams
No real surprises. Jordan as backup LG is interesting. He is a proven veteran. Kendall working at RG is a good sign to me. He got a ton of center experience in college. It feels like the team is cross-training him to be ready to play OG if needed. Bell at RT makes sense. The Eagles want him there long term so every rep will help him.
As easy as it is to pick out 6-9 Markel Bell, it’s even easier to find 5-11 Willie Lampkin. pic.twitter.com/Unmfc6QXTR
Tank Bigsby showed real juice and got his share of touches. Everyone seemed impressed with him, building on a strong spring.
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DT Uar Bernard has a long way to go. He struggled and looked lost in his first TC practice. No surprise at all.
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Rookie Makai Lemon had a couple of catches. He was used in motion a lot. He also got reps as the punt returner, along with Britain Covey and Elijah Moore.
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RB Dameon Pierce had a good run and got the attention of a few people.
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DT Ty Robinson worked with the third string DL. No surprise that he started off there, but he needs to pick up the pace and make some plays to help his cause.
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Yesterday was a good start for the Eagles. It feels like everyone is rowing the boat in the same direction. AJ Brown and his drama are a distant memory. The players are embracing the new scheme and seem genuinely excited about it. The OL aren’t focused on Stout’s departure. They’ve bought into the new system. The team is healthy. All the rookies are signed. Jalen Carter just got a massive contract extension and his teammates seem genuinely excited for him. There is no drama around Jalen Hurts and he seems to be embracing his role as team leader even more than ever.
There are going to be some issues that pop up, but life is good for now. Enjoy it.
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A lot of people had Browns DB Grant Delpit as a player the Eagles should trade for to bolster the safety position. Scratch him off as a target.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 29, 2026
Howie said the roster remains a work in progress, but I don’t get the sense they feel obligated to make any moves right now. They’re always looking, but only if it makes good sense. No reason to rush or reach for a player.
The Eagles will be opening Training Camp this week. Roster spots and playing time are on the line for some guys. Stars have their roles secured, but there are plenty of players with something to prove. Some might be young, some might be old. They will be judged on how they perform this summer.
We don’t know how things will turn out. TC has some guys emerge while others disappoint. With that said, here is my roster prediction based on what I think will happen.
QB – 3 – Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Cole Payton
The team has four QBs for now. Andy Dalton is the odd man out in my projection. The Eagles could look to trade him if some team wants a veteran this summer. They could also trade McKee, but only for a good return. The only way that happens is if another team loses a key QB due to injury and still wants to be competitive this season. I’m guessing McKee remains with the Eagles. Payton has to play his way onto the roster. Kyle McCord couldn’t do that last year. I think Payton is a better prospect and the team will do what they can to hold onto him because of his upside.
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RB – 3 – Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
The biggest question is whether the team will keep four RBs as they have often done in the past. I think they go with three since they are a talented trio that complement each other well. Barkley and Bigsby give them a great 1-2 punch. And Shipley is a a of a third-down back/RS skill set. Elijah Mitchell and Dameon Pierce have been productive in the past, but have to prove they are worth challenging for a roster or even practice squad spot. Carson Steele could be interesting since he can be RB or FB. He has good size at 6-0, 228.
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FB – 1– Cam Latu
Latu played well last year, both as a blocker and STer.
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WR – 5 – DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Johnny Wilson
The top four spots should be basically locks. Wilson had a good spring. He showed good promise as a rookie in 2024 before missing last year due to injury. Wilson has unique size at 6-6, 228 so he’s a guy you want to keep if you can. Darius Cooper will battle him, but might be a better fit for the PS this season. Elijah Moore is a talented veteran who could make the roster or the PS.
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TE – 3 – Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers
Goedert had an odd season in 2025. He caught a career high 11 TD passes, but struggled as a blocker in a way we hadn’t seen before. He chose to come back to Philly for this season and hopefully his head will be in a better place. For the first time, he’ll have a real blocker beside him. Mundt is a plus blocker and he is a definite upgrade on Grant Calcaterra in the run game. Rookie Eli Stowers is the best athlete of the bunch and has big time potential. He should be a good role player this year. The team has good competition behind the big three. Grant Calcaterra was the #2 TE in recent years, but will have to really battle for a spot. EJ Jenkins had a strong spring. He has good size and is a veteran. UDFA Dae’Quon Wright is talented and showed promise in the spring. Stone Smartt has value as a STer.
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OL – 10 – Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Markell Bell, Drew Kendall, Micah Morris, Myles Hinton
It is tough to project the OL coming off practices with limited contact. The 5 starters plus Johnson, Bell and Kendall should be locks. That leaves 2 or 3 spots open, depending on how many guys Howie wants in this group. Morris has NFL size and athleticism. If the coaches can develop him, Morris could be a key backup or even starter in the future. I’m going with Hinton for the final spot because of versatility. He played OT last year and then spent time at OG this spring. If the team prefers experience, they can go with veteran OG Michael Jordan. He could make the roster or end up on the PS.
Cameron Williams feel like PS material at this point. I was hoping Willie Lampkin would make strong push for a spot because he is such a fascinating player due to his size. We’ll have to see what happens when the pads go on and hitting starts. Undersized OL aren’t going to impress in spring drills. If there is a dark horse to watch, I think it is John Ojukwu. He has 9 career starts and has played both OG and OT this spring. That combination of experience and versatility makes him interesting. Jake Majors will be in the mix for a backup interior role.
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DL – 6 – Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard
The first 4 guys are pretty obvious. Young was erratic last year, but has shown some promise. Robinson had a quiet rookie season and then a quiet spring. The Eagles were high on him when he was drafted, but that only lasts so long unless you show improvement. This is a critical TC for him. Gabe Hall made huge strides from his rookie season to last year and could push for a spot. Zion Wilson was a late addition to the roster. The team went after him aggressively so they see something. I’m excited to see him in action. Uar Bernard is raw, but the team wants to develop him. If he gets banged up at all, they could put him on IR to save the roster spot. But then he couldn’t practice. And Bernard needs as many reps as possible so I’m guessing they just keep him on the roster. Since Carter got his extension, Ojomo is likely to leave in free agency. The Eagles will need one of the young guys to be ready to replace him in 2027. Or they’ll need to draft someone.
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Edge – 5– Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie, AJ Epenesa
Greenard, who is on the PUP list with a pec strain, will be one starter. Hunt has a good chance to be the other starter, but he’ll be competing with Smith for that role. With Greenard out, there will be plenty of reps for the young guys to prove themselves. Ebiketie is #4, but will be a key role player. Epenesa has size and experience, which Vic Fangio values. Rookie Keyshawn James-Newby flashed in the spring and could push for a spot because of his athleticism. Joshua Weru would be ideal for the PS or IR, should he get some minor injury that would allow the team to stash him away. Fangio focuses more on quality than quantity when it comes to edge rushers and he’s got a solid group to work with. I’m leaving Brandon Graham out since he said he wanted to be signed by TC and he’s still a free man. The Greenard injury isn’t long term so it shouldn’t affect the BG situation.
Baun, JC, and Trot are locks. Chance Campbell played well in the spring and is a player the team likes. He got some first team reps in the spring. Mondon played in all 17 games last year and was a core STs player. The real question is whether the team will keep five LBs.
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Safety – 4 – Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter, Cole Wisniewski
Mukuba and Epps are the projected starters. Carter can play nickel or safety and has 26 career starts. Wisniewski had a quiet spring due to an injury, but he was a draft pick and the team likes to keep those guys around. He will have competition. Andre Sam has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Eagles. There are a couple of UDFAs to watch as well. Maximus Pulley was a playmaker in college. If he shows the ability to do that in TC, he’ll make a strong push. Kapena Gushiken could play S or CB. He is a gifted athlete and Fangio talked about him (Gush) in a PC. That’s always a good sign for a rookie.
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CB – 5 – Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Cooper DeJean, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo
Mitchell is one of the top CBs in the league. DeJean is probably the best nickel. Woolen is a gifted athlete with terrific length and cover skills. They form a dynamic trio. Howie Roseman wanted better CB depth and signed Jones for that role. He’s got a ton of experience and is versatile enough to play nickel or outside. Kelee Ringo has real value as a STer, but he has struggled at corner. Maybe the light goes on for him this summer. He could get traded if another teams wants his ST ability. Mac McWilliams is the odd guy out and could replace Ringo or end up on the PS.
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ST – 3 – Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rocco Underwood
Elliott needs to be more consistent this season. Mann just got a new deal so he’s all set. Underwood is the LS for now. STs coordinator Michael Clay had a lot of good things to say about him.
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Here are some other roster projections for your viewing pleasure.
Played the PS game on my pre-camp 53 to get Cole Payton and Uar Bernard on the roster. McMullen’s 53-Man Roster Projection: Why #Eagles Get Creative To Generate Roster Spots https://t.co/HrfKJFWRcE