PHILADELPHIA -- Two preseason games have come and gone, meaning preparations for the regular season are starting to commence. The Philadelphia Eagles still have to figure out their 53-man roster, which has to be decided in 10 days.
One more preseason game and five open practices remain for the players looking to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The final slate of training camp started Saturday, as the Eagles were in shells and shorts in what turned out to be a rainy practice. The forecast doesn't look better for Sunday, either. The Eagles were supposed to go Saturday through Monday and then Tuesday and Wednesday before changing things up from Saturday-Sunday to Tuesday-Thursday.
Day 13 of training camp had some intriguing battles. Here's a rundown of the Saturday practice:
Injuries
Of the players who did not practice: DT Gabe Hall (hamstring), OL Matt Hennessy (back), TE E.J. Jenkins (knee), WR Joseph Ngata (ankle), TE Albert Okwuegbunam (abdomen), S Caden Sterns (knee), WR John Ross (concussion), OL Tyler Steen (ankle), WR Johnny Wilson (concussion).
Ross and Wilson suffered concussions in the past week, with Ross's injury occurring in the preseason game. Ngata is just coming off a five-catch, 88-yard performance in the preseason win over the Patriots. Hall and Jenkins also played in the preseason game Thursday. Steen appeared to aggravate his ankle injury in that game.
The players who were limited: LB Oren Burks (knee), TE Grant Calcaterra (shoulder), S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, (shoulder), WR Parris Campbell (groin), DB Cooper DeJean (hamstring).
Calcaterra missed Thursday's preseason game against the Patriots, but he returned after missing a week. Burks is back for the first time since Day 1 of practice, while Gardner-Johnson and Campbell missed just over a week. DeJean returned earlier this week and participated in team drills.
Depth chart notes
Offense
- Campbell rotated with Britain Covey at the WR3 spot, but Covey started with the first team. Mekhi Becton is entrenched as the starting right guard.
- The second-team offensive line was Fred Johnson (LT), Trevor Keegan (LG), Brett Toth (C), Nick Gates (RG) and Darian Kinnard (RT). Gates did get some reps at center and Toth at right guard.
- Tanner McKee had some second-team reps, but Kenny Pickett still is the QB2.
Defense
- Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo continue to split the CB duties opposite Darius Slay. Rodgers usually begins with the first team. Quinyon Mitchell starts in the slot, but also gets reps on the outside.
- Zack Baun and Devin White start as the first-team LBs, but Nakobe Dean mixes in.
- Cooper DeJean was a second-team slot CB, but had some reps with the first team when Mitchell went outside.
- Dean and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. were on the second team at LB.
Player notes
- Nakobe Dean had another strong training camp practice, as the former starting linebacker appears set to reclaim his job again. On the first play of 11-on-11s, Dean laid out running back Will Shipley as soon as Shipley caught the pass (remember the Eagles are in shells and shorts). Good job by Shipley to hold on to the ball after Dean gave him a thundering hit. Dean is playing downhill and finding his way to the football in recent practices. He may be getting his starting job back at this pace.
- Big day for Jalyx Hunt, who had a sack on Jalen Hurts in the team period as he beat Fred Johnson on the edge. Hunt later broke up a pass C.J. Uzomah on an out route that went around 10 yards, showcasing why the Eagles were intrigued by him in the draft. A.J. Brown scored a touchdown on one play during which Hunt went unblocked off the edge, but give credit to Jalen Hurts for recognizing the blitz and getting rid of the football. Hunt has been making plays throughout the summer.
- C.J. Uzomah had a breakout day catching passes. Uzomah has taken a backseat to EJ Jenkins for the No. 3 tight end job, but caught a pass on an out route over cornerback Isaiah Rodgers when the offense was backed up in their own end zone. Rodgers appeared to look out of position, but credit to Uzomah for taking advantage. Hunt also beat James Bradberry on a deep ball from Tanner McKee in 7-on-7s, and also had a diving catch on a McKee pass later in the session. There's a roster spot available for the taking at TE3.
- Nolan Smith flushed Jalen Hurts out of the pocket when he was looking for DeVonta Smith. Quinyon Mitchell was covering Smith for a long while and ended up breaking up the pass when Hurts thought he had the seam to find Smith. Impressive pressure from Nolan Smith and great job by Mitchell to break up a ball that looked to be in Smith's possession.
- There was significantly more pressure and blitz packages from Vic Fangio in this practice. Devin White and Nakobe Dean were shooting up the A-gap as linebackers while Smith, Hunt and Bryce Huff were constantly applying pressure on the edge. Darius Slay and Reed Blankenship also came in on secondary blitzes. The defense won this practice thanks to the consistent pressure Fangio was calling. Huff blew up a Hurts pass to Saauon Barkley as a result of that pressure on the edge.
- Braden Mann has been handling kickoffs on the new kickoff formation, not Jake Elliott. This also occurred in Thursday's preseason game, so something to monitor this week. The Eagles aren't where they want to be on the new kickoff rules yet. Lots of indecisiveness and dropped returns over the course of this practice.
