PHILADELPHIA -- The countdown toward the 53-man roster deadline is on. With just 10 days remaining until teams have to trim their rosters to 53 players, the Philadelphia Eagles will have some decisions to make regarding the depth chart and roster construction.
While some players have made their push to make the 53-man roster, others are in danger of falling down the depth chart or off the roster altogether. These players will need a good final week of practice -- and a good third preseason game -- if they are going to remain on the roster or keep their spot on the depth chart.
Through three weeks of training camp and two preseason games, here are five Eagles who have been disappointing during that stretch. Some of these players are in jeopardy on making the 53-man roster, while others are falling out of the race of depth chart battles. One even created a depth chart battle that likely wasn't there when camp began.
Pickett entered training camp as the QB2 on the Eagles. He may not enter the season in that role.
The Eagles acquired Pickett in the offseason to be Jalen Hurts' backup, but Tanner McKee has been outperforming Pickett in training camp and has earned snaps with the second-team offense. McKee split snaps with Pickett in the joint practice with the New England Patriots on Tuesday and has been outperforming him in preseason games.
Pickett was a first-round pick just two years ago and could be relegated to QB3 duty. Through two preseason games, Pickett doesn't have a completion over 10 yards to a wide receiver, and his longest pass play is a screen pass to running back Will Shipley that went for 19 yards. On passes that have traveled 10-plus air yards, Picket is 1 of 7 for 10 yards with a 39.6 rating.
At this stage of the preseason, McKee has been better than Pickett.
From the get go, Smith has struggled to produce during training camp practices. Whether its dropping passes during individual periods or struggling to get separation in his route running, Smith hasn't looked the part of an NFL receiver.
Smith was behind the eight ball in minicamp due to recovering from a stress fracture in his left shin. He appeared to be ready to go for the start of camp, yet hasn't shown the speed nor separation the Eagles coveted when they picked him in the fifth round. Smith had trouble getting separation from a safety in 1-on-1 drills this past week.
The Eagles are hoping Smith can get through waivers and land on the practice squad at this point.
Steen entered training camp as the starting right guard, competing with Mekhi Becton for the job. Just a week into camp, Steen injured his ankle and allowed Becton to take over the first-team reps, and Becton hasn't relinquished them.
Returning to practice prior to the first preseason game, it was clear Steen was playing through pain as he was trying to win the job. Becton was still getting the first-team snaps, but Steen was solid on the second team. Steen injured his ankle again in the second preseason game against the Patriots, another setback for him in this training camp.
Not only did Steen lose the right guard job to Becton (who was on the sideline with the first team in the second preseason game), but the Eagles have to take a cautious approach to see if they have a backup right guard in case Becton doesn't work out. The Eagles just don't know what they have in Steen.
There's an opening for the WR3 spot on the Eagles, and Ross had just as good a chance as any of the contenders for that position when camp opened. Ross has had trouble getting separation on routes and has been outperformed by Britain Covey and sixth-round rookie Johnny Wilson over the past few weeks. Parris Campbell was also ahead of Ross on the depth chart before his injury.
Ross had an opportunity to enter himself back into the WR3 competition, but didn't track a Kenny Pickett pass over the correct shoulder, which prevented him from making a massive completion (or a touchdown). Ross' inability to track Pickett's pass likely affected his fate with the Eagles at the end of the month.
Unlikely to make the 53-man roster, Ross is likely heading to the practice squad as a vested veteran.
Bradberry is learning a new position in safety, trying to prove to the Eagles he still can contribute on the 53-man roster. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is intrigued by Bradberry at safety, but the second preseason game demonstrated that Bradberry is a work in progress.
The converted cornerback badly missed a tackle on Ja'Lynn Polk and missed taking care of his gap on Drake Maye's touchdown run, allowing Maye to walk into the end zone easily for the Patriots' lone trip to pay dirt. Bradberry is still good in coverage, and can help the Eagles with their safety depth, but there's a chance he doesn't make the roster.
Salary aside, Avonte Maddox has outperformed Bradberry. Tristin McCollum is also in the conversation for a roster spot, making cutdown day very interesting if the Eagles decide to choose between McCollum or Bradberry.
If the Eagles can find a trade partner, there's a good chance Bradberry isn't on the roster come Week 1. This final week of camp is vital for Bradberry's future.
