10 Eagles to watch vs. Dolphins in preseason game no. 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Eagles wrapped up their training camp on Thursday with an intrasquad practice after finding out about a stomach bug ripping its way through the Dolphins’ locker room.
We’ll see what kind of condition that Miami roster is in by game time, but for now, the game is expected to go on as scheduled.
Of course, don’t expect to see any of the Eagles’ starters in this one. They got their work in during practice and Nick Sirianni will keep them out of harm’s way in this one.
MORE: Roob’s Observations: Figuring out Nakobe Dean’s initial role
But there are still plenty of reasons to watch. Players deeper on the depth chart are fighting to make this roster or others around the NFL. They still care about this game and so do we.
Here are 10 Eagles to watch tonight at 7:
WR Devon Allen: Last week was a lot of fun. Allen finally unleashed his world class speed, catching a deep touchdown pass from Reid Sinnett in the third quarter. For most of camp, though, Allen hasn’t looked all that fast. It’s probably because he’s playing football for the first time in six years and these things take time. But if he has another standout performance, he’s worth keeping on the practice squad. It’s a weird situation because he’s a 27-year-old rookie, but maybe there’s something there.
OL Jack Anderson: One of the players I was most impressed with last week was Anderson, who played guard and center in this game. He missed a practice this week with a rib injury but might be able to solidify a spot on the 53-man roster with another game like last week. If the Eagles keep 10 offensive linemen, I think he’s in.
S Reed Blankenship: The Eagles’ safety position is still very much unsettled and the rookie from Middle Tennessee State has really made a strong push. Now, could the Eagles sneak him through to the practice squad? Yeah, probably. But he’s at least deserving of consideration after the summer he’s had.
TE Grant Calcaterra: The Eagles held Calcaterra out of last week’s game, which means this will be his NFL preseason debut. The good news is that since coming back from his lengthy hamstring injury, the rookie sixth-rounder picked up where he left off in July as a pass catcher. But the biggest area of concern with Calcaterra is his in-line blocking. He’ll get a chance to do that in this game.
LB Nakobe Dean: If the Eagles don’t play their starters — and they won’t — that means no TJ Edwards or Kyzir White in this game. Christian Elliss is still out with a hamstring injury and Shaun Bradley missed the two practices in Miami with an illness. The Eagles don’t have many linebackers left. That means we’ll probably see a lot of Dean in this game.
LB Kyron Johnson: The sixth-round pick from Kansas had his best day of the summer working against the Dolphins in that joint practice on Wednesday. If Johnson makes the 53-man roster, he’ll be one of the last guys through. He can take his spot with a strong performance on defense and special teams against the Dolphins.
QB Carson Strong: We might actually get to see Strong throw a football, something that hasn’t happened much at all this summer. Even when he got into the second preseason game late, he handed the ball off five times before one incompletion. It’s a curious situation with Strong. The Eagles paid him a ton of guaranteed money and then barely gave him any reps.
S Jaquiski Tartt: Remember what we said about the Eagles’ safety position? Yeah, it’s still up in the air. And Tartt, even though he’s a veteran, hasn’t made this roster yet. He did play well against the Dolphins in a joint practice but if he can follow that up with some good game reps, it would go a long way.
CB Kary Vincent Jr.: Josh Jobe injured his elbow against the Browns on Sunday, which may have opened up a roster spot at cornerback. The top candidate to sneak in there is Vincent, who has taken over second-team cornerback reps opposite Zech McPhearson. The former track star from LSU has had some ups and downs in camp but still has a chance, along with Tay Gowan and Mac McCain III.
DT Marvin Wilson: There probably isn’t a spot on this roster for Wilson. The Eagles are five deep at defensive tackle with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu. Hard to see them keeping six. But Wilson appears to be an NFL player; he could impress another team enough to get claimed.