We're three weeks into Philadelphia Eagles training camp & there have been players that stand out & some that have disappointed. These are some players that desperately need a good final few weeks to make a final 53-man roster case.
Greedy Williams
The 25-year old cornerback was brought in during the early stages of free agency & at the time he looked to be in line for a backup CB role. However, the Eagles drafted Georgia CB Kelee Ringo in the 4th-round of this past draft & added CBs Eli Ricks & Mekhi Garner in the UDFA pool. That added to the already crowded room & made Williams' chances at a roster spot slimmer.
Well, so far in camp & preseason it's safe to say he's underperformed. He's consistently been running with the 3rd team & in the team's Week 1 preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, he didn't look very sharp. Players like the aforementioned Eli Ricks having great games doesn't help Greedy's case. So he's a player who'll really need to standout in the final two preseason games to prove he's worthy of a roster spot.
Marlon Tuipulotu
Marlon Tuipulotu played a fair amount of snaps before suffering a season-ending injury in 2022. However, he wasn't very good in those snaps. With the Eagles adding Jalen Carter, Moro Ojomo & Kentavius Street to the IDL room, it makes the third year DT in need of a strong camp.
Well, so far he hasn't had that strong camp. He's in a dogfight for one of the final DT roster spots & with rookie Moro Ojomo continuing to show flashes, it's looking increasingly unlikely.
Dan Arnold
Arnold was brought in during the later stages of the offseason & was looked at as a player who could make a strong case for one of the backup TE spots. However with him not showing many flashes I find it hard to believe the Eagles would lean towards him over younger TEs like Jack Stoll & Grant Calcaterra. Both of them have been tenured longer as well.
So given that, without an eye-opening performance in these final few weeks, a roster spot with Dan Arnold's name on it doesn't seem likely.
Zach Cunningham
Cunningham was brought in alongside Myles Jack last week after the team released 2020 3rd-round pick Davion Taylor. Both Cunningham & Jack are fighting for playing time, it's safe to assume the team will keep one of the veterans recently brought in. But Myles Jack has received more meaningful reps in camp so far & while neither have been with the team long enough to give a certain indication, it seems likely Jack's roster spot is in better shape.
Now like I insinuated, it's still early. However Cunningham is in need of a standout performance these final few weeks in order to grab one of the final LB spots.
Justin Evans
So far, there's no strong indication on who'll start alongside Reed Blankenship. It's truely an open competition right now. Guys like Terrell Edmunds, K'Von Wallace, Sydney Brown & Justin Evans are in the mix. However, Evans has had the least amount of 1st team reps among the bunch. He's a player who is talented but has had struggles staying on the field so far in his career. He's a player who has flashed but hasn't had sustained success.
So with no real pedigree in the NFL & having not received many meaningful reps, it's safe to assume Evans needs a pretty strong end to camp in order to beat out another safety & earn a roster spot.
So, all in all, it's still early to throw out any verdicts on any player, good or bad. But we usually have an idea of who has better chances than others at this point & if history repeats itself, all five of these guys need to step up. The Eagles play their second of three exhibition games Thursday against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. A big game for these players & many more.
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