Roob’s instant observations: Thoughts on the 53-man roster

Roob’s instant observations: Thoughts on the 53-man roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Some good. Some bad. A lot bad.

But the starters didn’t play, so the Vikings’ 26-3 win over the Eagles in the preseason finale at the Linc is truly meaningless.

Other than it clears the way for the regular season to arrive. And it may have earned one or two guys spots on the 53. We’ll find out at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Here’s our final preseason 2024 set of Roob’s Instant Eagles Observations. The real thing is 13 days away.

1. It was hard not to root this summer for Parris Campbell and John Ross, two guys with great attitudes, inspiring back stories and terrific opportunities to win that third receiver spot. Campbell, who had just 1,087 yards to show for his first five seasons as a 2^nd-round pick, and Ross, who had just 957 yards to show for five years as a 1^st-round pick, were both trying to resurrect their careers, and while both had a few positive moments, both dealt with injuries in camp – Ross is still out with a concussion – and neither did enough to earn a roster spot. On my projected 53, I have Campbell and Ross both out, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, Britain Covey and rookies Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles keep Campbell around on the practice squad, which sounds weird for a guy who was once a 2nd-round pick. But I’d be surprised if anybody else signs him, he knows the offense, he’d make over $20,000 per week and if the Eagles did need a veteran outside receiver, he’d already be here. Disappointing it didn’t work out for Campbell and Ross, but they’ve got to keep the best guys, and they just aren’t there.

2. And let’s talk about Smith for a minute. I give this kid so much credit for bouncing back after a truly awful first few weeks in his rookie camp. Some guys can come in as rookies and feel comfortable and make plays from Day 1. Sometimes it comes slower. Sometimes it doesn’t come at all. Smith struggled so badly the first few weeks it was hard to watch. But starting with that game-winning two-point conversion in New England, Smith has looked good. He’s caught the ball well and just seems to be a much more confident player than he was early. He had a sweet lunging catch for a big gain at practice on Tuesday, and he had five catches for 33 yards Saturday and he also turned a nothing punt return into a 14-yard gain up the left sideline. That’s not exactly explosive production but just seeing him doing positive things is super encouraging. There was a point I was concerned that Smith was going to get cut, which you don’t really see with rookie 5^th-round picks unless we’re talking about Clayton Thorson. But Smith has solidified a spot on the 53, and it’ll be interesting to see how – or if – Kellen Moore uses him because he is a talented kid. Just took him a while to show it.

3. Julian Okwara is one guy who really helped himself Saturday. On a day where very few defensive guys helped themselves, Okwara was all over the field, with a sack, three QB hit and a tackle for loss. Okwara isn’t a kid. He was a 3^rd-round pick of the Lions back in 2020 and played in 38 games over the last four seasons for Detroit and even had 5.0 sacks in 2021. Has he done enough to beat out Patrick Johnson for a possible sixth edge spot behind Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham and Jalyx Hunt? Probably not. But he’s another guy who has a good chance to clear waivers and I would expect to land on the practice squad. There are enough question marks in that group that I would keep as many potentially productive edge rushers as possible in the locker room.

4. Here’s another interesting defensive guy: Oren Burks. He suffered a knee injury on Day 1 of practice and didn’t return on a full-time basis until last Tuesday, so we just haven’t seen very much of him all summer. But got his first preseason playing time Saturday and was another defensive player who showed up. Burks had six tackles, a sack, a QB hit and a tackle for loss and it’s probably too late for him to make a roster push in that off-ball linebacker mix, but he is making things interesting. He’s made plays in both practices in which he was a full participant since returning and he was very active against the Vikings. Burks has played a lot of football – 91 games with 15 starts in six seasons with the Packers and 49ers, and there are a ton of question marks at that off-ball spot. There was a point before camp began that I fully expected Burks to compete for a starting spot. Now he’s in danger of getting cut. Maybe he’s shown enough but I just don’t see a spot for him. If the Eagles keep Devin White, Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Ben VanSumeren there just isn’t room. Now, White hasn’t had a very active summer but I don’t think he’s in danger of getting released. VanSumeren is probably too good on special teams to be expendable. So where do you put Burks? Another practice squad possibility. I just have a hunch at some point this season we’re going to see him on the field.

5. Not a lot of conclusions to draw with Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee. Pickett still hasn’t done much in the preseason games – other than that TD pass to Will Shipley in Baltimore – and McKee has come back down to Earth a little bit after a really hot stretch through the New England game. I still think McKee is better and if I were running the team he’d be my No. 2. I like his decisiveness, confidence and big arm and he seems to really have a good understanding of the offense. I don’t think there’s a chance he beats out Pickett at this point. But honestly, if something did happen and Jalen Hurts got hurt, who would you rather have out there? The answer is easy. McKee.

6. Interesting that James Bradberry did not dress out for this one. Normally, that would mean he’s made the team, but I still don’t think that’s going to happen. Bradberry has handled the summer as well as possible for a guy who was a 2^nd-team all-pro and Super Bowl starter just two years ago demoted to a backup and moved to a new position. He’s a pro and a class act and he’s done all he can do. But I still think the Eagles will try to trade him – for anything – right up until 4 p.m. Tuesday and barring that release him. And if it comes down to keeping Bradberry or a promising young safety like Tristin McCollum, that’s a no-brainer. The one possibility is keeping Bradberry around until Sydney Brown is ready. But I think the Eagles are OK with safety depth with McCollum and Avonte Maddox. Why not play him against the Vikings and showcase him for one more game? Because if he gets hurt, now you can’t cut him without a settlement. And I can’t imagine even Howie Roseman could get a draft pick for Bradberry. I just don’t see where Bradberry fits in on this roster.

7. Speaking of McCollum, I like that kid. He was on the Eagles’ practice squad most of last year but also got into three games, playing mainly on special teams. He’s around the ball a lot, seems to be a sure tackler and he’s definitely physical. Definitely some uncertainty at safety, especially with long-term injuries to Brown and Caden Sterns and Bradberry’s status. I’ll be surprised if McCollum isn’t on the 53 Tuesday.

8. Thomas Booker IV is an interesting guy, a a 6-foot-3, 300-pound interior lineman, a one-time 5^th-round pick of the Texans. Booker isn’t bad, and he’s got surprising quickness for a guy with his frame. He’s come on a little bit the last couple weeks and could be working his way into a roster spot. We know Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo and Marlon Tuipulotu are making the 53, and that may be it. If they keep a sixth, Booker and P.J. Mustipher are options, although more likely one or both is headed to the practice squad.

9. Kind of a rough day for Cooper DeJean in his first preseason game, but I wouldn’t be too concerned. He missed the first 3 ½ weeks of training camp, was limited when he came back and wasn’t a full participant in practice until this past Tuesday. The Eagles only practiced Tuesday and Wednesday last week so DeJean was out there playing Saturday with just two full NFL practices under his belt. You’re going to get rust, and we did. It’s not easy for anybody to miss that much time in camp, especially a 21-year-old d-back playing basically with no practice time against guys who’ve been in training camp for a month. Vic Fangio is throwing a lot at DeJean, I’m sure his head is swimming a little bit right now. It just might take him a little while to get where the Eagles are comfortable running him out there once the regular season begins.

10. OK, I’ve seen enough. I’m not a fan of the new kickoff rule. It was supposed to add a dimension of excitement to a moribund play but that hasn’t happened. And if anything it seems like the changes have resulted in more violent hits and more injuries than ever. I don’t mind trying something new, and I liked the idea at first, and maybe as the year goes on teams will have a better sense of how to get production out of it. But so far? It’s doing nothing for me.

Bonus No. 11 Observation: Among the “former Eagle legends” were honored at halftime: Thomas Tapeh, Izel Jenkins, Najeh Goode, Moise Fokou and Robert Drummond.

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