Eagles missing some key players as they begin to prepare for Buccaneers

Eagles missing some key players as they begin to prepare for Buccaneers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles kicked off their week of prep for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without several key players.

Top receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) were not at the Eagles’ walkthrough on Wednesday inside the practice bubble at the NovaCare Complex. Brown has missed the last two games and Smith suffered a concussion in New Orleans on Sunday.

Right tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) was not in the bubble at the start of the walkthrough but arrived late and then worked on the side with a trainer. While Johnson was a non-participant, his appearance is at least a sign that he’s moving through the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata (undisclosed injury) was not participating either. He was a spectator.

The good news was that two players who got hurt on Sunday in New Orleans — Mekhi Becton (finger) and Darius Slay (undisclosed injury) — were both participating on Wednesday. Slay was injured late against the Saints when Trevor Penning blocked him late out of bounds and was penalized.

Becton suffered his finger injury in the first half and did not return. On Wednesday, Becton had his left hand in a cast or heavily wrapped.

If the Eagles don’t have Brown or Smith on Sunday in Tampa, they’ll be light on receivers after Britain Covey was placed on IR with a shoulder injury on Tuesday. On the active roster, the Eagles have just Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson healthy. They also have several receivers the practice squad: Parris Campbell, John Ross, Danny Gray, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Kyle Phillips. Campbell has been elevated for the last two games and Ross was just signed to the practice squad but was with the Eagles this training camp.

If Lane Johnson can’t play on Sunday, the Eagles will turn to Fred Johnson, who filled in admirably in New Orleans. Fred Johnson is the Eagles’ top backup at both tackle positions. It looks like Becton might be able to play right guard against the Bucs but if not, Tyler Steen played well in his place against the Saints.

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