The Eagles reported to training camp Tuesday and hit the field Wednesday for their first official workout of the 2026 season.
The Sean Mannion era is here, the A.J. Brown era is over, and Nick Sirianni’s sixth training camp is underway as the Eagles again have a roster capable of making a deep playoff run.
Good teams like theirs mean fewer opportunities to get on the initial 53-man roster, which means there will be plenty of competition in camp. And while most of the starting jobs are spoken for, this Eagles training camp still has its share of intriguing position battles to pay attention to.
Here’s a closer look at six of them:
It’s Marcus Epps’ (right) job to lose at safety, but he’ll be pushed. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Safety: Will Marcus Epps hold off the field?
It’s worth starting with safety because it’s one of the few spots on the field where a starter is written in pencil and not pen.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the Eagles since the spring, you know that Cooper DeJean is slated to move from nickel to safety in base defense. But the Eagles, like most NFL defenses, use nickel and dime packages much more often than base. So the spot next to Andrew Mukuba mostly will be manned by someone not named DeJean.
Vic Fangio indicated that Marcus Epps is in the pole position for the job to replace Reed Blankenship, but the 30-year-old will have to earn it. There will be competition from converted nickel Michael Carter II, seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, veteran special teamer J.T. Gray, and long shots like Andre’ Sam, Kapena Gushiken, and Maximus Pulley.
Don’t count out another roster addition, too, if Howie Roseman decides the Eagles need to upgrade the safety spot.
The progress of Hollywood Brown (0) in training camp figures to have an impact on the wide receiver depth chart. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Wide receiver: Who gets the final spots?
The top of the depth chart is basically set. Life after Brown means DeVonta Smith is WR1, but the order behind him needs some sorting out.
The Eagles were in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) nearly 60% of the time in 2025. There’s a new coordinator in town, and the Packers were slightly below the Eagles in that type of usage, but expect some of the same in 2026.
Who joins Smith on the field in three-receiver sets? In a perfect world, the Eagles would want Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon to get the bulk of those reps, but Hollywood Brown was brought in to be a vertical threat and should force his way onto the field. Those personnel packages will work themselves out.
Smith, Lemon, Wicks, and Brown are locks. It’s beyond them where the real training-camp battling begins.
Will the Eagles keep five receivers or six? Sirianni loves the “dirty work” Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson do, but is keeping them both redundant? Can Elijah Moore prove he’s worth keeping around? Britain Covey, meanwhile, still wants to show he’s the best kick-returning option in camp.
What’s the vision for Andy Dalton (left) as the depth chart stacks up behind Jalen Hurts?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quarterback: Will Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee back up Jalen Hurts?
The Eagles have a quarterback controversy. Sort of.
Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee alternated reps with the second-team offense during the offseason program, and it’s unclear which is the preferred backup to Jalen Hurts.
The team also drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round, and it seems pretty unlikely they make room for four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster given the talent elsewhere.
So, what gives?
The Eagles would love to find a trade partner for McKee, who is entering the final year of his contract. But if they can’t, does that put Dalton in jeopardy of being cut (or traded)? Payton is a bit of an unknown, but he has an intriguing athletic profile, and while the Eagles cut a sixth-round draft pick last year (Kyle McCord), they probably would be hesitant to expose Payton to waivers given his traits. Otherwise, maybe he joins Clayton Thorson as a recent fifth-round pick who hits the chopping block.
Third-round tackle Markel Bell has a chance to make an immediate impact. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Swing tackle: Can rookie Markel Bell supplant Fred Johnson?
Considering how much time Lane Johnson missed last season, and Jordan Mailata’s stint on injured reserve in 2024, the swing tackle is a pretty important job.
The Eagles brought back Fred Johnson in free agency because they know how important the backup tackle position is. They then used a third-round pick on Markel Bell, the 6-foot-9 tackle out of Miami. It was a bit surprising the Eagles waited until the 68th pick to select a tackle, but they like Bell a lot, and the big man has plenty of upside.
Which tackle will be first up if Lane Johnson or Mailata misses time? It was Bell who got the first nod filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs, but Bell missed the final minicamp workout of the spring due to an undisclosed injury.
Who will emerge from camp as the preferred option?
A.J. Epenesa was a solid edge contributor on a generally strong Bills defense in recent years. Gary McCullough
Edge rusher: Will A.J. Epenesa show his worth?
This group is pretty similar to wide receiver. The Eagles are set at the top. It’s Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith Jr. Sure, there’s some interest in which of Hunt or Smith gets more snaps, but the top three edge rushers will see plenty of the field.
Behind them is where it gets interesting. Arnold Ebiketie signed a deal that could be worth around $7 million and is the clear No. 4 as camp begins.
Will the Eagles keep five or six here? They kept five last year and six the year prior in Fangio’s first season.
The Eagles made an interesting signing at the end of the offseason program in June, agreeing to a one-year deal with A.J. Epenesa.
Epenesa’s sack total fell from six in 2024 to just 2½ last season, but he had a better pressure rate (10.6%) in a reduced role with the Bills. He is the biggest edge rusher in the building by 2 inches at 6-6, a size that could be useful in helping set the edge against the run.
Epenesa will be in competition with seventh-round pick Keyshawn James-Newby, an undersized but speedy edge, as well as Jose Ramirez. The Eagles also have Joshua Weru, an International Pathway Player, in camp.
Kelee Ringo (left) is among those seeking a corner job. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Cornerback: Can the Eagles find a trade partner for a bottom-of-the-depth-chart corner?
The Eagles could have the best cornerback trio in the NFL this season in Quinyon Mitchell, DeJean (nickel), and Riq Woolen, but behind them at corner are jobs up for grabs.
Veteran free-agent signing Jonathan Jones probably is a lock to take a roster spot given his 10 years of experience and inside-out versatility. Who claims the remaining spots will be determined in part by how many corners the Eagles decide to keep. They kept six last year, but could a player at a different position — like reserving a roster spot for defensive tackle Uar Bernard to not expose him to waivers — force them to go with five?
That would leave one spot for Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, and Mac McWilliams.
Ringo probably would be the preferred candidate there given his special-teams talent. The Eagles could also keep six and have spots for two of them.
It’s also possible that Roseman finds himself looking to offload one of them via trade in August.
Fullback: Is it 1996? The Eagles may have a fullback competition in camp between Carson Steele and Cameron Latu. Latu is listed as a tight end, but he’s more of an H back who blocks well and plays special teams.
Interior offensive line: Who would be first in line to back up Landon Dickerson or Tyler Steen? Right now, it’s probably Drew Kendall, who also is the backup center. After that, veteran guard Michael Jordan will try to edge out a group that includes sixth-round pick Micah Morris. Keep an eye on Myles Hinton, too. The second-year lineman took some reps at guard after entering the league as a tackle. The back end of the offensive-line group will be a fun battle to track.
Tight end: Dallas Goedert and second-round pick Eli Stowers are locks. Johnny Mundt’s blocking skills should lock him up a spot, too. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Grant Calcaterra, intriguing UDFA Dae’Quan Wright, or Stone Smartt earning a job, especially given the aforementioned skills that Latu brings to the table.
The Eagles report to training camp on Tuesday, with their first practice set for the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Wednesday. In advance of that event, reporters Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg and Ryan Novozinsky identified 11 storylines that will be worth tracking in the coming weeks — then ranked them in order of priority.
Jake Elliott (4) was less dependable than usual during an inconsistent 2025 season. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
11. Kicker Jake Elliott’s progress after a shaky 2025.
The two-time Super Bowl champion struggled at times last season, going 20-for-27 on field goals and 4-for-8 from 50-plus yards. Over the past two seasons, Elliott is 5-for-15 from 50-plus yards out, which is dead last in the NFL among the 35 kickers with at least five attempts.
The Eagles showed faith in their longtime kicker when they restructured his contract in March, but if he doesn’t return to form, he might find his way off the roster sometime soon. A rock-solid training camp showing should ease any concerns the organization may have in the 31-year-old. It’s on Elliott to prove he’s still got it. — Novozinsky
What will the presence of Jonathan Greenard mean for Nolan Smith Jr.’s playing time off the edge?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
10. How the reps will be divided within an altered edge rusher rotation.
Out is Jaelan Phillips, in is Jonathan Greenard. That’s the big change at the top of the depth chart, and the only two returning edge rushers in the rotation are Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. Two from that trio will be on the field most of the time for the Eagles, and Hunt may continue to see a higher workload than Smith. But beyond them, the position is an interesting one to watch in camp.
Arnold Ebiketie is the clear No. 4 as camp begins based on his one-year deal worth more than $7 million. But he’ll face some competition for snaps from players looking to make an impression and claim a spot on the 53-man roster. A.J. Epenesa wants to prove he still has more in the tank. Keyshawn James-Newby, the rookie seventh-round pick, wants to show that he has the skill set to make up for his lack of size. Jose Ramirez is still fighting to stay in the NFL.
The top trio is going to eat up the first-team reps, and Ebiketie likely will get some looks there, too, but how the Eagles divvy up reps among the unit will be something to monitor as camp gets rolling.
Plus … will Brandon Graham’s return be necessary? — Neiburg
Cooper DeJean (33) goes from All-Pro nickel to All-Pro nickel with additional safety responsibilities. Nick Wass
9. The impact of new faces — and altered duties — in the secondary.
Vic Fangio’s defense doesn’t have many holes. It may not end up having any holes. It’s a defense with stars at every level, at every position. Still, it’s the defensive back group that will be the most fascinating thing to watch on Fangio’s side of the ball during camp.
Quinyon Mitchell, an All-Pro last year, is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year deal with $12 million guaranteed, has flashed potential and was one of the standouts of the offseason program. Cooper DeJean, meanwhile, is an All-Pro nickel. But the Eagles plan to use DeJean at safety in their base defense next to second-year safety Andrew Mukuba, and the battle for the second safety spot may be one of the most exciting of the summer.
The Eagles are only in base about 20% to 25% of the time, which means the safety not named DeJean is going to be on the field pretty often. Right now, that spot is Marcus Epps’ to lose. But Epps is 30, has dealt with injuries, and wasn’t a starter last year until the Eagles needed him after Mukuba went down. Will Michael Carter II take to a position change from nickel and push Epps? Can veteran J.T. Gray, a career special teamer, finally have a breakthrough? Will Andre’ Sam show all that he’s learned in Fangio’s defense the last few seasons? Will rookie Cole Wisniewski go from seventh-round pick to a key role? Undrafted free agents Kapena Gushiken and Maximus Pulley want their names in the mix, too.
All of this is without mentioning the battle that will take place for the depth-chart spots at corner behind the top three. Veteran Jonathan Jones may be a lock for a spot, and Kelee Ringo has the special teams chops to claim a job. What does that mean for Mac McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett? Time will tell. — Neiburg
Can Makai Lemon give the receiving game a jolt after missing mandatory minicamp due to injury? Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
8. The impact of the Eagles’ top three 2026 draft picks.
Our first look at the top three draft picks was a bit incomplete during the offseason program. Wide receiver Makai Lemon was held off the field for minicamp with a hamstring injury. Tight end Eli Stowers had a sleeve on his right leg at one point and didn’t go through the entirety of the workout. Then tackle Markel Bell missed the final workout of the spring with an undisclosed injury.
All three are expected to be at 100% when camp opens this week, which means all three will be under the microscope as the new-look offense takes shape.
Their importance for the 2026 Eagles is ranked in draft order. Lemon will be expected to take on a pretty significant role in the offense as the Eagles begin life without A.J. Brown. Stowers, meanwhile, won’t have the same kind of pressure. Dallas Goedert is still in town, and Johnny Mundt was brought in to be a blocking specialist. But the Eagles have raved about Stowers’ athleticism and his ability to create mismatches. Will we see some of that in camp?
As for Bell, the tallest player on the roster (6-foot-9) got the first crack at filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs. Will he be the preferred swing tackle? Or is that job still Fred Johnson’s? — Neiburg
Could Tanner McKee’s days in Philly be numbered?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
7. The QB depth chart, and how many the Eagles will keep at the position.
By the end of training camp, the Eagles will have to make a decision about how many quarterbacks they will keep on the initial 53-man roster.
Typically, that quantity would be three. A fourth quarterback would land on the practice squad. Last season, for example, Tanner McKee and Sam Howell filled out the active-roster depth behind Jalen Hurts, while Kyle McCord signed to the practice squad.
This year could be different. McKee, 38-year-old Andy Dalton, and fifth-round rookie Cole Payton round out the depth behind Hurts. It seems unlikely that the Eagles would cut Payton, given he was a fifth-round pick. Could the Eagles opt to move McKee or Dalton ahead of the regular season? Or, could they see the value in carrying all four quarterbacks on the initial 53, at least to start the season?
The Eagles also must choose a primary backup to Hurts by Week 1. McKee held that role last season. The Eagles acquired Dalton from the Carolina Panthers this offseason, seemingly identifying their QB3, but the 15-year NFL veteran split second-string reps with McKee during the offseason program. Dalton didn’t exactly separate himself from McKee in a very early, limited window during OTAs and minicamp. Still, the competition between the two depth quarterbacks could continue in training camp. — Reiner
A Jalen Carter contract extension has been in the wind throughout the 2026 offseason. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
6. Jalen Carter’s health, and his contract.
(Note: Carter signed a record extension on Tuesday, hours after the publication of this story.) Answers about Carter’s health and the status of a prospective contract extension could be straightforward. Carter, 25, dealt with shoulder injuries last season and missed time as he recovered from procedures. In late May, Fangio said Carter’s shoulders are “fine,” adding that “he’s in a better spot now than he was [last season].” If that is still the case two months later, then there shouldn’t be much concern about Carter’s ability to fully participate in camp.
Carter did not participate in team drills during the Eagles’ two-day mandatory minicamp in June, however. Was his lack of participation injury-related, or was it something of a hold-in, given Carter is eligible for a contract extension? Nick Sirianni declined to offer an explanation during mandatory minicamp.
After the Eagles picked up Carter’s fifth-year option this offseason, he has two years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles could theoretically tag him, too, when the time comes to keep him under contract for a third. It isn’t necessarily imperative that the Eagles sign Carter to a new deal before the season.
But GM Howie Roseman is typically proactive about extending key players. He has also said he prefers not to do new deals during the season. Time is of the essence, as Carter will likely reset the defensive tackle market when he signs his next contract. (Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons leads interior defensive linemen at $35.3 million per year.)
Why has Roseman waited to extend Carter? He likely has his rationale, but he tends not to comment on ongoing or upcoming contract negotiations.
If Carter is on the field Wednesday fully participating in all drills, then there might not be anything to see here. Perhaps the Eagles want to see another year from Carter before they make a long-term commitment, even if his market value increases in the meantime. If he’s missing or sitting out, bigger questions could arise, either about Carter’s health or the status of his future in Philadelphia. — Reiner
The Eagles’ fortunes rose and fell at times on the availability of Lane Johnson last season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
5. The health of Lane Johnson and other veterans coming off injuries.
Is there a bigger storyline in camp than the health of the offensive line? Sure, you may counter and say duh, it’s the Sean Mannion offense, dummy! But I would counter by saying none of it matters if Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson aren’t healthy. Heck, Kevin Patullo might still be the coordinator if the line was healthy, because one would assume that the Eagles, with a sturdier line, would have been able to run the ball a lot better, which means they would have faced a lot fewer third-and-long situations, and so on.
Johnson is coming off a season-ending foot injury. Jurgens and Dickerson, meanwhile, flew to Colombia separately this offseason to get stem cell therapy treatment to manage pain. Jurgens has had back issues. Dickerson has had many lower-body ailments. How the three of them look during the early stages of camp will be informative.
Then there are others, like Mukuba, who fractured a fibula and had his rookie season stopped early. Jalen Carter got injections in his shoulders to help him finish out the rest of the 2025 season. Nolan Smith aggravated his triceps injury and was limited to 12 games. Jihaad Campbell spent some time this offseason recovering from a shoulder injury. And Greenard, the major acquisition of the offseason, had his 2025 season ended early due to a shoulder injury.
All eyes will be on the offensive line, but there are some other Eagles worth monitoring as the training camp workload dials up. — Neiburg
Can Saquon Barkley (right) find more running room in an offense that has moved away from ex-assistant Jeff Stoutland’s blocking principles?Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
4. The work of Saquon Barkley and the running game in Year 1 A.S. (after Stoutland).
The Eagles have a new offensive line coach, Chris Kuper, for the first time in 16 years. Jeff Stoutland’s departure, along with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator in Mannion, is going to have massive ripple effects across the organization — especially in the run game. Barkley, who took a step back last season after a historic 2024, is at the center of these changes.
Mannion’s new playbook implements a wide zone scheme with concepts that look similar to the schemes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Wide zone blocking concepts will stretch opposing defenses horizontally. On paper, Barkley should thrive in a system like this. The onus is on the offensive line to stay healthy and execute the new blocking style properly. If Kuper lives up to the hype — and the early reviews have been positive — the latter point shouldn’t be a concern at all. — Novozinsky
DeVonta Smith stands to receive more scrutiny from defenses that no longer have to account for A.J. Brown. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
3. The post-A.J. Brown pass-catching situation.
Roseman spent the offseason bolstering the Eagles’ receiving corps ahead of Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots in June. He drafted Makai Lemon in the first round out of USC, acquired and extended Dontayvion Wicks, and added Hollywood Brown in free agency.
No single player will replace Brown’s precise role and responsibilities on the team, which will feature a revamped offensive scheme under first-time play-caller Mannion. DeVonta Smith is poised to become WR1, but he and Brown possess different body types, skill sets, and strengths. Compensating for the loss of Brown will ultimately be a group effort.
But how will the targets break down among Eagles receivers during the season? Training camp will offer a peek into the pecking order among Smith, Lemon, Wicks, Brown, and some of the bubble receivers including Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, and Darius Cooper. Tight ends Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers and running back Saquon Barkley will factor into the passing game, too. The next couple of months will also offer more insight into how each of those players will be utilized within the scheme. — Reiner
Fans have high hopes for new coordinator Sean Mannion, despite his relative inexperience. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
2. The Sean Mannion offense.
The Eagles should be the most prepared team in the league when it comes to transitioning to a new offense. That’s because the Birds have had six offensive coordinators in the past seven seasons.
But the addition of Mannion feels different — and for good reason. The Eagles brought him in to overhaul an offense that often failed to ignite under Kevin Patullo. Mannion, a disciple of the McVay/Matt LaFleur coaching tree, is hoping to modernize their play-calling with the implementation of outside zone and far more motion.
How is the install going so far? According to tackle Jordan Mailata, it’s “very easy to follow along, but hard to remember, just because there’s so much to setting up the plays.” There are going to be growing pains — especially during training camp — but if Mannion’s offense works the way it should, the Eagles’ 2026 ceiling becomes limitless. — Novozinsky
With a new scheme to run and an altered supporting cast around him, Jalen Hurts enters 2026 under more pressure than ever. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
1. Jalen Hurts.
Was there an NFL player under a bigger microscope than Hurts this offseason? Between the ESPN report that detailed friction concerning Hurts, the A.J. Brown saga, the constant debates over his standing among NFL quarterbacks, Hurts dominated headlines all offseason.
So can he block out that noise and silence his doubters with a strong camp? It’d be easy to say “yes” and just move on, but the reality is that Hurts is at a crossroads. He’s learning another new offense and it’s drastically different from the last one he ran. His new OC gushed about him in his first news conference, but can that honeymoon phase survive a weak training camp/slow start to the season? That’s not to mention the fact that Hurts has a handful of unproven new weapons trying to replace a No. 1 wide receiver in Brown.
How Hurts deals with these hurdles is easily the most intriguing camp storyline. His future in Philadelphia will be in question all season. He can quell some of that noise with a decent July and August. — Novozinsky
The offseason program is over, and the next time the Eagles get together at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, it will be for training camp — the official start to the 2026 NFL season.
The longest stretch of downtime around the league is right now, so it’s a good time to take stock of what we just saw during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.
The workouts allowed for a first look at new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense and a few new key players for the Eagles, but they also left some lingering questions about the team during the break.
Here are some of the things we’re still thinking about:
How long should the probationary period be for the new-look offense?
The short answer: Longer than will probably be allowed.
Eagles fans read and watched analysis here and probably elsewhere that told them Mannion’s offense was little match for Vic Fangio’s defense during the recent practice sessions open to reporters.
Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman speak with Sean Mannion (right) during mandatory minicamp.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
What’s the reaction going to be if the offense looks sloppy a few practices into camp? It’ll be an outsized one, for certain. But it shouldn’t be.
There are a few reasons why:
Fangio’s defense might be among the best in the NFL this season.
The Eagles are installing a new offense with new blocking schemes.
Jalen Hurts is taking more snaps from under center.
The Eagles are using more play action and more motion.
Football is football, and some players will say as much, but there are going to be some growing pains before the offense is firing on all cylinders.
Plus, while the focus of many will be on the play-calling and what the playbook looks like, it may all just come down to the health and force of the offensive line anyway.
That’s not what the question asked, though. How long should the probationary period be? The view here is that drawing major conclusions about Mannion’s offense won’t have enough context until at least three games into the regular season. Patience levels are personal, right?
Is it possible that the A.J. Brown trade was such a foregone conclusion that the biggest roster storyline in an otherwise pretty standard offseason program was the backup quarterback position?
Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee are splitting reps behind Hurts, Nick Sirianni says, but the coach wouldn’t commit to saying McKee is the backup quarterback, the spot on the depth chart he held last season. He doesn’t have to commit to anything in June or even July or August.
But the fact that Dalton took so many reps with the second-team offense was interesting.
Quarterbacks Andy Dalton (left) and Jalen Hurts work out during mandatory minicamp.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
It’s fair to wonder if McKee will be on the roster by the time camp breaks, and the Eagles are crunching numbers to get to their initial 53-man roster. The Eagles used a fifth-round pick on quarterback Cole Payton after sending a seventh-round pick to Carolina for Dalton.
It’s hard to imagine they will keep four quarterbacks on the roster, and it’s hard to imagine them wanting to expose a fifth-round pick to waivers unless Payton has the type of uninspiring training camp sixth-round pick Kyle McCord had last year.
The guess here is that Howie Roseman is hopeful McKee puts some good play on tape in the preseason, and the Eagles get some draft value back in a trade for their 2023 sixth-round pick, who is entering the last year of his contract.
Is a quiet spring from top Eagles rookies concerning?
It shouldn’t be.
But their first three picks were hampered by injuries.
First-round pick Makai Lemon, who will be asked to contribute in a big way right away with Brown out of town, missed some time with a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready for camp. Sure, he didn’t get a ton of on-field reps, but it wasn’t like he was on an island somewhere while the Eagles were installing stuff in the meeting rooms.
Makai Lemon was bothered by a hamstring injury during minicamp. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Eli Stowers, the second-round pick out of Vanderbilt, did not stand out in early workouts despite the Eagles raving about his athletic traits after selecting the tight end at No. 54. He then wore a sleeve on his right leg during the final workout of minicamp and sat out some drills.
Markel Bell, the big tackle the Eagles took in the third round, also missed the last practice of minicamp.
As for Stowers, Sirianni continued to have a lot of good things to say about him on the last day of the spring session. The former college quarterback is still only a few seasons into playing tight end, and while the Eagles are high on him — “He has an unusual skill set at the tight end position with the matchups that he is going to be getting,” Sirianni said— they also know he has a lot of work to do.
It’s way too early to be alarmed about the rookie class.
Will there be any roster additions before training camp?
Roseman kind of answered that question just hours after the final on-field workout finished when he signed former Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa. That move made some more sense on Tuesday, when the Eagles placed free-agent signing Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on the reserve/retired list.
Epenesa, who was drafted one spot after Hurts in 2020, originally signed with the Browns, but that deal did not finalize after Epenesa’s physical. Edge rusher was one spot, however, where the Eagles needed some more talent for some bottom-of-the-depth-chart competition. There’s a clear trio at the top in Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith, and then there’s Arnold Ebiketie. Epenesa, who had six-plus sacks in three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024, figures to be in the mix for a roster spot.
A.J. Epenesa, seen here as a member of the Bills, is a recent addition to the pass rushing depth chart. Gary McCullough
Where else could the Eagles upgrade?
Safety might be the only position on the team that still has some question marks. The Eagles plan to use Cooper DeJean at safety in their base defense with Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen manning the outside corner spots. But that leaves around 75% of the reps next to Drew Mukuba for someone not named DeJean. Right now, it’s Marcus Epps’ spot to lose. But Epps is 30 and was available as a practice-squad addition last August.
Behind Epps is Michael Carter II, who has played mostly nickel, and J.T. Gray, another 30-year-old with mostly special teams experience. Then there’s a mix of young and unproven players.
Fangio has expressed confidence in Epps, and thinks Carter has the chops to play safety, but don’t be surprised if Roseman adds some more talent to the group before camp.
