The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals just dropped, and man, some of these numbers are wild! It’s all about who’s making the cut and who’s on the bubble, especially after that game.
The Trenches and The Backfield: Roster Hopefuls Fighting for a Spot
On the offensive line, rookie Micah Morris actually played the second-most offensive snaps of any Eagles player this preseason, just four snaps shy of Jake Majors. That’s big for a rookie blocker, even though he’s probably not seeing any regular season snaps unless things go totally sideways. Majors himself might sneak onto the roster after spending last season on the practice squad. John Ojukwu, another dark horse for a roster spot, feels like he’s probably off the final 53. In the backfield, Carson Steele made a real case for himself, but playing a ton might actually hurt his chances. We also saw Fred Johnson get some action while rookie Markel Bell, who’s banged up, sat out. It’s notable that Johnson wasn’t rested completely, but at least he wasn’t out there all night. Myles Hinton, though, didn’t get much playing time, and it looks like he’s just fallen off roster consideration. Tough break. Dameon Pierce flashed some nice moves, but apparently, he hasn’t done enough to secure a spot.
Skill Players and the Weird QB Battle
Now, let’s talk skill players. Quez Watkins logged the most preseason snaps of any Eagles skill player with a staggering 108. The kicker? He only hauled in two receptions for seven yards! Seriously, that’s a whole lot of cardio for such little production. Then there’s the quarterback situation, which has been bizarre all summer. Tanner McKee played the entire first half on Friday night, and honestly, he didn’t look good. And what was the point of throwing Andy Dalton, who’s heading into his age 39 season, out there for 25 snaps in the second half of a preseason finale? Didn’t we already know everything about what he brings to the table? This entire backup QB battle has been weird from the jump. Elijah Moore was out there, but Darius Cooper wasn’t. Moore is on the bubble, and frankly, I’ve got him making the final 53, but I’m not feeling great about it. He’s earned a spot, and the coaches have hyped him up, but as a vested veteran, he isn’t subject to waivers, which complicates things. I’m second-guessing that one.
Special Teams Impact and a Missed Opportunity
Special teams also had some players making their final pushes. Stone Smartt is tied with Maximus Pulley for the second-most special teams snaps this summer, just behind Deontae Lawson. Smartt is a definite practice squad contender. Rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon grabbed 17 special teams snaps, with one specific snap coming in his NFL debut, but it didn’t exactly go great for him. And here’s a head-scratcher: The Eagles experimented with Cole Payton on punt coverage. He ended the summer with just 21 total preseason snaps, with a solid 15 of those coming in what was an encouraging NFL debut. It’s weird and honestly disappointing that the Eagles didn’t make a bigger effort to get him more experience after that initial showing. What a missed chance.
The Eagles have some tough decisions ahead as they finalize their roster. Every snap, every tackle, every reception,or lack thereof,is under the microscope right now as they get ready for the regular season grind.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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