The Eagles wrapped up two successful days of joint practice on Friday, and after a Saturday afternoon walkthrough, the Birds are hours away from a preseason matchup against those same Browns.
Philadelphia’s starters and critical reserves should rest, providing an opportunity for players on the roster bubble and undrafted free agents to stake their claims to a spot on the 53-man roster or the precious practice squad opportunities.
With the Eagles needing to trim the roster down to 80 players by Tuesday afternoon, here are seven things to watch in Sunday’s matchup.
Carson Strong
Strong entered the offseason with high praise and the expectation that he’d be the backup quarterback of the future after signing a hefty undrafted free agent deal.
He’ll see at least one-half of action, and anything progress and profound downfield potential could result in an early waiver situation.
How much will Jalen Reagor play?
Philadelphia currently has ten wide receivers on the depth chart, and the top four are set with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Zach Pascal.
Six wide receivers are technically fighting for one or two roster spots, and it’ll be interesting to see if Jalen Reagor is one of the six fighting for a spot and, if so, how long we’ll he play.
Nick Sirianni had previously stated that Reagor is fighting for a roster spot, but that was one day two of camp, and the third-year receiver has made his share of good plays during training camp.
If Reagor is among those inactive, his spot on the roster is solidified. Still, if the former TCU star logs more than a quarter of action, then Sunday could be an opportunity for Howie Roseman to Showcase the wide receiver for a potential trade.
K'Von Wallace impact
Wallace is in a position where his play can vault him into the second-team spot at safety, or he could fall off the cliff and risk his roster spot. Outside of Marcus Epps, Wallace has been the most solid at the safety position. Sunday is a prime opportunity for the former Clemson All-American to live up to the hype finally.
Patrick Johnson at SAM
Johnson saw time at the SAM position in 2021, but he’s now fighting for a reserve role behind Haason Reddick.
Reddick’s versatility and ability to play a standup defensive end role increase the competition between Johnson and Kyron Johnson for that final spot.
Jonathan Gannon Aggressive
With the defensive starters likely to sit, Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator could battle Cleveland with a bland gameplan that features some zone and little blitzing up front.
5th and 6th CB chart
Zech McPhearson appears to be the fourth cornerback behind Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox, but there’s now a tight competition for the fifth cornerback spot.
Josh Jobe has been taking second-team reps and will battle Tay Gowan, Josh Blackwell, Mario Goodrich, Kary Vincent Jr., and Mac McCain for that final spot.
Ugo Amadi's presence
Amadi came over in the trade for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and he’s already seen joint practice reps at safety and in the slot. Philadelphia needs safety behind Marcus Epps and Anthony Harris, and the former Seahawks defensive back could rise the depth chart quickly because of his versatility.
