PHILADELPHIA − Through the insinuations from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, it’s safe to assume that the Eagles won’t play many of their starters Saturday night in the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
So chances are you won’t see Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, Darius Slay and many other veteran starters.
In that case, there’s a good chance the Eagles won’t snap the Ravens’ NFL-record 23-game preseason winning streak. Then again, the Ravens already announced that quarterback Lamar Jackson and many of the starters aren’t going to play.
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Sirianni wouldn’t divulge his plans Thursday, his last time speaking to the media before the game. But the Eagles have joint practices with the Cleveland Browns on Monday and Tuesday, just two days after the game against the Ravens. And Sirianni treats those practices as better than a preseason game because it’s in a controlled setting − as in, no hitting quarterbacks.
When asked if the practices with the Browns might influence his decision to rest his star players, Sirianni replied: “It may.”
But there will still be intriguing storylines, especially for two players − one a veteran knowing this could be his last chance, the other a rookie eager to hit somebody for the first time in 10 months − coming off season-ending injuries who feel they have a lot to prove.
Running back Rashaad Penny played in only six games last season for the Seattle Seahawks before breaking his leg. He hasn’t played more than 10 games in a season since his rookie season of 2017 when the Seahawks drafted him in the first round.
Even though Penny is a veteran, he said he’s playing Saturday, and he’s looking forward to it.
“I’ve had three years where I’ve sat at home and watched my team play, (feeling) upset, knowing the abilities and knowing the type of player that I am,” Penny said about his recent injuries that also included a torn ACL. “So I’m excited just to go back and play football again. I think that’s the No. 1 thing for me. Everything else, I think, will take care of itself.”
The other is rookie edge rusher Nolan Smith. The Eagles drafted him in the first round, No. 30 overall last spring. But Smith didn’t play the second half of last season during Georgia’s national championship run because of a pectoral muscle injury.
“Man, if you ever walked off the field with an injury, any time you go out there, I’m going balls to the wall,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, practice. I’m giving it all just because I remember that feeling in my heart that I got when I couldn’t play another snap.
“If you really live this (stuff) day in and day out, and you walk off that field not knowing if that’s going to be my last snap, you’ll go hard, harder than you ever (have).”
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And then there’s rookie defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, the Eagles’ seventh-round pick. When asked if he’s looking forward to playing in his first preseason game, he replied:
“I want to compete. I want to destroy people. We play football for a reason, and the mindset going in there is to compete and dominate.”
He’ll get a chance, too.
Here are 6 other players to watch Saturday night:
Marcus Mariota, quarterback
There’s a good chance Mariota will start the game and perhaps play a few series. Mariota had a rough start to training camp, throwing four interceptions in the first four practices. But he hasn’t thrown one in the five practices since. While Mariota is a veteran, he’s adjusting to a new team and new receivers, so he needs the work, even though he won’t be throwing to A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith.
Jalen Carter, defensive tackle
Carter has been impressive in training camp to say the least. But a chance to go against another team will give the Eagles a better indication of Carter’s progress. It would’ve been fun to see Carter chase after Jackson, one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Regardless, just watching Carter attack an opposing offensive line will be worthwhile.
Josh Jobe, cornerback
Jobe, an undrafted free agent in 2022, has quickly worked himself up the depth chart to becoming the first backup to either Darius Slay or James Bradberry, neither of whom are expected to play. That means Jobe will likely start. Bradberry, for one, has been impressed.
“He’s always been athletic, he’s always been physical,” Bradberry said. “I feel that showed last year. But I feel the mental part of the game is starting to improve for him.” The difference has been noticeable so far.”
Reed Blankenship, safety
There has been one safety who has taken ever first-team rep so far in camp − and it’s not Terrell Edmunds, the former first-round pick and free agent signee from the Steelers. Instead, it’s Blankenship, an undrafted free agent last season. Blankenship had one of the nicest defensive plays on Tuesday, diving to intercept a Hurts pass.
“You still have to keep that mentality,” Blankenship said about not having a job secured. “I still keep a chip on my shoulder. I’ve got a lot to prove.”
Cam Jurgens, guard/center
There are two reasons why Jurgens, the Eagles’ second-round pick in 2022, will be the only starting offensive lineman to play. The first is that Jurgens is new to right guard, even though he has clearly won the job so far in camp. The second is that Jurgens, a natural center, is the backup to Kelce. So he will likely get some work there, too, just in case Kelce were to get injured at some point.
Myles Jack, Zach Cunningham, linebackers
The Eagles didn’t waste any time trying to acclimate their two new veteran linebackers into the defense. They both signed on Sunday and were getting first- and second-team reps in their first practice Tuesday. That has continued throughout the week. With Nakobe Dean expected to sit out after just returning from injury, it’s possible the Eagles will need Jack and Cunningham for depth, while they also work their way into football shape.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
