August 30, 2022
The preseason is a wrap.
The Eagles got blown out in the finale against the Dolphins, but when you put third-stringers out there against Tyreek Hill, there isn't much else to expect.
Now comes the final round of cuts and that last two-week wait before things finally get going in Detroit.
Jimmy Kempski has the roster covered with the 'Cut Down to 53' tracker, and with need for a running back, Shamus Clancey took a look at a few trade options across the NFL.
What else is out there?
Let's take a look at what they're saying...
The Athletic published its annual agent survey and touched on a number of topics around the league with its forum of 26 player reps, from the most surprising decisions of the offseason to Lamar Jackson acting as his own agent, Brian Flores' discrimination suit, and, inevitably the Deshaun Watson situation in Cleveland.
But one question yielded interesting results as it pertains to the Eagles: "Among GMs or front-office leaders, whom do you trust the least?"
Howie Roseman was in a first-place tie with the Jets front office. Each had four votes. This after Roseman won the same...honor?...last year with seven.
Here's what some of the agents said anonymously about Roseman, and Joe Douglas, who was the Eagles' vice president of player personnel before leaving for New York:
Eagles GM Howie Roseman (four votes)
• “I don’t trust what comes out of his mouth because he lied to me.”
• “I don’t think he’s very transparent. He kind of tells you what you think you want to hear. He does the same thing with the players.”
Jets front office (four votes)
• “I trust them the least, but (GM) Joe Douglas I actually trust as a man. There’s a lot of s— going on in that building, whether it’s (senior director, football administration) Dave Socie or their f—— ownership.”
• “Joe Douglas because he just doesn’t communicate. Just does not communicate at all.” [The Athletic]
Dallas is the reigning NFC East champion, but the catch that the offseason brought: On paper at least, the Eagles got better, and the Cowboys got worse, likely even more so now that starting left tackle Tyron Smith is out indefinitely with a devastating knee/hamstring injury.
This might mean that the division is the Eagles' to lose now, NFL analyst Ross Tucker seems to think so in speaking with John Clark on his Takeoff podcast.
To me, the Eagles now would be the favorite to win the division. I actually probably thought they were anyway. They're cleary better than they were a year ago.
The Cowboys lose La'el Collins, Cowboys lose Amari Cooper, Cowboys lose Randy Gregory.
I thought the Cowboys already, John, we worse, and now the Tyron Smith injury just complicates that, because now they've lost their right tackle Collins and their left tackle Smith.
It's not good for them. It is good for the Eagles. [NBCSP]
“To me, the Eagles now would be the favorite to win the division”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 29, 2022
-NFL analyst Ross Tucker after seeing Cowboys lose LT Tyron Smith after losing La’el Collins, Amari Cooper, Randy Gregory in offseason
🎧Podcast with @RossTuckerNFL on Eagles ⬇️https://t.co/2DH3zYwmfw pic.twitter.com/kHWDG6gZoU
Unless you're a high-end draft pick, a big-name free agent, or an already proven starter, cracking an NFL roster is an uphill battle.
At the end of the day, all a player can really do is give it everything they've got, and for linebacker Kyron Johnson, a sixth-round pick out of Kansas in this year's draft, that's the idea he's sticking to.
The Eagles' reserves were pummeled by Miami on Saturday, but with seven tackles, Johnson was one of the very few bright spots and put together a respectable camp overall.
Throughout, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro has been checking in with him on his progress, and now that he's at the end, waiting to see whether he made the cut, there are no regrets. He did his best.
Because he feels like he emptied the tank this summer, Johnson isn’t going to be overly nervous the next few days as he waits to hear his fate. He’s going to continue to work and continue to make sure he gets his rest; something that’s very important to him.
Even though he had just washed the dirt off him from the final game, I asked Johnson to pinpoint one area where he improved most over the last month and one area he still needs to improve.
This was his answer:
“I improved the most getting off the rock and learning how to read plays and knowing my job and my assignment,” he said. “Where I feel like I need to improve on is just more picking up my feet and being able to keep going after attack, attack, attack. And enjoying the grind.” [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
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