Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Preseason Finale vs Jets

3.) The Eagles Are Not Yet Equipped to Handle a Significant Injury

Going back to the general construction of their roster, the Eagles are likely a year or so away from boasting the sort of depth throughout the roster that can withstand a substantial injury. Between having so many players catered specifically to special teams and a number of recently drafted players who are either dealing with injuries, or coming short of expectations; the drop-off at several positions from the first to second string is noticeable.

The Eagles did not look great against the Jets, and their secondary and tertiary groups were nothing to write home about in the other preseason games. Though there is considerable excitement about how the projected starters looked in their action, the possibility of having to replace any amount of those players with those lower on the depth chart is concerning. Preseason is usually an opportunity for these individuals to shine and, like it or not, very few did in their action.

With the front office and draft process completely streamlined, the Eagles are better equipped to address this in the coming years than before. With the seasoning of some of the players selected in the class of 2015 combined with continued extensive scouting and drafting, the Eagles could eventually construct a roster with much less of a gap between first and second string players. Kelly’s overhaul this offseason was going to make addressing that area this season next to impossible. This could be one of the reasons he was so conservative with his primary players. Hopefully stability at the top is on the horizon and the Eagles can start to build up the depth under their impressive first string.