The arrival of the 2023 NFL preseason means it’s finally time to put the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII loss in the rearview mirror. Philadelphia begins its quest for another championship run this Saturday night when they pay a visit to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Super Bowl losses aren’t easy to swallow, but general manager Howie Roseman worked hard this offseason to address the team’s needs. From a stellar draft showing to locking down franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts through 2028, the Eagles are in a good position to make noise this fall.
As great as Philly’s roster looks on paper, not everyone’s job is safe. The preseason — especially the first exhibition game — is used to weed out the pretenders to ensure that Nick Sirianni enters September with the best roster possible.
Here are three Eagles whose jobs are on the line in the preseason opener against the Ravens.
Eagles Roster Battles
1. Trey Sermon
There were high hopes for Trey Sermon when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him 88th overall in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistent play prevented him from living up to the hype, resulting in the Eagles claiming him off waivers last September.
Sermon barely had a chance to impress Sirianni & Co. in 2022, recording two carries for 19 yards on eight offensive snaps.
Even with Miles Sanders departing this offseason, the 24-year-old’s question for more playing time is hindered by offseason additions D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny on top of the returning Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell.
In other words, Sermon needs a huge preseason showing to prove that he deserves to be the Eagles’ fifth running back.
That could be easier said than done, though. Even though they won’t be at full force Saturday, the Ravens still had one of the best run defenses last season, allowing only 89.8 rushing yards per game (No. 3 in NFL) as well as 3.8 yards per carry (No. 3).
The Eagles also won’t be hit with any dead money if Sermon is cut, further increasing the probability of him losing his roster spot if he doesn’t shine this weekend.
2. K’Von Wallace
K’Von Wallace is now entering his fourth NFL season and the Eagles are still waiting for him to take his game to the next level.
Despite playing 45 games over the last three seasons, Wallace has found himself in a starting position just seven times during that span.
Although he looked good at times during the 2022 campaign, his 66.7% completion percentage and 127.4 quarterback rating allowed left the Philly fanbase with headaches more often than not.
In theory, Wallace would’ve progressed well enough by now to take the starting safety job that opened when C. J. Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions.
Instead, he doesn’t look ready for a full-time starting role. On top of that, Terrell Edmunds, Reed Blankenship, and third-round rookie Sydney Brown are all candidates to steal Gardner-Johnson’s old job.
Wallace will also be a free agent at the end of the 2023 campaign, meaning there’s a chance that the Eagles want to part ways sooner than later. After all, Spotrac has them saving $1.01 million by cutting him, which can be used to address other areas.
3. Tyree Jackson
Tyree Jackson had a lot of believers when he switched from quarterback to tight end during Philly’s 2021 offseason.
Much to his dismay, Jackson changing positions didn’t exactly benefit his career. He’s suited up in 14 games (three starts) over the last two seasons, hauling in 3-of-7 targets for 22 yards and a touchdown.
After not getting targeted once on 34 snaps last year, it’s hard imagining Jackson stealing one of the TE jobs again. Dallas Goedert is already the de facto No. 1 tight end while Jack Stoll played all 17 games (11 starts) in 2022.
On top of that, the Eagles also signed Dan Arnold, who has 59 games of experience under his belt.
Jackson likely is who he is at this point, which is a perennial reserve/practice squad player. He had his opportunity to make an impact in the last two seasons and failed. Unless he has the performance of a lifetime against the Ravens, chances are he won’t have a spot on the 53-man roster.
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