The Philadelphia Eagles will have players report to training camp on July 22nd. Their quest for back-to-back Super Bowls will begin then, and pads will be put on.
That's when competition among the Eagles' 90-man roster will take full force. They have one of the best rosters in the league, so there aren't many holes there, but the battle to stick on the 53-man roster is fierce.
Eagle Fans Wouldn’t Be Upset if Ainias Smith Was Traded Away
Seeing who makes the team at WR behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will be interesting to see, but after the spring, fans won't be unhappy if Ainias Smith is traded away.
He was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft but wasn't able to do much of anything as a rookie. In seven games, Smith had seven catches (nine targets) for 41 yards, one touchdown, and 5.9 yards per reception.
Smith started the season on the IRD list due to an ankle injury and managed to play in just 20% of the offensive snaps.
He needed a strong offseason to show the coaching staff that 2025 will be different, but it was the opposite during spring workouts.
According to Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal, Terrace Marshall and Danny Gray have been productive.
Frank wrote, "But Marshall, who's 6-foot-2, 200 pounds has looked impressive this spring. He had at least five or six catches in the minicamp practice. Danny Gray, who spent last season on the Eagles' practice squad, has also looked sharp."
He added that Smith hasn't been given the ability to return punts, which is something he did at a high level during his college career at Texas A&M (836 punt return yards & two touchdowns).
Since it sounds like Brown, Smith, Marshall, Gray, and Jahan Dotson are ahead of the 24-year-old on the depth chart, he's someone who fans wouldn't be pressed to see on the team going forward.
If Philadelphia found a way to land a late Day 3 pick in return for Smith, fans would take that as a massive win and move on in the blink of an eye.