The Philadelphia Eagles have begun their training camp for the upcoming season, and competition is in the air. While the core of a team that just won the Super Bowl remains intact, there’s a slew of new players who are looking to earn a spot on the roster.
It creates a competition that football fans flock to in the weeks leading up to the season, but it can also create an interesting dynamic in the locker room. For one new addition, he already has the support of one of the key players on the team and could take someone’s job by the end of camp.
A.J. Brown Wants Terrace Marshall to Take Somebody’s Job During Eagles Training Camp
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown doesn’t have to worry about his roster spot after becoming the alpha in the room for the past two seasons. With a Super Bowl ring on his hand, Brown’s words lend credibility to any player that catches his eye, and he had praise for new arrival Terrace Marshall after the team’s first training camp practice.
“He’s coming along quite well, honestly,” Brown said of Marshall via Eagles Wire’s Geoffrey Knox. “Even in the spring, he was making a lot of catches. I know you guys didn’t see it, but he’s going to make the room very uncomfortable, and that’s a great thing.”
While Brown didn’t call out anyone by name, he may as well put the Eagles’ entire receiver group on notice. Outside of Brown and Devonta Smith, Philadelphia’s pass-catching core could look much different than it did on Super Bowl Sunday with Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and Ainias Smith fighting for a roster spot.
Dotson is a former first-round pick who was acquired in a trade with the Washington Commanders last August. But his impact was minimal with 19 catches for 216 scoreless yards, and most of that production came in a Week 18 performance where Dotson caught seven passes for 94 yards against the New York Giants’ backups.
That’s more than we can say for Smith and Wilson, who were selected in the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2024 draft. Smith had seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in his rookie season, but Wilson managed five catches for 38 yards and a score. Both players benefited greatly from the season finale against the Giants and need to have big camps in order to keep their jobs.
The same could be said for Marshall. A second-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, Marshall’s career has stalled, spending time with the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad and the Las Vegas Raiders last season. While it feels unlikely that the light bulb will turn on for a player who had three catches for 41 yards last season, the Eagles have found diamonds in the rough, including Mekhi Becton, who became a key component to Philadelphia’s offensive line last season.
Could the Eagles strike gold again? And will Marshall’s resurgence cost a young player or an established veteran his job? Those will be storylines to follow for everyone, including Philadelphia’s top target.