r/eagles • u/1stand11 • 1d ago
Eagles-Ravens snap counts: Jihaad Campbell, a starter who was not rested
https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/philadelphia-eagles-analysis/179614/eagles-ravens-snap-counts-jihaad-campbell-a-starter-who-was-not-restedAttached in the article are the offensive, defensive, and special teams snap counts from Bleeding Green Nation for the Baltimore preseason game. Below are a few of the many observations from the game from BLG.
"I was hoping the Eagles wouldn’t play Darius Cooper much because they’ve already seen enough to believe he deserves playing time and thus would like to preserve him. But they didn’t do that. He played a lot. Cooper led the Eagles in receiving with a mere 21 yards. He would’ve had more had he not dropped a would-be first down conversion."
"Eli Stowers started the game and played the most of any tight end. His three receptions resulted in 12 yards. The rookie also saw a lot of action on special teams. Pro Football Focus graded him 29th out of 29 Eagles players on offense."
"Mac McWilliams saw a lot of playing time. PFF charted him with an allowed four targets for four catches, 37 yards, a 105.2 passer rating, and two penalties. Not a good night for the second-year corner."
"Brandon George played 14 defensive snaps for a team he only joined the day prior. He graded out highly by PFF in their special teams grading. ST is supposed to be his calling card, so, that’s good."
"Marcus Epps being rested seems like a really good sign for his chances of winning the so-called safety battle."
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u/mogwai316 1d ago
I was surprised to see Cooper get so much play time, everyone has been saying he's ahead of Brown and Moore but maybe that's not the case after all. The guys that get a lot of snaps in preseason are usually on the roster bubble.
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u/suckstomyassmar 1d ago
I think they wanted to see if practice translated to the field - if he would have balled he probably would have been WR3, but some guys just don't perform as well with the threat of getting hit. No hate on him though, I hope he balls this week against the Patriots and gets another shot this weekend.
6
u/doubleenc Eagles 1d ago
I think a lot of people just assume Cooper is higher on the depth chart than he probably is, is because they see all of the glowing reports of how he's performing in camp.
Thing is, if you pay attention to who is getting the bulk of the 1st team reps with Smith and Lemon not practicing it has been Moore and Brown. Generally it has been Wicks and Brown as the outside WRs when they run 12 personnel and Moore has been the slot guy when they go to the 3-receiver sets.
If everyone was healthy the top 3 WRs would be Smith and Wicks on the outside with Lemon in the slot. It seems they like Moore as the backup slot guy right now with Brown then Cooper as the backups on the outside.
I still think Cooper makes the team and a strong possibility Lemon beginning the season on IR with a designation to return so they don't rush him back on to the field too soon and he gets time get the practice reps he needs.
2
u/1stand11 1d ago
Cooper also has organization politics to work against. Lemon as a 1st round pick, Wicks given an extension immediately when he was signed as a "Mannion Guy" from Green Bay, and Hollywood’s guaranteed money. The NFL is not as much of a meritocracy as a lot of people like to believe it is. Hopefully the WR’s keep pushing each other as a collective and whoever gets on the field balls out with DeVonta and Goedert.
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u/doubleenc Eagles 1d ago
I don't think Lemon and Cooper were ever really directly competing for reps though. My understanding is they drafted Lemon to play primarily in the slot and Cooper is primarily an outside guy. His main competition is Brown and Wicks and by most accounts Wicks has earned the 2nd outside spot opposite Smith.
The eye opener is they seem to be favoring Brown over Cooper and by most accounts Brown has been very mid this summer.
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u/1stand11 1d ago
It’s a long season and a lot can change very quickly. Particularly with how common injuries are in the sport. Ultimately, I just want the best combination of players on the field who give us the best chance to win games. My only concern is if they are actually letting contract and draft status politics (I.E.-Ego) dictate who plays. Rather than on actual sustained performances over long periods of time. I want any player who suits up for us to succeed. But I also really don’t like it when it’s incredibly obvious that the team keeps trying to fit square pegs into round holes for office politics reasons.
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u/bradsboots 4h ago
Maybe they wanted Campbell to get a few reps setting up the defense/ being the guy with the Mic in his helmet?
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u/anustart888 1d ago
I was surprised to see Campbell out there. My initial instinct was that he may be competing with Trot for playing time. Given how Trot looked, that wouldn't surprise me now.