Coaches’ messages may portend limited interest for Eagles fans

PHILADELPHIA — At some point the Eagles’ starters will line up and play in the preseason.

After two joint practices with the Cleveland Browns, the most recent a contentious one, it’s unlikely that will occur when the teams kick off Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field (7:30 p.m., Channel 10, WIP-94.1 FM).

While Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni claimed he was still finalizing his preseason rotation plans, Browns counterpart Kevin Stefanski already went out on a limb by saying his starters, including quarterback Deshaun Watson, will not see action Thursday.

Despite Sirianni’s code of silence, a cameo by the starters is more likely to occur in the preseason finale next week with the Indianapolis Colts. But then, joint practice sessions would seem much more useful. Take it from Jason Kelce, a veteran of 13 preseasons and several joint gatherings with the Eagles.

“You get more reps in these,” Kelce said after the second day of practice with the Browns. “I don’t know how many reps we had today, but yesterday it was probably north of 30 for the starters. That’s more than you’re getting in any preseason game. Even the third preseason game you’re probably not getting that many. So, just from a rep standpoint, you’re getting more out of it. You’re getting to see things because defensive coordinators are more free to call things that they don’t want to show necessarily in a game that’s broadcast to the entire world. So yeah, I think you get a lot more out of these joint practices.”

The primary purpose of the preseason and training camp for the Eagles is to keep the starters healthy while installing new wrinkles in the offensive and defensive schemes. Beyond that the coaches and player personnel guys use the time to get a look at the next class of players in shoulder pads.

One of the unanticipated battles at training camp has come at wide receiver, largely because Quez Watkins and Britain Covey have sore hamstrings. Tyrie Cleveland, Greg Ward and Joseph Ngata started the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.

Cleveland (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) led the Eagles with five receptions for 68 yards in the game. He made an impression in the joint practices as well.

“The preseason game, it helped a lot,” Cleveland said. “I got a lot of snaps, so that gave me a lot of confidence. My whole big thing is keep working, keep improving, keep making plays, try to limit the mistakes.”

Ward is no stranger to Eagles fans, having played in 40 games with the Eagles from 2019-21. He had five catches for 53 yards versus the Ravens, including a 17-yarder.

Ngata (6-3, 217), an undrafted product of Clemson, had a four-yard catch and a penalty for pushing off in the first preseason game.

“Shoot, sometimes you go to a second or third group of receivers and you don’t feel like you can make a play,” Sirianni said. “I’ve definitely been on preseason teams where you feel that way. I don’t feel that way here. (I’m) really excited about this group of guys.”

Safety Sydney Brown led the Eagles in stops in the first preseason game and cornerback Josh Jobe played very well. His interception of Watson in the Tuesday practice almost brought veteran cornerback Darius Slay to tears.

“Jobe is probably the worst catcher in the DB room,” Slay said. “But I am so happy my boy caught the ball. It felt like I caught it for him. I feel like I took my hands and put them on his hands, and he caught it because he cannot catch. And today he caught it. I’m like a proud dad right now, I’m not going to lie. I’m so happy for him. He’s been working his behind off each and every day. He’s a guy that really asks questions. I know he doesn’t talk a lot, but he asks a lot of questions. He’s been doing a great job in this camp, an undrafted guy. He just comes in every day and works hard.”

Of course, the season is about the starters and where they can take the Eagles after their loss by a field goal in Super Bowl LVII. At some point they’ll line up together as they did in Glendale, Ariz.

“There’s still merit to the games,” Kelce said. “It’s a different situation. You have to get up on game day, get prepared, eat, go through the whole process of getting ready to play and I think that’s why all of the starters went through all the warm-up last week to try to get that in there without exposing guys to injury in a game. But I do think in (joint) practices from a pure rep count, you’re getting more reps against other guys, you’re seeing different systems.”