[New post] Three Under The Radar Players To Watch As Training Camp Begins
Dennis Olson posted: "At last football fans, football is back, almost. With teams reporting this week for training camp football is right around the corner. For the Eagles, a lot of talks are going to be on Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, and a lot of the Eagles' o"
At last football fans, football is back, almost. With teams reporting this week for training camp football is right around the corner. For the Eagles, a lot of talks are going to be on Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, and a lot of the Eagles' other top players, and rightfully so. This training camp will also be big for a lot of players that the media and fans might not be talking about as much. For these guys, it could be a make-or-break year. Here are three players to watch in training camp that may not be getting a lot of attention.
1. John Hightower
The first player on this list is going to be fighting for a receiver spot. John Hightower won't be getting the media coverage from reporters, but this is a big year for him. Hightower showed flashes last year but also dealt with his fair share of struggles. The biggest issue was the drops. Hightower had some huge drops in crucial situations last year. Now with the addition of Smith, Hightower is on the bubble for making the final 53. The Eagles' final WR spot will likely be between Hightower, Watkins, and Whiteside. With the reports out that JJ won't make the team anymore just because of where he was drafted, this is going to be a huge camp for Hightower. If Hightower can fix the drop issues he can make a legitimate case to be the final WR on the roster.
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2. Michael Jacquet
When Eagles fans hear the name Michael Jacquet they immediately think of the brutal Cowboys game in week sixteen. Although Jacquet did get torched that game, he did show some promise last year. The Cardinals game immediately stands out. When the Eagles were hit by injuries in the secondary, Michael Jacquet was forced to start for the beaten Birds. To sum it up, Jacquet battled all game. Finishing with seven tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two pass deflections, Jacquet played huge for the Eagles. The following week was when he got torched and everyone turned on him. Now heading into this year, Jacquet may serve as the Eagles' immediate backup corner. With Slay, Nelson, and Maddox served to be the starters, Jacquet could be battling with Zech McPhearson as the CB4. At the same time, Jacquet could be battling just for a roster spot. There won't be a lot of coverage on Jacquet, but this is a huge camp for him. With the Eagles' injury history in the secondary Jacquet may be forced to play meaningful snaps again, and possibly start.
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3. Genard Avery
When the Eagles traded a fourth-round pick for Browns linebacker Genard Avery, most Eagles fans never heard of him. Now heading into his second full season with the Eagles, Avery has yet to show any proof of being worth a fourth-round pick. The Eagles had Avery as a DE and now Avery is making the switch to LB, in more of a hybrid role. This move should help Avery fit into more of a comfortable role, but he is going to have some fierce competition. The Eagles added Ryan Kerrigan, Eric Wilson, Jacoby Stevens, and Patrick Johnson this off-season and that is not good news for Avery. Avery is now on the bubble and this is going to be a huge training camp for the now converted LB. The Eagles are going to need to see some sort of improvement from Avery, enough to just land him a spot on the roster. Given the Eagles' depth at DE and the additions to the LB unit, Avery could soon see himself on the open market.
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The start of training camp is a great time for fans. Seeing their favorite players back in uniform and seeing the new additions in the midnight green for the first time. These next couple of weeks are going to be huge for several Eagles and their futures with the team. The media will do their best to cover all the top players and all the guys fighting for spots, but there are always some guys who fly under the radar.
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