Early pregame sights and sounds from Eagles matchup vs. Packers in Brazil

The Eagles are in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the first NFL game in the region will start in a little under an hour. Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, will host the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers game on Friday at Arena Corinthians …

The Eagles are in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the first NFL game in the region will start in a little under an hour. Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, will host the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers game on Friday at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo. This will be the first NFL game held on a Friday evening since 1970.

With kickoff just moments away, here are sights and sounds from the pregame activities.

Eagles rule CB Isaiah Rodgers out of matchup vs. Packers with a hand injury

Quinyon Mitchell likely to start at CB after Eagles rule Isaiah Rodgers out for matchup vs. Packers with hand injury

Isaiah Rodgers’s Eagles debut will have to wait, as the team has ruled the veteran cornerback out of Friday’s season opener against the Packers with a hand injury.

Rodgers has been limited for the past week, and although he made the trip, he’ll be inactive. Quinyon Mitchell or Kelee Ringo is likely to play the outside cornerback role.

Philadelphia will roll with Darius Slay at one cornerback spot, while Mitchell has been listed as the starting Nickel cornerback. With Rodgers out, Mitchell could slide outside, Kelee Ringo could get the starting nod, and Cooper DeJean could also have a role in the slot.

Rodgers is one of the NFL’s top return men, and Britain Covey or Kenneth Gainwell will likely be back on kickoff returns.

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Eagles DC Vic Fangio hints at Quinyon Mitchell playing every snap vs. Packers in Week 1

Eagles DC Vic Fangio hints at Quinyon Mitchell playing every snap vs. Packers in Week 1

It’s game week, and after a summer filled with plenty of reps and learning on the run, Quinyon Mitchell is ready to debut against one of the most explosive passing games in the NFL.

During his weekly press conference, the Eagles defensive coordinator was asked about his team’s first-round pick and gave some insight into where Mitchell is four days before kickoff. Asked about Mitchell’s readiness, Fangio stated that the cornerback has been doing well at nickel but is not yet “where he needs to be.”

Even with that statement, Mitchell is expected to play every snap on Friday, whether it be at outside cornerback or the nickel cornerback spot.

https://Twitter.com/BrandonGowton/status/1830667306730500247

Mitchell became the first Toledo player to be selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft since Dan Williams in 1993 (11th overall by Denver).

Mitchell spent four seasons at Toledo, playing 46 games (40 starts). Mitchell racked up some impressive numbers at cornerback: 6 Interceptions, 2 Interceptions returned for touchdowns, 122 tackles, 46 Passes defended, and 6.5 Tackles for loss. Mitchell led the FBS with 25 passes defended in 2022 and ended his career with the most passes defended in program history.

He’ll now be a Week 1 starter for Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia Eagles’ roster comparison: 2023 vs. 2024 defense

Last summer, the Eagles entered the 2023 NFL season fresh off a Super Bowl loss while maintaining one of the league’s most dominant defensive units. The Birds lost Jonathan Gannon, who accepted the Cardinals’ coaching job. Sean Desai was inserted as …

Last summer, the Eagles entered the 2023 NFL season fresh off a Super Bowl loss while maintaining one of the league’s most dominant defensive units. The Birds lost Jonathan Gannon, who accepted the Cardinals’ coaching job. Sean Desai was inserted as defensive coordinator, and the team jumped out to a 10-1 start before the wheels fell off.

Philadelphia lost six of its final seven games, including a 32-9 blowout loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round. Desai was fired as DC and replaced by Vic Fangio, the architect of the scheme. Bryce Huff was signed in free agency, while Haason Reddick was traded away.

With the Eagles just five days away from a much-hyped season-opening matchup against the Packers from Sao Paulo, Brazil, we’re comparing last year’s defensive unit to the 2024 version.

2023: Jalen Carter, Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Kentavius Street, Marlon Tuipulotu, Milton Williams

2024: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Thomas Booker

Fletcher Cox has retired, while Byron Jones replaces the departed Marlon Tuipulotu. Thomas Booker and Moro Ojomo offer pass-rush potential.

2023: Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Patrick Johnson, Haason Reddick, Nolan Smith

2024: Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Patrick Johnson, Nolan Smith, Bryce Huff, Jalyx Hunt

Bryce Huff replaces the departed Haason Reddick. Huff is younger than Reddick, and he’s an emerging pass rusher. Jalyx Hunt is an athletic marvel off the edge. Nolan Smith’s progression will be the most scrutinized.

2023: Zach Cunningham, Nakobe Dean, Christian Elliss

2024: Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Ben VanSumeren, Devin White, Oren Burks

Thanks to another standout training camp, Ben VanSumeren made the Eagles’ 53-man roster, outplaying Oren Burks and others. Devin White offers a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker.

2023: James Bradberry, Mario Goodrich, Josh Jobe, Avonte Maddox, Eli Ricks. Kelee Ringo, Darius Slay

2024: Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Eli Ricks, Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers, Darius Slay

After a disappointing finish to 2023, Howie Roseman selected cornerbacks with the first two picks in the 2024 NFL draft. Avonte Maddox is now a safety, along with James Bradberry, while Josh Jobe is with the Seahawks practice squad.

2023: Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, Terrell Edmunds, Justin Evans

2024: Reed Blankenship, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Avonte Maddox, Tristin McCollum

Sydney Brown is on the PUP list and will be a factor in 2024. Reed Blankenship has developed into a solid NFL safety, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns the swagger to the Eagles lineup. Tristin McCollum has developed into a solid rotational piece.

3 big questions for the Eagles ahead of season opener vs. Packers

3 big questions for the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of season opener vs. Green Bay Packers

The summer is officially over, training camp and preseason are a wrap, and the Eagles will depart Philadelphia four days from now for a 9+ hour flight to São Paulo, Brazil, for an intriguing season-opening matchup against Jordan Love and the talented Green Bay Packers.

Philadelphia has retooled its roster, changed both coordinator positions, and has one of the younger teams in the NFL entering the 2024 regular season. There are always questions to be answered, and with the regular season upon us, we’re looking at the three biggest questions for the Eagles ahead of the matchup against the Packers.

Can the young guys hit the ground running?

Cooper DeJean (21), Jeremiah Trotter (21), and Jalen Carter (23) are among the 12 players on the roster who are age 23 or younger, and all twelve play integral roles for a team with a legit Super Bowl window. The Eagles are a potential juggernaut, but an injury at a critical position on offense, or Darius Slay suffering an injury on defense, could expose a youth-filled group that could still not be ready for primetime. With Jason Kelce becoming a media giant and Fletcher Cox enjoying retirement, Philadelphia must have leadership voids filled from Day 1.

Can Jalen Hurts regain his All-Pro form?

Hurts was named to his second Pro Bowl last after starting 17 regular-season games. He completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 3,858 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns. He also added 15 rushing touchdowns, setting a new NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season, matching Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. With Kellen Moore emphasizing Hurts become more efficient with check-downs to the running backs, his completion percentage could rise to over 70% in 2024. There were difficult moments in 2023, though, as Hurts’ QBR ranking fell from fourth (68.3) to 12th (60.1). His 15 interceptions nearly matched his first three years combined (18). After cleaning his game and meshing with Kellen Moore, Can Hurts regain his All-Pro form.

Will Vic Fangio’s defense respond to the pressure?

The offense can be explosive and set all kinds of records, but it won’t matter if the Eagles rebuilt defense doesn’t tackle better, make plays in coverage, and pressure and sack the quarterback. Philadelphia spent three years running some variation of Fangio’s scheme before hiring the architect. The Eagles are a young cornerback but much improved, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s return has brought swagger and confidence back to the unit. After a total collapse in 2023, can the Eagles’ defense regain that 2022 form?

Eagles rookie RB Will Shipley switches jersey number

Philadelphia Eagles rookie running back Will Shipley is switching uniform numbers ahead of the season opener vs. the Green Bay Packers

The Eagles have trimmed their roster from 90 players to a league-mandated 53 ahead of the season opener against the Packers.

With over 35 players getting released or waived, it opened up an opportunity for some players to switch uniform numbers.  After Zech McPhearson said goodbye to Philadelphia, talented rookie, and No. 22 overall pick, Quinyon Mitchell swooped in and snatched the No. 27.

Mitchell wasn’t alone, as former Clemson star running back Will Shipley switched from the No. 39 to No. 28.

Like Mitchell, Shipley’s new number became available after Philadelphia waived cornerback Josh Jobe and didn’t resign him to the practice squad.

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Eagles rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell switches jersey number

Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is switching uniform numbers ahead of the season opener vs. the Green Bay Packers

The Eagles have trimmed their roster from 90 players to a league-mandated 53 ahead of the season opener against the Packers.

With over 35 players getting released or waived, it opened up an opportunity for some players to switch uniform numbers.  After Zech McPhearson said goodbye to Philadelphia, talented rookie, and No. 22 overall pick, Quinyon Mitchell swooped in and snatched the No. 27.

Became the first Toledo player to be selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft since Dan Williams in 1993 (11th overall by Denver).

Mitchell spent four seasons at Toledo, playing 46 games (40 starts). Mitchell racked up some impressive numbers at cornerback: 6 Interceptions, 2 Interceptions returned for touchdowns, 122 tackles, 46 Passes defended, and 6.5 Tackles for loss. Mitchell led the FBS with 25 passes defended in 2022 and ended his career with the most passes defended in program history.

He could be a Week 1 starter for Philadelphia.

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Every move the Eagles made during 53-man roster cuts

We’re tracking every move the Philadelphia Eagles made to trim down from 90 players to an official 53-man roster

Philadelphia has a loaded and dynamic roster ripe with dual-threat players on both sides of the football and two of the top coordinators in the game. After five weeks of intense Training Camp and three preseason games, the Birds officially trimmed their roster to 53 players on Tuesday, unveiling the 2024 Eagles to the world and fans alike.

On Monday, the Eagles announced their first wave of roster cuts, releasing four veteran players who are not subject to the waiver wire and can immediately sign with other teams.

With the roster taking shape, here are the moves Philadelphia made to get down to 53 players.

Monday

Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, the franchise announced four moves, releasing Will Grier, Parry Nickerson, Julian Okwara, and Max Scharping.

Tuesday

RELEASED
(*These players are veterans who are not subject to waivers and can sign immediately with another team.)

LB Oren Burks
WR Parris Campbell
OL Nick Gates
G/C Matt Hennessy
WR John Ross
T/G Brett Toth

WAIVED

T/G Gottlieb Ayedze
T Anim Dankwah
RB Tyrion Davis-Price
TE Kevin Foelsch
DT Gabe Hall
WR Jacob Harris (Injured)
WR Griffin Hebert
DE Tarron Jackson
TE E.J. Jenkins
CB Josh Jobe
OLB Terrell Lewis
C Dylan McMahon
CB Zech McPhearson
RB Kendall Milton
DT P.J. Mustipher
WR Joseph Ngata (Injured)
RB Lew Nichols
G/C Jason Poe
TE Armani Rogers
S Andre Sam
LB Brandon Smith
CB Shon Stephens
S Caden Sterns (Non-Football Injury)
T Laekin Vakalahi
WR Austin Watkins

PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE and DESIGNATED FOR RETURN

TE Albert Okwuegbunam
WR Ainias Smith

PLACED ON THE RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST

S Sydney Brown

Eagles vs. Vikings: Top photos from preseason finale at Lincoln Financial Field

We’re looking at the top photos from the Philadelphia Eagles preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field

The Eagles finished the preseason 2-1. They now aim to trim the roster to 53 players and prepare for a gigantic season-opening matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall was 17-25 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon, while Tanner McKee was 13-21 passing for 115 yards and one interception. Lucky Jackson led Minnesota with four catches for 53 yards, while Griffin Hebert led Philadelphia with three for 48 yards in the afternoon. On defense, Tristin McCollum made a late push for a roster spot, recording nine tackles and one pass defended on the afternoon. Oren Burks made his own statement, logging seven tackles, one sack, one pass defended, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit. With the team off until Monday, here’s an instant analysis of the preseason finale. ***

Eagles news: Isaiah Rodgers is the favorite to start at CB opposite Darius Slay

Isaiah Rodgers is the frontrunner to start at cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles opposite Darius Slay

The Eagles are one week away from determining a final 53-man roster and a depth chart for a defensive unit looking to regain its status among the NFL’s best.

This summer, the most extensive training camp battles occurred at offensive guard, linebacker, and cornerback position opposite Darius Slay. Quinyon Mitchell has been stout as a rookie, but he’s seen more first-team snaps in the slot. With Cooper DeJean’s initial training camp injury slowing his progress, the outside cornerback battle has come down to Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo, and according to ESPN’s Tim McManus, the former Colts draft pick and reinstated defensive back will start at cornerback after missing a year of football due to a suspension.

The battle for the outside corner spot opposite Darius Slay Jr. between former Indianapolis Colt Isaiah Rodgers and second-year player Kelee Ringo has been a good one. While they continue to split reps, Rodgers has been getting the nod at the start of practice more frequently of late and can probably be considered the front-runner at this point.

Vic Fangio said he “may have to play Mitchell at nickel” for now to get the best combination of players on the field.

Things could change once the dynamic DeJean gets into playing shape and understands the scheme, but for now, the Birds are far and away much improved in the secondary.

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