The preseason officially came to an end after last night's snoozefest against the New York Jets. Some players secured their spot on the Eagles 53-man roster, while others sealed their fate with poor play and will not be on this year's team. Here's a breakdown of who played well and who didn't last night at the Meadowlands.
STUD - Daeshon Hall
Hall has done literally everything he can to make this year's team. He racked up yet another sack and forced fumble against the Jets, bringing his preseason totals to four sacks, three forced fumbles, and eight QB hits. Hall was able to get all of that accomplished in just 64 pass rush attempts. He needs to be on this team.
DUD - Clayton Thorson
Thorson was given the keys to the Eagles offense for the entire game last night, but the offense stalled with his performance. Thorson completed just 12 passes on 26 attempts, throwing for only 84 yards. He also had an extremely bad pick that showed he just isn't ready for the NFL yet. Now Thorson appears to be heading towards waivers, but if possible the Eagles will likely want him to hang around on the practice squad so that he can develop and play in next year's preseason.
STUD - Alex Singleton
Singleton needed a big game to have a slim shot at making the Eagles roster, and that is exactly what he had. He was seen all over the field the entire game, both on defense and on special teams, racking up six total tackles. It appears that the team are more high on L.J. Fort and Nate Gerry than they are on Singleton, but you never know how much influence Jim Schwartz and Dave Fipp will have in this final decision.
DUD - Wendell Smallwood
Doug Pederson let Smallwood handle the majority of the backfield work last night, but Smallwood failed to deliver. He had two big gains early, but a fumble later on hurt his chances of making this year's squad. He finished with seven carries for a total of 23 yards, which could hurt his chances of catching onto another team now too. If the Eagles were to keep five running backs Smallwood would likely be that 5th 'back, but it seems like that would be a waste of a roster spot.
STUD - T.J. Edwards
Edwards was once again a tackling machine on Thursday night, finishing with six tackles. Edwards always seems to be where the ball is, which is exactly what you want from a linebacker. Edwards might fall into the same category as Singleton though, as it appeared the team likes Fort and Gerry more. We'll have to wait and see if his performance last night unseats Gerry for the final linebacker spot.
DUD - Josh Adams
Adams was put in the doghouse in the preseason finale. He only received two rushes, and ended up with negative rushing yards. Adams needed a big game to impress the staff, but he wasn't even given a chance. This shows you exactly how the staff feels about Adams' future in Philly.
STUD - Alex Ellis
Ellis only had two catches for 19 yards, but one catch was a circus-like one-handed reception which basically was the play of the night for the offense. Ellis started Training Camp as the fifth tight end, but with Richard Rodgers dealing with another injury he is already up to at least fourth on the depth chart. Joshua Perkins didn't necessarily impress this preseason, so there is a slim chance that Ellis might sneak on the Eagles roster.
DUD - Josh Sweat
Sweat was given plenty of chances to show why he was a mid-round draft pick last season, but he did not prove it on the field this preseason. He was virtually invisible on Thursday night, and with Daeshon Hall's impressive preseason, Sweat might be on the outside looking in at the 53-man roster.
STUD - Josh Hawkins
Hawkins had a miserable game against the Baltimore Ravens last week, but he redeemed himself last night. Hawkins finished with an interception to go with his five tackles. It was certainly a good game for him, but not enough to make this year's roster.
