Eagles News: Philadelphia’s most likely first-time Pro Bowl candidate
Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 8/30/26.
Let's get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
One potential first-time Pro Bowler from each NFC team heading into the 2026 NFL season – NFL.com A.J. Brown's exit opens a trove of opportunities for DeVonta Smith. Yes, the Eagles drafted Makai Lemon in the first round and buffered the unit with veterans, but Smith is the alpha. The sixth-year pro boasts route-running ability and can generate separation with the best of them. Smith is a WR1. There will be no question now. [BLG Note: Isn't it wild how DeVonta hasn't made a Pro Bowl already? He's certainly that caliber of player.]
A thought on all 90 Eagles leaving 2026 training camp – NBCSP WR DeVonta Smith: The Eagles were without Smith for a good portion of this training camp as he healed from a hamstring injury but they're very excited to see him take over as their WR1. A.J. Brown was a great player in Philly but his absence will open the door for Smith to have a huge season in an expanded role. When he has been on the field, we've seen how good Smith can be. What really stood out this summer was his ability to bring in contested catches against some really good cornerbacks. Smith should shine in Sean Mannion's offense.
Eagles-Bengals snap counts: Cole Payton saw some special teams action – BGN The Eagles experimented with using Cole Payton on punt coverage. He finished the summer with just 21 preseason snaps, 15 of which came in his encouraging NFL debut. Weird and disappointing that the Eagles didn't make a better effort to get him more experience after that, unless they're just trying to prevent other teams from poaching him? But maybe just play him and then keep him on your roster? Seems like a wasted developmental opportunity.
NFL Rookie of the Year 2026 predictions, including one 3rd round sleeper – SB Nation Makai Lemon, WR — Philadelphia Eagles. Lemon is sitting at WR3 on the Eagles depth chart, which is the role he was drafted for. Working out of the slot in this offense will give him a lot of opportunities, and Philly brings the exposure needed to build a campaign. Lemon is also in a position where he could get a lot of targets from Jalen Hurts, and is in a rare situation among the rookie receivers where he's landing on an elite offense. There's a chance he could become a key touchdown scorer this season, and I'm not entirely sure that being on an offense with DeVonta Smith will really hurt him.
Eagles worked out an intriguing edge defender; Cowboys made a weird trade – PhillyVoice Reiger was a priority undrafted free agent who signed with the Miami Dolphins. Leading up to the draft, most analysts thought he would be selected. For example, he was Mel Kiper's 140th-ranked (4th/5th round) prospect, and Dane Brugler's 197th-ranked (5th/6th round) prospect. But, Reiger had a complicated evaluation because of a worrisome injury history, as noted in Brugler's scouting report.
Preseason Football – Iggles Blitz Na Brown. Paul Turner. And now Carson Steele. He was released by the Eagles and that confused more than a few people. You can argue he was the best Eagles player over the past two games. But that was in terms of results, not process. Steele has the right combination of size, athleticism and effort that helps him shine in August. He's done that with multiple teams. KC put him on the roster in 2024. He ran for 183 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry. He caught 7 passes and averaged 3.7 yards per reception. Not ideal. He's just not quite good enough to make plays against starters. Steele is great in the summer when he's going against future car salesmen, insurance employees or welders. He's not the same when going against guys like Zack Baun.
12 NFL teams did not play their starting quarterbacks in the preseason – PFT The growing trend of NFL teams keeping their quarterbacks out of the preseason has reached the point where more than one-third of starting quarterbacks did not take a single snap in this year's preseason. [BLG Note: Jalen Hurts was obviously one of these 12.]
Eagles' Cooper DeJean attends Red Bull Championship Run in Philadelphia – CBS News At the Red Bull Championship Run, 120 contestants tried to retrieve a flag at the end of a 30-foot greased pole over the Delaware River.
Falcons 2026 roster cut tracker – The Falcoholic [Former Eagles UDFA signing] G Jaeden Roberts
Carolina Panthers 2026 roster cuts tracker – Cat Scratch Reader [Former Eagle] Elijah Cooks, wide receiver
BREAKING: Cowboys trade with Steelers for OT Broderick Jones – Blogging The Boys Jones was not regarded well by Steelers fans, so this is something that they are celebrating with vigor. The Cowboys needed help at tackle as noted, but did they need help this badly?
2026 NFL offseason trade grades: Gervon Dexter, Broderick Jones – ESPN The Steelers got a solid return for a player they could have feasibly cut on Sunday — that's always good business on cut-down day. Though, it is a little scary to walk into Week 1 with poor tackle depth behind Iheanachor and left tackle Troy Fautanu, both of whom have injury histories. The Cowboys take a big swing on a talented athlete at a position in which they have had some instability, and returning Jones to the right could help him return to his previous form of play. The Cowboys have yet to confirm which side is the plan for Jones, as left tackle Tyler Guyton started the year in a camp competition but reportedly impressed with a great summer, while right tackle Terence Steele — a long-time starter under contract through 2028 — hasn't had the best play in past seasons. Ostensibly, Jones is better on the right and has a better path to reps on the right … but the recent film and injury history is scary to buy into, no matter the side.
Commanders vs. Ravens preseason Week 3: Mark Tyler's Studs and Duds – Hogs Haven OL Julian Good-Jones. Living up to the moniker I have bestowed upon him, "Bad-Jones" was every bit as bad as you could expect. It's absolutely crazy to think that if Washington had a regular-season game tomorrow, this man may be our starting center. Shame, SHAME on Adam Peters!
Giants-Jets winners and losers: Odell Beckham makes his case – Big Blue View Odell Beckham Jr. — Is anyone still questioning whether or not Beckham is making the 53-man roster? Beckham nearly had a 73-yard touchdown reception, but Jameis Winston slightly overthrew him and the ball fell incomplete. Beckham still had an outstanding night. He caught three passes for 53 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, with the longest being a 23-yard grab. He has enough juice to be a useful player for this Giants team. John Harbaugh said after the game that Beckham has done enough to make a roster, but stopped short of anointing him as part of the Giants' 53-man roster.
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