Tough decisions lie ahead at wide receiver

There have been games in past preseasons where the offense just, to put it mildly, had no rhythm. The passing game wasn’t coordinated, the timing wasn’t there, and the connection failed. But what we’ve seen in two preseason games, and in the Training Camp practices including the two last week with the Cleveland Browns, is that the quarterbacks and the receivers are on the same page. For anyone who questions the “new” way that Training Camp is conducted – emphasis on the mental reps early, followed by a ramping-up of the physical stuff – look no further than the success the Eagles’ receiving corps had.

One of the goals that Howie Roseman and his personnel department and the coaching staff have every year is to make cuts difficult. How much do we hear about “competition” and “depth” as the 90-man roster is formed, and how often are the cuts really, truly that tough when it comes to paring the roster to 53 players?

Well, between now and Tuesday, August 30 at 4 PM, when the Eagles reach the NFL-mandated 53-man roster limit, they’re going to have some very tough decisions. And one of those positions that will weigh heavily on Roseman’s mind is wide receiver, where the Eagles have gotten outstanding production up and down the depth chart this summer.

The latest example happened in Cleveland on Sunday in the 21-20 victory. The starters didn’t play, so A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith watched from the sidelines after dominating Cleveland’s defensive backs in the two joint practices. The Eagles’ receivers put on a clinic in the one-on-one drills, setting the stage for Sunday’s game.

And in that game, some players further down the depth chart stepped up. Way, way up. Deon Cain, formerly a sixth-round draft pick by the Colts in 2019 who had nine catches for 124 yards in 15 career regular-season games with the Colts and Steelers before landing on the Eagles’ practice squad in 2021, grabbed five passes for 66 yards on seven targets. Cain was terrific with some tippy-toe sideline…