Eagles News: “It’s fair at this point to doubt that [Makai Lemon] will start, at least early in the season”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …

Recalibrating the Eagles biggest positional needs after the start of training camp – PhillyVoice The Eagles did not select Makai Lemon to be a developmental player over time. He profiles more as an immediate contributor, and in my view the Eagles were hoping he would start right away. Well, Lemon missed half the spring and so far half of training camp, and on the days he did practice he didn’t do a whole lot. It’s fair at this point to doubt that

he will start, at least early in the season. Dontayvion Wicks and Darius Cooper have had good camps so far, but let’s be honest. If a month ago those guys were projected to be the WR2 and WR3 everyone would be saying that the Eagles need to trade for a receiver. In a weird way, I think the Eagles have a lot of playable receivers. Hell, they could even trade one away because they can’t all make the team. But Wicks has never really been better than his team’s WR4. Cooper has only played 212 career snaps and he has single-digit receptions. My concern would be at those WR2 and WR3 spots.

Eagles training camp: 6 pressing questions after second week of practices – The Athletic
I feel the same way you do about both DeVonta Smith and Lemon. With Lemon, he missed most of the spring with a hamstring injury. He’s already missed a week this summer. If this extends much deeper into August, he might be behind as a Week 1 contributor. You’ll hear the narrative that Cooper DeJean missed his spring and most of the summer (as you noted). That’s fair. But DeJean didn’t become a meaningful contributor on defense until Week 6. I’m not suggesting that Lemon’s rookie season will be washed away; I’m simply saying it could affect how much he’s used in the first month. That’s why the wide receiver depth is so important to monitor.

Eagles 53-man roster prediction: Training camp updates – BGN
WIDE RECEIVER: DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Johnny Wilson (6) [12]. Smitty has missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury but he looked good as ever prior to getting hurt. Zero concerns with him. Smith’s absence has opened up more opportunities for Wicks, who has fully taken advantage of them by making a lot of catches. It’s clear that Hurts trusts Wicks, which is huge. Cooper makes plays every day. He’s already done enough to make the roster. The question is: will he actually get playing time? He deserves it. Lemon’s had a disappointing offseason; the 2026 first-round pick missed at least four of the Eagles’ eight spring practices and he’s missed five of their eight training camp practices so far. Even prior to getting hurt, Lemon wasn’t doing much to impress. It’s just hard to know what to expect from him at the moment. Brown has been outshined by others … but the Eagles gave him $5 million guaranteed, which impacted their compensatory pick formula. So, it’s not ea sy to see them cutting him. Maybe they can move off Hollywood in a trade? Wilson has had a good camp as a pass-catcher and he obviously brings value to the table as a big blocking receiver. Elijah Moore was a really tough cut here; he deserves to make the team and he’s been getting first-team reps. But he also doesn’t have special teams experience (19 career snaps there) and he’s not subject to waivers. Maybe the Eagles can get him to agree to be on the practice squad early in the season before eventually adding him to the roster once a spot frees up. Britain Covey saw a lot of targets early in camp but he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury and the team can probably keep him on the practice squad if they want him to be in the punt returner mix. Quez Watkins is also in practice squad contention.

Go Birds! Radio, Part 1: Reacting To The Lane Johnson News (Feat. BLG) – Go Birds! Podcast
James Seltzer, Eliot Shorr-Parks and Brandon Lee Gowton react to Lane Johnson’s announcement that he will probably retire at the end of 2026.

Go Birds! Radio, Part 2: Two Unexpected Training Camp Standouts (Feat. BLG) – Go Birds! Podcast
James Seltzer, Eliot Shorr-Parks and Brandon Lee Gowton continue their discussion on Eagles Training Camp and give two names for most surprising standout so far.

In Roob’s Eagles Observations: How Andy Reid influenced Howie’s trade philosophy – NBCSP
I’LL KEEP RAVING ABOUT DARIUS COOPER: This kid does something every day to jump out at you and I’m at the point where I’ll just be really surprised if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster. Cooper showed enough flashes last year that he made the team as an undrafted rookie and even caught nine passes, most by an undrafted Eagles rookie WR since Hank Baskett caught 22 in 2006. He looks better this year with a year under his belt. Cooper has made the routine catches, but he’s made three of the most spectacular catches of the summer as well. It’s fair to assume Cooper and Johnny Wilson are competing for one spot, since they are the two big, tough, physical blocking WRs in camp. But Cooper has caught the ball better than Wilson, and if you’re only going to keep one, it’s going to be Cooper.

Helmet cams and VR sets: Eagles quarterbacks use different tools as they learn a new offense – Inquirer
So Payton, a dual-threat quarterback out of North Dakota State, often is on the field late, after practice ends, working with quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier and sometimes Mannion on his footwork and technique. Payton called those post-practice sessions “huge,” but the on-field portion of camp is only part of the on-the-job training Payton is going through as he navigates his first NFL training camp. The Eagles were off Sunday, but Payton said he has spent some off days strapping a virtual reality headset on to get “mental visualization reps.” The tool, Payton said, was introduced to him by Frazier, who last year was the pass game coordinator and this year moved to quarterbacks coach. The Eagles, Payton said, had the sets last year, too. Payton can turn on the VR, select any stadium, go through his play calls, break the huddle, and simulate a real play. “It’s not live footage, it’s animated, but it’s a really good tool to visualize and see things,” Payton said Saturday.

2026 Philadelphia Eagles training camp: Latest intel, updates – ESPN
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley made his presence felt. He got animated after a short touchdown run, chirping at Cooper DeJean before giving Quinyon Mitchell a playful shove. The offense switched from goal line to backed up work a short time later. Barkley used a nifty jump cut to speed to daylight on one play and followed that up by shaking defensive tackle Jordan Davis on his next carry. Barkley believes this new system can open up some things for him that he hasn’t been able to fully showcase to this point in his career. “That’s the plan,” said offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. “Saquon, he’s a tremendous player, and I think everything we do offensively ultimately is about how do we put all of our players in the best position to succeed and obviously Saquon is a focal point of our offense, that goes without saying.”

Bowen: Lane Johnson’s journey to Eagles franchise icon was not the smoothest – PHLY
This started the Lane Johnson Watch. You’re an Eagles fan, you paid to read this, so you know what I mean – the latest tally shows the Eagles are 120-62-1 when he is in the lineup, 19-29 when he is not. Last season, Johnson missed the final seven games with a foot injury, and then missed the excruciating playoff loss to San Francisco. Overall in 2025, it was 8-2 with Johnson, 3-5 without him. I’m going to break off my memory lane journey for a second to point out something: Hey, if Johnson is retiring after this season, the Eagles are really gonna hafta figure this out. Johnson praised third-round rookie tackle Markel Bell Saturday, calling him “one of the best rookies I’ve been around.” We’ll see what that means going forward, but the Eagles have steadfastly refused to use a high draft pick on a Johnson successor.

Jalyx Hunt: ‘I’m extremely confident in my rush plan’ – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Training Camp can be brutal. After practice, many players will joke about how they don’t know what day of the week it is, or the fact Training Camp feels like it has been going on for two months instead of one week. Then you have Jalyx Hunt, who sang to himself on his way to talk to reporters after Monday’s Training Camp practice. “He’s just bigger than life,” Nolan Smith said of his pass rushing partner. “Jalyx is a great guy, man. I love working with him.” It all comes down to Hunt’s confidence. Drafted in the third round of 2024 by the Eagles, Hunt enters his third year in the NFL off the heels of a breakout sophomore campaign. After being part of 23 percent of the defensive snaps for the Eagles in his rookie year, Hunt became a crucial player in Philadelphia’s front seven in 2025.

The fight for a former Eagles running back to hold his dying daughter – Delaware Online
Wendell Smallwood Jr., the former Philadelphia Eagles running back and Wilmington-area native, has been fighting New Jersey prosecutors for a chance to hold his dying 8-year-old daughter in her final days. Smallwood, a 33-year-old father of three, is currently serving a federal prison sentence for COVID-19 loan fraud, as well as a state court sentence after pleading guilty to possessing an AR-15 rifle locked away in the basement of his home in New Jersey − a state where possession of such firearms is illegal. Earlier this year, Smallwood’s daughter, Mila, was diagnosed with cancer. After unsuccessful chemotherapy in between visits with her father at the federal Fort Dix prison, she is now in palliative care and doctors say she may have only days or weeks to live.

Shavon Revel Jr. is showing signs of growth – Blogging The Boys
One of the biggest stories heading into Oxnard for the Dallas Cowboys was their cornerback room. In 2025, the Cowboys secondary graded out as one of the worst units in the league, and gave up some historical bad numbers through the air. With Caleb Downs, Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, and Devin Moore all added to the cornerback mix, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the secondaries ability to make a jump in 2026. One of the key factors in that happening was second-year cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. showing positive signs of development. While Revel Jr. has still taken his lumps against George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb so far in camp, Saturday’s practice gave a good look into the growth he is showing during his first full training camp and offseason.

The Cold, Hard Truth – Life more difficult for Commanders without Laremy Tunsil – Hogs Haven
I often get accused of pumping out too many rainbows and unicorns when it comes to our favorite team in Washington. Well, this post will not have any mythical creatures or pots of gold at the end. Yesterday’s loss of left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps is DEVASTATING for this football team! There is no other way to put this. Losing Laremy Tunsil for ANY amount of time SUCKS! Tunsil is the best player on the team, a top three left tackle in the league and a veteran presence that was desperately needed along this offensive line.

The NY Giants are signing another defensive back – Big Blue View
Per Aaron Wilson, the Giants are signing defensive back J.T. Woods. Woods visited the team on Sunday. Woods was part of an eight-player workout held by the Giants on Tuesday in West Virginia. Defensive backs David Long and D.J. James, along with offensive lineman Brandon Jaimes, have also been signed by the team after that workout. A third-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, Woods played in 13 games for the Chargers over two seasons. He has not played in an NFL game the past two seasons. During that time, he has been on the practice squads of the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets.

Pro Football Hall of Fame: Who’s eligible in 2027 – SB Nation
The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined give new members as part of the Class of 2026. Who could join them next year? Drew Brees, Adam Vinatieri, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, and Larry Fitzgerald joined the legends in Canton, Ohio, this past weekend as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Several candidates, from potential first-ballot candidates to returning finalists, could join them next year. Here are the names to watch.

…

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN BlueSky: Follow @bleedgreennation.bsky.social

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Follow Brandon Lee Gowton on Twitter | BlueSky | Threads

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio

The Feed post of the day

Each day, we highlight a BGN community post here in this space. Head over to The Feed to submit your entry and have a chance to be featured in The Linc!