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Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 2

By Carl Naimoli

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Chris Long #56, Fletcher Cox #91, and Michael Bennett #77 of the Philadelphia Eagles react in the first quarter of the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Chris Long #56, Fletcher Cox #91, and Michael Bennett #77 of the Philadelphia Eagles react in the first quarter of the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Wendell Smallwood #28 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Washington Redskins during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Wendell Smallwood #28 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Washington Redskins during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2. Wendell Smallwood vs. Matt Jones

One of the strongest aspects of the Eagles offense is the running game. With Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement sharing the snaps they form one of the best trios of running backs in the league. After those three players, the Eagles still have quite a bit of talent at the position that we’ll get to see against the Patriots.

I wouldn’t expect to see a whole lot of action from Ajayi or Clement since we have a good idea what both of those players are capable of and, most likely, Sproles will be rested again too. It’s the guys fighting for the fourth spot who will be interesting to watch.

First is Wendell Smallwood, the Eagles fifth-round pick in 2016. He has shown flashes of gamebreaking talent in his time with the Eagles. He had six carries for 21 yards against the Steelers last week and is expected to shoulder most of the load on Thursday night. He’s made a name for himself on special teams, so he has a good shot at making the roster. If Smallwood can put on a good performance during the preseason, that may lead to more regular season playing time.

Another player competing for touches is Matt Jones, the free=agent signing who is known most for a few solid years with the Redskins. In 2016, Jones started seven games as Washington’s running back and finished second on the team with 460 yards rushing. His mid-season injury left the door open for Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson to shine, which led to Jones being cut in the offseason.

After only playing in five games with five total carries last year with the Colts, he’s out to prove that he belongs on an NFL roster. If he can show that he’s the same player he was before his injury in 2016, he has a shot to make an impact on this Eagles roster.

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