Eagles-Dolphins: 5 Players to Watch

The key players aren't expected to be involved but there is still plenty to look for in the preseason finale, plus ways to see the game
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The Eagles wrapped up training camp on Thursday in South Florida with an intrasquad practice after finding out the Miami Dolphins were calling out sick for a scheduled joint session.

The preseason game on Saturday night (7) is a go but don't expect any key players from Philadelphia's side to play meaningful reps after getting in their work during the week.

There are still reasons to watch, however, and players on the bubble will be getting one last chance to state their case with the cut to 53 scheduled for Tuesday.

Here are five players that could tilt things either way at Hard Rock Stadium:

LB Nakobe Dean: Dean should get an opportunity to start and play quite a bit due to circumstances. Starters T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White will be in mothballs while Shaun Bradley has been dealing with an illness and Christian Elliss is still nursing a hamstring injury.

That means a chance to dominate against shat will likely be lesser competition for Dean.

QB Reid Sinnett: Sinnett should get most of the game and needs to play well for the Eagles to feel they have to keep the developmental QB on the 53. A poor outing will likely mean Philadelphia keeps two signal-callers on the active roster and earmarks Sinnett for the practice squad.

TE Grant Calcaterra: The rookie sixth-round pick is back from a lengthy hamstring injury and will be making his preseason debut. The Eagles seem to be defaulting to Calcaterra's obvious upside as a pass catcher and he could lock up a roster spot with a solid performance against the Dolphins. Another injury might point toward injured reserve and a redshirt year.

OL Jack Anderson: Anderson has had a nice camp and shown impressive versatility on the interior. The numbers game remains tough for the second-year pro and he missed Wednesday's practice with a rib injury but was back by Thursday and should play in the game.

Howie Roseman is probably going to try to move some of his impressive depth on the offensive line in the upcoming days but Anderson's ability to seamlessly move between center and both guard spots makes him a little more valuable to Philadelphia than some of the other deep backups.

S Reed Blankenship: Ultimately the Eagles will probably be able to get the undrafted free agent through waivers and onto the practice squad.

An emphatic performance in South Florida, however, could push Blankenship on the 53 because no one has seized the backup safety spots outside of Josiah Scott meaning youth and upside could be defaulted to.

Honorable mention: Rookie overhang player Kyron Johnson, veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt and cornerback Kary Vincent, Jr.

EAGLES-DOLPHINS TV INFO

The Philadelphia Eagles will finish their preseason schedule against the Dolphins on Saturday at 7 p.m.. The game will be televised on NBC10.

It will be shown nationally on replay three times in the following days — Sunday at 7 a.m. ET, Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, and Saturday, Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. ET.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen


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John McMullen
JOHN MCMULLEN

John McMullen is a veteran reporter who has covered the NFL for over two decades. The current NFL insider for JAKIB Media, John is the former NFL Editor for The Sports Network where his syndicated column was featured in over 200 outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald. He was also the national NFL columnist for Today's Pigskin as well as FanRag Sports. McMullen has covered the Eagles on a daily basis since 2016, first for ESPN South Jersey and now for Eagles Today on SI.com's FanNation. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey and part of 6ABC.com's live postgame show after every Eagles game. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen