Eagles vs. Browns: 10 Players to Watch & Why - QBs Battling?

Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Marcus Mariota may or not be the answer behind Jalen Hurts, plus nine others to keep an eye on during Philly's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.

PHILADELPHIA – Here are 10 players to watch in the second preseason game for the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field ...

OFFENSE

Marcus Mariota. There seems to be some debate, among those who have seen the veteran quarterback practice this summer, brewing as to whether he is doing well enough to be trusted as Jalen Hurts’ backup. Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, he was a steady 7-for-11 for 58 yards and moved the ball on his two series into field goal range. 

Something with a little more wow to it on Thursday could go a long way in putting those concerns to rest.

Tanner McKee. The sixth-round quarterback played ahead of Ian Book last week and showed made quick, solid decisions, and the the ball accurately. Can he show that and more and put pressure on Mariota to be the No. 1 backup?

Tyrie Cleveland. The receiver is opening eyes with his ability to get open and make catches. It’s all about consistency, though, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up against the Browns. Also keep an eye out for him on special teams, a role he played well during his stint with the Broncos.

Kenny Gainwell. The running back got last week off, but head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game in Baltimore that he is likely to get Gainwell some reps. Right now, Gainwell appears to have a leg up on being the team’s lead ball carrier.

Tyler Steen. The rookie offensive lineman acquitted himself well as the second-team tackle against the Ravens. He is developing into someone who may be active on game days with his ability to play both tackle and guard, but he must continue to show progress at both spots.

DEFENSE

Zach Cunningham. The recent addition at linebacker had two strong days of practice against the Browns, with a pair of pass deflections against Deshaun Watson that were intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship. Let’s see if he can do more of the same after playing 26 snaps last week.

Nakobe Dean. The second-year linebacker didn’t dress against the Ravens, but that may have been because he had only been cleared two days earlier to return to practice after an ankle injury cost him some practice time. He probably needs to at least get a few snaps to be ready for the opener.

Sydney Brown. Let’s see what the rookie safety does for an encore after securing a team-high nine tackles in 41 snaps against the Ravens.

Moro Ojomo. The seventh-round pick isn’t assured of a roster spot, though the Eagles tend to keep their picks around for their first year at a minimum. The defensive tackle had three tackles in 40 snaps last week and showed some good defense during red-zone work against the Browns’ running game earlier in the week in the joint practices.

Eli Ricks. The undrafted free-agent cornerback still feels like he’s firmly on the bubble for a roster spot, but another pick-6 like he had against the Ravens could force the Eagles into some tough decisions at his position.

Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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