10 Eagles on offense to watch in 2023 training camp

With Eagles training camp starting next week, it’s officially football season.

The Eagles report to training camp next Tuesday, with the first practice of the summer scheduled for the following day.

Every year, I go into training camp with a list of players I want to watch extra carefully. That doesn’t necessarily mean the best or most important players, but the players with some added intrigue for various reasons.

Here are 10 offensive players to watch this summer: 

TE Grant Calcaterra 

The Eagles used a sixth-round pick on Calcaterra last year but then we didn’t get to see a ton of him in training camp because he missed time with a hamstring injury. Eventually, Calcaterra got over that injury and took his place as the Eagles’ third-string tight end behind Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll; he caught 5 passes for 81 yards. If that’s what he is again in 2023, then fine. But I want to see if Calcaterra has a chance to overtake Stoll as the Eagles’ second-string tight end. If he does, it’ll be because he really improved as a blocker. First, he has to hold off veteran Dan Arnold just to make the roster.

We know that Calcaterra has some ability as a pass catcher. He showed that in college. But if he can improve some as a blocker then maybe he’d give the Eagles a more legitimate pass-catching threat on the field in their 12 personnel package. He’s obviously not going to overtake Goedert, who is one of the best tight ends in the NFL but if he could add a more dynamic element to the two-tight end package, that would be a nice boost for an offense that already has plenty of firepower.

OL Cam Jurgens

With the departure of Isaac Seumalo in free agency, Jurgens is going to get the first crack at taking over as the Eagles’ right guard. While Jurgens was drafted in the second round last year to eventually replace Jason Kelce at center, Kelce decided to return for another season in 2023. So that plan is obviously on hold. In the meantime, we’ll see this summer if Jurgens can play guard. He said this spring that he wanted to gain some weight and show up at training camp around 310-315.

Last summer, the plan was for Jurgens to begin cross-training at guard during training camp but when Kelce needed minor elbow surgery, that was delayed. Jurgens got all the first-team reps at center last summer. That was great for his overall development but did push his cross-training behind schedule. Eventually, Jurgens did get some practice time at guard during the season. He plans on using his leverage and athleticism at his new position in an attempt to hold off his competitors.

QB Tanner McKee

The Quarterback Factory drafted McKee in the sixth round this spring out of Stanford and he’ll have a chance to take the third-string quarterback job from Ian Book. The Eagles acquired Book after training camp last season, so this summer will be our first extended look at him too. But McKee (6-6, 231) is the biggest quarterback on the roster and a full six inches taller than Book. He also has a big arm so I’m looking forward to watching him air it out.

Why do we care about the third-string quarterback? Fair question. In the last two Decembers, we’ve seen Jalen Hurts suffer injuries and miss time. In both of those games, the third-stringer was bumped up to backup. And with Marcus Mariota on a one-year deal, is there a chance McKee could be the backup in waiting? That would be a great use of a sixth-round pick.

WR Joseph Ngata

The Eagles have a few bottom-of-the-roster receivers fighting for roster spots this summer but the most intriguing one is probably Ngata. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Ngata got the most guaranteed money ($230K) of any undrafted player in this class. It helps to follow the money with these undrafted players.

Ngata’s numbers at Clemson weren’t amazing. He caught 41 passes for 526 yards in the 2022 season. But he’s big and strong and has a huge catch radius. He’s the type of receiver that could make some spectacular catches in training camp. And after the top receivers on this team, it’s a position without great depth. Maybe Ngata can turn a few heads.

RB Rashaad Penny

There’s no denying the production. When Penny has been healthy in recent seasons, he’s been one of the best running backs in the NFL. While he only played in 15 games over the last two years, he had 176 carries for 1,095 yards and 8 touchdowns. That’s an incredible average of 6.2 yards per attempt. And now you’re putting him behind the best offensive line in football and next to a quarterback who is a threat to run at all times too. It’s really fun to imagine what a healthy Penny could look like in this offense.

Of course, it’s probably not wise to rely on the health of a player who has missed more games than he’s played in recent years. But will we be able to see glimpses of the dynamic Penny in training camp? Will we see a guy who’s good enough to make us dream about him staying healthy? The Eagles didn’t give Penny a big contract and they can move on at any time. But he’s the perfect low-risk, high-reward signing the Eagles went after this offseason.

OT Trevor Reid

This might be the guy on the list you’ve never heard of before. The Eagles signed the offensive tackle from Louisville after the draft concluded. After beginning his career at the Georgia Military College, Reid (6-4, 311) was a two-year starter at left tackle for the Cardinals. He’s still extremely raw but he’s also extremely athletic. Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote about Reid during the pre-draft process: “Overall, Reid is one of the most athletic linemen in the 2023 draft class, but he is still a ball of clay who requires molding. He’s more toolsy than polished as a blocker right now.”

Give that ball of clay to Jeff Stoutland. The Eagles’ veteran offensive line coach has worked wonders before. Everyone always points at Jordan Mailata when we talk about Stout projects and that’s obviously the peak. But there are others too. We’ve seen Stoutland get his opportunity to mold plenty of undrafted “project” players like Brett Toth, Sua Opeta, Dillon Gordon, Luke Juriga. They don’t all work out but it’s fun to wonder if the Eagles got a gem.

RB Trey Sermon

The Eagles liked Sermon enough to claim him after he was released by the 49ers at final cuts. And the Eagles liked him enough to keep him on the roster for all of 2022, only playing him twice. This summer, it’s a little tough to see Sermon’s path to the roster because it looks like there are four running backs in front of him. But I’m just excited to finally watch him play. I think I’ve been asked more questions about Sermon than just about any other player over the last year.

The 49ers drafted Sermon in the third round (No. 88) back in 2021. Sermon played his college ball at Oklahoma and then Ohio State. The 49ers didn’t play Sermon much as a rookie; he had just 41 carries for 167 yards (4.1) and a touchdown. And then they cut him before Year 2. It’s not crazy to wonder if the Eagles have something with him.

OL Tyler Steen

The Eagles drafted Steen out of Alabama in the third round. He was their third pick in this class and the highest draft pick of their two offensive players. Steen finished his career at Alabama after first playing at Vanderbilt. While Steen was a tackle in college, he’ll be competing with Jurgens for the right guard spot. It’s an interesting battle because guard isn’t the natural position for either competitor.

Steen (6-6, 321) has more prototypical size to be a guard. Really, he’s tackle-sized, which is something the Eagles have typically wanted in their guards in recent years. That’s not a requirement but Steen certainly looks the part. It’s also worth watching if Steen gets reps at guard and tackle in camp. Because if he’s not the starting right guard, he’ll need to be a versatile backup.

RB D’Andre Swift

Yeah, there are three running backs on this list because it’s a really fascinating position heading into camp. The Eagles traded for Swift during the draft, bringing the Philly native home. The former second-round pick from Georgia has had a nice career but didn’t become a star in Detroit the way some envisioned. In Philly, he has a chance to earn his playing time and has a decent shot at being the top back in the rotation.

The things that Swift has done exceptionally well during his three years in the NFL is catch passes out of the backfield. He has 156 catches in the NFL. The Eagles haven’t thrown to their backs a ton under Nick Sirianni but here’s a chance for them to add a new element to their offense with a guy who does it better than just about everyone. It’ll be worth watching how the Eagles utilize him in training camp too. I even saw him line up for a snap in the slot during OTAs.

WR Olamide Zaccheaus

The Eagles bring their top three receivers back from the 2022 season but Quez Watkins didn’t have the best year. So now there’s a little pressure on Watkins coming from Zaccheaus, who was once a star at St. Joe’s Prep along with Swift. Zaccheaus has improved every year in the NFL since going undrafted out of Virginia in 2019.

Zaccheaus (5-8, 193) definitely has the body type of a slot-only receiver but he played almost as much outside for the Falcons last year when he caught 40 passes for 533 yards and 3 touchdowns. During his career, Zaccheaus has been known for his sure hands. And it’s worth noting that Zaccheaus played with Mariota in Atlanta last year and those two will be working together a bunch this summer. They already know each other. 

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