Eagles-Colts preseason: 10 players to watch

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It’s time for the dress rehearsal.

For the most part, preseason games don’t give us a great idea of how a team will do during the regular season, but at least the third game can sometimes offer a glimpse because starters play the most in this game.

After last year’s preseason Game 3 against the Packers, when it looked like nothing was going to stop Sam Bradford and the Eagles from going to the Super Bowl, hopefully we’ve all learned our lesson. In that game, Bradford looked like Joe Montana and Chip Kelly looked like Bill Walsh. Turns out they were just Bradford and Chipper.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to watch Saturday night. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on:

WR Dorial Green-Beckham
DGB played a little bit last week in Pittsburgh and was targeted twice, but now he’s been with the team for a week and should have a better grasp of the offense. He’ll get some run with the first-team offense, which should be fun to watch. Physically, Green-Beckham is a freak. He’s 6-foot-5, 230, and ran a 4.49 in the 40 coming into the league last year. He has a skillset unlike anyone else on the team and unlike many in the league.

OL Stefen Wisniewski
Because rookie Isaac Seumalo is out Saturday night with a pec injury, the veteran Wisniewski is filling in. Wisniewski has started each of his 77 career NFL games since entering the league and doesn’t want the streak to end. He views Saturday as an audition to win the starting job, although Doug Pederson said he won’t strip Seumalo of his starting gig because of injury. Even if Wisniewski isn’t a starter, he’s still the top backup at all three interior linemen positions.

CB Leodis McKelvin
McKelvin hasn’t done a ton to impress during training camp or in the first two preseason games, but he’s still clearly a starting cornerback on this team — even though Nolan Carroll has looked better early. It’s important to watch McKelvin because you know what’s coming: a division with Dez, Odell, DeSean and others.

RB Wendell Smallwood
After suffering a quad injury in camp, this will finally be Smallwood’s first NFL game action. The time he missed was significant, but he still likely has a roster spot locked up. The biggest thing he needs to show Saturday is the ability to pass block. If he’s unable, it’ll keep him off the field this season.

QB Sam Bradford
I probably don’t need to tell you to watch the starting quarterback, but I am anyway. The first-team offense didn’t do much to alleviate any fears last week in Pittsburgh. Bradford partially blamed it on purposeful vanilla game-planning because the Eagles face the Steelers in Week 3. That’s probably somewhat fair, but fans probably want to see a little more production from the unit.

LB Mychal Kendricks
A hamstring injury has kept Kendricks out until this point of the preseason, but he should be good to go Saturday. The oft-injured Kendricks was probably one of the more frustrating players on the 2015 team. He has plenty of talent, but needs to finally put it all together. This is our first look at him in the new defense.

WR Paul Turner
The future Hall of Famer is pushing hard for a roster spot. He’s been good during camp and the preseason, but his lack of versatility could hurt him. He’s a slot receiver and the Eagles already have a pretty good one in Jordan Matthews, and Josh Huff could be OK in that spot, too. Turner’s pushing for a spot is a result of his play paired with the struggling group.

TE Chris Pantale
Earlier this week, Pederson still seemed committed to keeping four tight ends, which would mean Pantale’s roster spot is safe. It’s fair to wonder, though, if he’s worth a roster spot, especially if Trey Burton is at least somewhat capable of playing fullback. That lead blocker role is why Pantale is still in the mix, so we’ll have to see how much Pederson uses it on Saturday.

LB Stephen Tulloch
Tulloch is 31, coming off an offseason ankle surgery and just joined the team recently. How much does the middle linebacker have left to give? It’s pretty clear he’s coming to Philly to be a backup for now, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can prove himself to the point where he warrants playing time. Knowing Jim Schwartz’s defense should allow him to jump in quicker than another player off the street.

WR Rueben Randle/Chris Givens
A two-for-one deal! I’m lumping these two together because they’re in similar situations. Both signed one-year “prove-it” deals, but what have they proven so far? With the addition of Green-Beckham and with the solid play of Turner, it looks like one or both of these veterans could be in danger of being left off the 53-man roster.

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