EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — OK, that was unwatchable. Brutal even by preseason standards.
Thank God the preseason is over. The Redskins come to town a week from Sunday and off we go.
But according to NFL rules, there must be a Roob’s 10 instant observations after every Eagles game. It's right there in the CBA.
So here you go after the Eagles' 6-0 loss the Jets in the preseason finale.
1. I thought Clayton Thorson was on the bubble before Thursday night, but yikes. This was really bad. He threw a 25-yard strike to a wide-open Marken Michel and made a nice throw for a 14-yard gain to Alex Ellis, but other than that? He took a big step backward from his performance against the Jaguars two weeks ago, the last time he played. Thorson played the whole game and finished 12-for-26 for 84 yards with an interception. It's not easy to throw for 84 yards in an entire game. The rookie fifth-round pick looked out of sorts in the pocket, even when there wasn’t pressure, and just missed on way too many easy throws. He was just terrible. The good news is that after this performance, it won’t be difficult getting him through waivers and onto the practice squad.
2. Not only is Daeshon Hall going to make the team, he’s going to play. I don’t care what backups you’re playing against, three strip sacks and four total sacks in a preseason is impressive. Don’t forget, this guy was a third-round pick just two years ago, so the talent’s there. It didn’t work out in Carolina, but his talent is obvious. Hard to believe he was on the Texans’ practice squad last year when the Eagles snapped him up in mid-December. Terrific scouting job by the Eagles’ pro personnel staff.
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3. Looking at Shareef Miller, keep in mind the last time the Eagles released a fourth-round pick after his rookie camp was 1997 (Damien Robinson, who went on to become a starter for the Bucs). Assuming the Eagles keep Hall behind Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Vinny Curry, that leaves Miller and Josh Sweat, last year’s fourth-round pick, fighting for a fifth spot. But you know what? I actually think it’s more likely they keep all six than release Sweat or Miller.
4. Speaking of Alex Ellis … I like this kid. He came here with a reputation as a good blocker but not much of a receiver, but he catches the ball really well. You saw that one-hander he made against the Jets. It was only five yards but he’s been flashing like that since he got here a week into training camp. Josh Perkins looks like TE3, but I’d keep Ellis around on the practice squad.
5. T.J. Edwards can play. He had a tough first week or 10 days but has been very good since. He’s made my roster.
6. The Eagles tried a bit to showcase Wendell Smallwood, but like everything else Thursday night it didn’t go too well. Smallwood did have a nice 18-yard run early but had just five yards on his six other carries and fumbled, finishing 7-for-23. With Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles there isn’t a roster spot for Smallwood, and I’ve been thinking you might be able to get a seven or a conditional six for him. He has had stretches in his career where he’s been productive. But he sure didn’t do anything Thursday night to increase his value.
7. When you see a team getting creative with a certain player that generally means he fits in their plans, and that’s one sign that the Eagles may be planning to keep Greg Ward. He threw an option pass in the Jacksonville game and went 15 yards on an end-around Thursday night. Made a nice cut, too. Ward did something to impress you every day in practice, and he’s done the same in the games, too. He needs to be here. He’s earned it.
8. Alex Singleton made a bunch of plays Thursday night, and the former CFL linebacker may be a roster longshot, but he’s a big hitter and generally seems to be in the right place. With the Eagles’ injuries and lack of depth at linebacker, I wonder if he may be a surprise on the 53 on Saturday. Looks like a player.
9. One more interesting young guy who stood out: Defensive tackle Kevin Wilkins, an undrafted rookie from Rutgers. He was pretty active and has had a nice camp. Definitely a developmental guy, but he’s another guy who I would expect will pop back up on the practice squad. Wilkins was playing five minutes from his hometown of Hackensack.
10. Finally this: I think we can all agree these games are an absolute farce. The NFL has a real credibility issue on its hands, and it’s only going to get worse as more and more coaches realize there’s no reason to play their starters more than a little bit — if at all — in these games. There were literally like 5,000 people at MetLife Stadium tonight and I can’t imagine why they showed up. Whether it’s adding joint practices or something else, the NFL has to figure out a way to get rid of at least one and possibly two preseason games. These games are an embarrassment.
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