What they're saying: Eagles sloppy in final preseason game vs Jets

by Jimmy Kempski

Published Aug. 30, 2013, 9:34 a.m. ET

The preseason is over, with the Eagles' backups playing a very sloppy game at the Meadowlands last night. Final cuts will be made by 6pm Saturday night, and I'm sure the Eagles front office will be very interested to see who might shake free across the league. Here's what they're saying...

Eagles tight end James Casey left Thursday's 27-20 loss to the New York Jets in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

It concluded a disappointing preseason the free-agent acquisition from the Houston Texans. Casey finished the preseason with two catches for 10 yards, and was not used as the versatile threat envisioned when he signed a three-year, $12 million contract.

Nate Allen could have taken the Quintin Demps route to the bench. Instead the fourth-year Eagles safety opted for the high road and will likely retain his starting spot when the Eagles open the season in 10 days.

Four years ago, Demps entered training camp as the odds-on favorite to win the Eagles' only open starting safety spot.

Andy Reid typically sat his starters for the preseason finale, but Demps had failed to lock down the job and the former Eagles coach wanted to send the second-year safety a message.

Demps would play against the New York Jets, along with his closest competitors - veteran Sean Jones and rookie Macho Harris. Informed by reporters of Reid's decision two days before the game, Demps voiced his frustration.

Matthew Tucker. The rookie free-agent running back scored a hard-nosed three-yard touchdown then followed that up by running up the middle for a two-point conversion. He added a 1-yard TD with 36 seconds left. The only question is: Will the Eagles keep four running backs?

There was no reason to ponder whether Nick Foles should have been given a longer opportunity to compete for the starting QB job. He did not have a great game. But then, he was playing behind a dreadful offensive line against a Jets defense that blitzed more than usual in the preseason. It was also clear that Kelly was using as little of his offense as possible. Foles fumbled the ball away on the first series. He succeeded in finishing the game, and the preseason, without an injury.

By the sounds of it, there are no guarantees that [Watkins] is on this team at the end of the weekend.

"Danny is competing like the rest of those guys up front. There is always some really good out of Danny, but there is also some mistakes out of Danny," said Chip Kelly when asked how the lineman has progressed this summer. "It's going to be a battle. When you feel good about your five but then where are we going to be and how many are we going to carry I think is what it's going to come down to."

"It was fun," he said. "It was a new experience. Almost had a pick. But it was a fun time out there. Talking with Rex [Ryan] out there on the sideline."

Coleman, a seventh-round pick, has started 27 games over the past two years and his six interceptions since 2011, sixth-most among NFC safeties during that span.

But Coleman is best suited to being a special teamer and backup safety, and that's the role he's battling for right now.

Final roster cuts are due by 6 p.m. Saturday, although the Eagles are likely to make most of them by Friday afternoon.

"I did well," Coleman said of what might have been his final game in an Eagles uniform. "Didn't give up any deep plays. I showed a little bit of versatility, made the plays, made the hits that came my way.

Jimmy note: Coleman did get beaten deep down the field last night, but the WR (some guy wearing the number 9) dropped the pass.

Jimmy note: The Giants' starting RB is David Wilson, a very explosive, but flawed player. Wilson is very fast, but he has a history of fumbling issues, he's been bad in pass protection, and there were times last season in which he wasn't where he was supposed to be in the passing game.

Brown would have served as a very nice compliment to Wilson. Brown averaged 5.3 yards per carry and had 8 TDs in 2012. He's a bigger guy at 227 pounds, but he's also elusive. This injury leaves the Giants paper-thin at RB. It's a big loss.

Jimmy note: Yeah... That would be the year the Eagles drafted Danny Watkins, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Curtis Marsh, and Casey Matthews with their first four picks.

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In case you missed it at the Red Zone...

Emmanuel Acho likely secres his spot on the team.

Alex Henery is striding faster on kickoffs, and the results are good.

Click here for complete coverage of Philadelphia Eagles training camp.