Nick Sirianni was an assistant coach with the Chargers in 2017 when Austin Ekeler joined the team after a strong performance in the final preseason game.
Ekeler is currently in his eighth season in the NFL and his first with Washington.
Sirianni, in his fourth season as the Eagles’ head coach, used film of Ekeler to motivate his players heading into Philadelphia’s final preseason game last year.
He’ll try the same tactic before the Eagles face Minnesota on Saturday.
“Yeah, we’ll probably do something similar,” Sirianni said Wednesday, “but as far as the players we have here, we’ve had a lot of undrafted free agency over the last few years.”
Sirianni cited Eagles punt returner Britain Covey, cornerback Josh Jobe and linebacker Ben VanSmelen as examples.
The final preseason game is a chance for draft hopefuls to impress coaches and earn a spot before Tuesday’s cut deadline, with late draft picks and undrafted rookies the ones who would benefit most from playing time.
Ekeler, an undrafted running back, struggled to make it into the Chargers’ lineup, but caught the attention of the coaching staff with his 108 combined yards rushing and receiving.
He eventually rose to the starting lineup and recorded 38 running and receiving touchdowns in 2021-22. The Commanders gave him a two-year, $11.4 million contract as a free agent.
While young players will be vying for spots this weekend, some veteran players are worried they might leave the team.
We’ll introduce five veteran players whose participation is in doubt, including two former Giants players.
Kadarius Toney
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, the Giants’ first-round draft pick in 2021, was acquired in a trade during the season by the Kansas City Chiefs and helped the team win the Super Bowl two years ago. In the space of three minutes in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 38-35 Super Bowl win over Philadelphia, Toney made two monumental plays. First, he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass to give the Chiefs a 28-27 lead. Then, he returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles’ 5-yard line for another touchdown.
But Toney couldn’t capitalize on that success. He struggled last season, missing the playoffs from Week 15 and the Super Bowl when Kansas City beat San Francisco. His most memorable play from the 2023 season was when he had a game-winning touchdown on a lateral pass from Travis Kelce negated by an offsides penalty late in the fourth quarter of a loss to Buffalo.
The Chiefs acquired veteran wide receiver Marquis “Hollywood” Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round along with Rushe Rice, along with Skye Moore, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.
James Bradbury
Cornerback James Bradberry (formerly of the Giants) was named to the All-Pro Second Team in 2022 and played a key role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl. After a lackluster season last year, the Eagles moved Bradberry to safety after selecting cornerbacks Quinion Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
Bradberry received praise from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during camp but is still learning the position. The Eagles would incur about $15 million in dead cap money by cutting Bradberry but could spread that loss over two seasons, with about $4.3 million of that counting against this season’s cap and the rest in 2025.
Lael Collins
Right tackle La’el Collins missed last season with a knee injury and hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2022. Collins finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad and returned to the Cowboys after starting 71 games from 2015-2021 and spending 2022 with Cincinnati.
Buffalo signed Collins as a backup to tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, but he struggled in training camp and was moved to guard as a last resort to make the roster.
Bailey Zappe
Quarterback Bailey Zappe started eight games and went 4-4 in his first two seasons with the New England Patriots, but Zappe’s future appears to lie elsewhere. Drake Maye was drafted as the quarterback of the future and Jacoby Brissett was signed to provide veteran leadership. The Patriots also drafted Joe Milton in the sixth round to add to their depth.
New England is likely holding onto Zappe in an effort to trade, but there won’t be much of a market for him unless the team loses its backup.
Mike Edwards
Safety Mike Edwards, who won Super Bowl rings with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, is also working his way up to join the Bills. Edwards missed spring training with a shoulder injury and most of training camp with an ankle injury. Edwards has been gradually participating in practices this week and is working to make up for lost time. Edwards has $1.6 million guaranteed, but if the Bills were to waive him, they would save $1.2 million against their salary cap.
