The Eagles are scheduled to play a preseason game tomorrow against the Indianapolis Colts. The final result doesn't matter, of course, but the third preseason game is always interesting since it's treated as the dress rehearsal. We won't see Philadelphia's starters suit up for game action until the Eagles' first regular season game takes place on Sunday, Sept. 11. Here's a list of the eight most interesting Eagles players to watch during the game on Saturday night. Keep in mind the starters will play into the third quarter.
1) Dorial Green-Beckham
Dorial Green-Beckham is easily one of the most intriguing players on Philadelphia's roster right now. The 6-5, 237 pound receiver officially made his Eagles debut last week against the Steelers, but his playing time was very limited. It's unclear how much DGB will play against the Colts, but Doug Pederson did confirm he'll play with the first team. It'll be interesting to see if DGB can have more of an impact this week after going through a full week of practice and getting familiarized with the playbook. His large presence in the red zone is always intriguing.
2) Stefen Wisniewski
Isaac Seumalo has been ruled out for Saturday's game after suffering an injury during practice this week. The rookie left guard will be replaced by the veteran Stefen Wisniewski. Pederson indicated Seumalo won't lose his job due to injury but that won't stop Wiz from trying to earn the starting job. The 27-year-old blocker has started and played in 77 career games, so he has a lot of experience under his belt. He's never been a backup before so this is his chance to make a strong impression.
3) Wendell Smallwood
Smallwood is finally expected to play after missing the first two preseason contests. The rookie rusher from West Virginia missed a lot of valuable practice reps and game snaps due to a quad injury. He's arguably the fourth running back on the team's depth chart behind the like of Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, and Kenjon Barner. Barner has had a good summer and he contributes on special teams. Now it's time for Smallwood to show what he's got. Look for the Eagles to get him involved in the passing attack since he's show potential as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
4) Stephen Tulloch
The team's newest linebacker will make his Eagles debut on Saturday night. He'll be sporting the No. 54 jersey. The Eagles were motivated to sign Tulloch after Joe Walker suffered a season-ending injury last week. The 10-year NFL veteran obviously has extensive experience playing in Jim Schwartz's scheme. Despite the Schwartz connection, though, Pederson said Jordan Hicks is still the starting middle linebacker. The Eagles head coach also said he wants to see Tulloch contribute on at least one special teams unit. It'll be interesting to see how the Eagles use Tulloch in this game.
5) Sam Bradford
The Eagles' starting offense hasn't shown much promise through two preseason games. Sammy Sleeves has spent a lot of time checking down the summer away. The Eagles are probably hoping to see some more life of their first team unit against the Colts' starters. Indianapolis will be without six cornerbacks (including their best three) in this game, so there's little excuse for the Eagles passing attack not to get going. Bradford needs to show some more aggression than usual.
6) Chris Givens
Givens has drawn criticism for having a quiet summer. While some believe he might not make the 53-man roster, the feeling here is that he brings a unique skill set to the table. Givens is one of Philadelphia's best deep threats. Now, that's not necessarily a big compliment as much as it's an indictment against the Eagles' lackluster group of receivers. Still, the Eagles should look to have Bradford take some deep shots down the field to Givens. The two players had a good rapport in St. Louis and they also connected on some big plays during training camp. Let's see if Givens can givens the Eagles anything.
7) JaCorey Shepherd
483 days after being drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, JaCorey Shepherd is finally set to suit up for his first NFL game. The once-promising Shepherd has really fallen off the map since his season-ending ACL injury in training camp last year. Heading into last season, it was looking like Shepherd was going to be the starting nickel corner. Heading into this season, it looks like Shepherd won't even make the team. He's missed a lot of time due to injury and he's been outplayed by the likes of Jalen Mills, Aaron Grymes, and C.J. Smith. Shepherd might not be able to make the Eagles' roster but he's still practice squad eligible. He's also fighting to show enough to earn a job with a new team if/when Philadelphia cuts him.
8) Caleb Sturgis
Caleb Sturgis has clearly been a better kicker than Cody Parkey this offseason. He's very much on pace to win the competition. I am a little curious to see how Sturgis performs after getting hit in the head with a football and suffering a concussion last week. He's since been cleared to return. For his sake, hopefully there are no lingering effects from the injury.