The first preseason game for the 2025 edition of the Philadelphia Eagles is Thursday Night against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field.

After winning Super Bowl 59, the Eagles lost four starters and three important role players from last year’s team. Between Free Agency, Trades, and the NFL Draft, General Manager Howie Roseman has added players that Philadelphia’s coaches hope can adequately fill those voids.

A combination of opportunities in Training Camp, Preseason Games, and Intrasquad Practices will give the coaches the information the need to make decisions about who will be on the 53-man roster, who can land on the Practice Squad, and who gets their walking papers.

What Players You Need To Watch For In Eagles vs Bengals Preseason game

There are four position groups that players are competing for roster spots that will have a major impact on the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 NFL season:

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Running Back Will Shipley
After four seasons with the Eagles, Kenny Gainwell left Philadelphia in Free Agency to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has functioned as the primary third down Running Back and the top backup for Philadelphia because he is a reliable Pass Blocker and he is good catching the ball out of the backfield.

There is now uncertainty about who takes over that Gainwell role for an Eagles offense that became dependent on him as the backup for Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, and Miles Sanders.

Will Shipley is the player with the physical skillset that is the closest to Kenny Gainwell. Selected by the Eagles in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Shipley spent last season as a depth player on the Eagles who contributed on SpecialTeams.

In 36 games playing at Clemson, Shipley had 85 Catches and 31 Rushing Touchdowns in 36 games. He is definately capable of becoming the Eagles Backup Running back, but he must prove that he is reliable as a Pass Blocker and understands the nuances of the offense.

He is competing with former Packer Running Back AJ Dillon for the backup RB spot. But Dillion is more of a downhill running back who plays with power, so his skillset is different than Shipley. Since the former Clemson RB already knows the Eagles offense from last year, he is expected to get every opportunity to earn the job.

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Tight Ends Kaylen Granson, Harrison Bryant, and EJ Jenkins
Since Dallas Goedert became Philadelphia’s Starting Tight End in 2021, he has missed 17 games due to injuries. When you have a starter who averages four games missed per season, you need to make sure the depth at the position is on point.

Right now, the Eagles Backup Tight End is Grant Calcaterra, who did a good job last year filling in for Goedert. But Calcaterra has his own history of injuries while playing in the NFL and College Football.

This offseason, the Eagles added two tight ends who were good College Tight Ends who have been backups at the NFL level.

The most interesting name is Kylen Granson because of his versatility to play multiple roles in the offense. After playing both Tight End and Wide Receiver in college, the former SMU player has shown the ability to line up as a Fullback as well at the NFL level.

The other offseason addition was Harrison Bryant, the 2019 John Mackey Award winner (given to the best Tight End in College Football). After showcasing himself as a premium passing target in college at Florida Atlantic, he was relegated to becoming a backup Tight End in the NFL, where he has displayed good skills as a blocker.

The one holdover from the 2024 season who is competing for a roster spot is EJ Jenkins. The 6’6″ former College Wide Receiver has shown that he is a reliable pass and run blocker at the NFL level. But he lacks the versatility of Granson or the athletic resume that Bryant has.

All three men could get playing time Thursday night against the Bengals. Philadelphia has three weeks to let this competition play out before they make any major decisions.

(Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)

(Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)

Safeties Sydney Brown, Andrew Makuba, Tristin McCollum, and Andre Sam
When the Eagles traded CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans this offseason, Philadelphia will now have a fourth straight season with a different player starting at Safety on Week One of the NFL season.

Under second year Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, the responsibilities of the Safety position is different than past DCs like Jonathan Gannon and Sean Desai. That is part of the reason why the Eagles are getting second year Defensive Back Cooper Dejean reps at the position to give them more versatility heading into the 2025 season.

When Sydney Brown was drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it was with the hope that he would develop into the team’s next starter at safety. But a rough 2023 season combined with a complicated injury put Brown at a disadvantage when Fangio became Defensive Coordinator. 2025 is the first year Brown is getting real opportunity to show what he can do on the field at Training Camp.

Andrew Makuba was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft because his skillset is similar to former Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. Makuba is a well-round and instinctive player who on the surface is a great fit for fangio’s defense. The problem is, after sustaining a Shoulder Injury in Training Camp, Makuba is missing out on valuable reps and opportunities to compete for the starting job.

Tristin McCollum was the primary player who came into games last season at Safety. The former Sam Houston State Defensive Back has shown the football intelligence and skills to be a good safety in Fangio’s scheme. At 26 years old, he is the most mature option for the Eagles to start at Safety but he is not as physically gifted as some of the other Safeties.

Andre Sam is the wildcard for the Eagles roster in 2025. He was an undrafted Free Agent in 2024 who became a part-time special teams contributor but spent most of the year on the Practice Squad. Many people in the Eagles’ building love his upside and physical abilities. Sam has shown flashes of what he could be at Training Camp this year.

The working assumption is Philadelphia will keep at least four Safeties on the 53-man roster and try to get a couple guys onto the Practice Squad. How Sam and McCollum perform when called upon this month will have a major impact on the roster construction for the 2025 NFL season.

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Nickel Corner Mac McWilliams
When Cooper Dejean gets opportunities at Safety this month, the main guy getting the reps at Nickel/Slot Corner is Rookie Mac McWilliams. The former Central Florida Cornerback was a 5th round selection of the Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft.

McWilliams played mostly Outside Cornerback in college but his versatility is earning him the opportunity to audition for playing time in the Nickel and Slot positions on Fangio’s defense. If McWilliams can prove in Preseason games and Intrasquad Practices that he is dependable at this position, this makes him very valuable for the Eagles.

Cooper Dejean was a player who played all over the defense during his college career at Iowa and Philadelphia wants to utilize his skills in a similar way in 2025. If McWilliams shows he can handle the responsibilities at Nickel Corner, then that will not just earn him more playing time but opens the door for Fangio to use Dejean at Safety.

If Dejean can play some Safety and McWilliams can play some Nickel in 2025, Philadelphia does not have to keep as many Safeties (see Andre Sam above) on the active 53-man roster all season.

If you are looking for a place to watch Eagles preseason or regular season games in 2025, here are the top-rated places to watch the Birds play in New Jersey’s southernmost county:

Top Rated Places To Watch Eagles Games in Cape May County

If you are an Eagles fan, you want to cheer on your team with your fellow Philly Sports Fans! So for those who love to sing “Fly Eagles Eagles” and chant E-A-G-L-E-S, here are the best Cape May County Bars and Restaurants where you can watch the games this season. We have gathered data from Google Reviews, Facebook Reviews, and Google Analytics to create this list and rank what are the best places to watch Eagles games in New Jersey’s southernmost county.

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media