Eagles' preseason exposed 1 clear flaw of Nick Sirianni's roster

They say preseason is like a backyard barbecue—grill smoke, cheap beer, and someone always burns the wings. But for Eagles fans watching Friday’s 19-17 win over the Jets, the smoke curled into a question mark.

The scoreboard smiled, yet the offense coughed and wheezed like a beat-up Trans-Am on I-95. What looked like a quiet August night quietly screamed a warning: the depth behind Jalen Hurts might be thinner than a Jersey diner napkin.

The understudies fumbled their lines, and the director was left scrambling for a new script.

That script now includes a new polarizing character, Sam Howell.

Sirianni's Depth Chart Reality Check

Rookie sixth-round pick Kyle McCord and trade acquisition Dorian Thompson-Robinson combined for a preseason performance so anemic it forced general manager Howie Roseman to deal for Sam Howell. The move was a direct response to a failed audition.

McCord’s preseason was a brutal watch. He finished a combined 24-for-56 passing for just 191 yards. He tossed two interceptions to one touchdown. Most damningly, the Eagles averaged a microscopic 2.6 yards per play with him under center against the Browns and Jets. Sirianni acknowledged the lack of "complementary football."

The offense flatlined. This wasn’t a rookie finding his feet. It was a free fall. Meanwhile, presumed number two Tanner McKee watched from the sideline, nursing a fractured thumb.

His absence magnified the problem. The Eagles' offense, a well-oiled machine with Hurts, became a jalopy with its deep reserves. Sirianni’s plan to evaluate his QB3 candidates backfired spectacularly, offering no confidence in either option. Hence, Roseman pivoted with the urgency of a playoff drive.

He shipped late-round draft capital to Minnesota for Howell, a quarterback with 18 NFL starts. This wasn’t a move made lightly. It was a necessary correction.

Roseman’s Reactive Gambit

As analyst Jeff McLane noted, "McCord was gradually given more practice snaps than Thompson-Robinson and played the entirety of Friday’s preseason finale... they needed someone with experience in case McKee’s fractured thumb isn’t healed in 10 days, but mostly they wanted a third quarterback with potential to be a No. 2. They didn’t see that kind of future for McCord." The rookie was waived a day later, a stark end to a hometown story.

They also waved bye to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. DTR saw his fortunes crater after a disastrous performance against his former Browns team. A pick-six in that game sent him tumbling down the depth chart, ultimately behind McCord. The arrival of Howell made him expendable, closing the book on another preseason gamble that didn't pay off.

Howell brings something McCord and DTR sorely lacked: experience. He has seen live NFL fire, even on a bad Commanders team. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the Eagles are his third team in a matter of months. Analyst Mike Florio didn’t mince words: "Sam Howell is dumped via trade to the Eagles." But this might just be a classic low-risk, high-reward Roseman special.

Howell’s 18 career starts are a tangible asset McCord couldn’t offer. His past performance against the Eagles, boasting a 107.2 rating, proves he can spin it. Additionally, this move is more about securing a competent insurance policy. And that too with someone who has actually taken regular-season snaps.

This episode highlights the high-stakes nature of roster construction. For every late-round hit like Tanner McKee, there are misses. McCord became the latest example. Roseman’s obsession with Day 3 draft picks is usually a strength, but this particular dart missed the board entirely.

Howell, still on his cheap rookie deal, is a calculated flier. The upside is a quarterback who once threw for nearly 4,000 yards. The downside is a third-stringer who costs almost nothing. It’s a savvy hedge against disaster.

In the end, the Eagles’ preseason served its purpose. It diagnosed a critical weakness before the games truly counted. The front office responded quickly.

So the Eagles march toward Dallas in Week 1 with a Ferrari starter and a spare tire behind McKee that might be of use. Sirianni’s gamble is that Hurts stays upright for 17 games. However, history suggests that’s like betting on a Philadelphia winter without snow. As the late Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part.”