PHILADELPHIA — The preseason has arrived. The Philadelphia Eagles had a scheduled off day on Sunday. They are returning to practice Monday for the first of three full practices, plus two walk-throughs, leading up to Saturday’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.Sunday’s off day followed the team’s longest uninterrupted stretch of training camp: five practices and a walk-through over six days. There is much to review. The Athletic’s Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena analyzed the second week of training camp and what’s ahead this week.What was your biggest takeaway from the second week of training camp?Kubena: The defense’s depth. Entering training camp, I had one question regarding the overall strength of its starters: edge rusher. The strength of the defense’s depth stood out to me this past week — particularly at safety and linebacker, both of which have dealt with long-term injuries in recent seasons.The Eagles seem to have two solid options at safety between Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II. If Epps wins that position battle, Carter is still proving he can make plays as a safety, nickel and the secondary’s dime defender. Carter tracked a Jalen Hurts deep ball in coverage against Hollywood Brown and snagged an interception in Wednesday’s practice.Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is pleased with his progression. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is also catching my attention frequently at linebacker. He’s filling running lanes quickly, blitzing effectively and punching out passes in coverage. Jihaad Campbell has been less consistent in coverage, and Trotter’s availability makes that less of a concern to me.Eagles defense is outperforming the offense at training campZach BermanBerman: I’ll go over to offense. With DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon’s injuries, we’ve had more exposure to the rest of the receiver depth chart. I’ve been impressed by the depth, which is better than it has been in previous years. Dontayvion Wicks stood out, earned the trust of Jalen Hurts and is demonstrating why he’s a top three receiver on this team. (And he might be closer to No. 2 than No. 3 entering the season.)If you did not know Darius Cooper’s background and simply observed practices, you’d think he’s a surefire player on the 53-man roster. Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore both made plays with the first-team offense. Johnny Wilson came alive on Friday with a few nice catches. I’m still concerned about the wide receiver group because the top of the depth chart is a drop-off from the previous four seasons. Even if Smith can replace A.J. Brown’s production, it’s going to be hard to replace Smith’s presence as the No. 2. But I think Nos. 3-6 are in better shape than the past. That would support the idea of collectively replacing his production.What do you think about the present and future state of the Eagles offensive line?Kubena: Lane Johnson’s announcement on Saturday obviously warrants this discussion. His words carry significant weight, and he called Markel Bell “one of the best rookies I’ve been around.” That endorsement is enough for me to feel confident about the franchise’s future at right tackle.We got a chance to see Bell play right tackle for the first time during Johnson’s four-practice absence, and, to borrow Bell’s words, he did experience some “growing pains.” Johnson had told him he would. But when I see Bell absorb Jalyx Hunt’s power rushes and keep pace with Nolan Smith’s speed rushes, I think I see part of what Johnson sees.It is lofty to place All-Pro expectations on Bell as Johnson’s successor. The lineage of tackles dating back to Jason Peters makes that difficult to avoid. And, given Johnson’s status as a former first-round pick, and Peters’ arrival partly at the cost of a 2009 first-rounder, there is a tendency to think the Eagles ought to spend an equivalent investment on Johnson’s successor. But the Eagles have enjoyed elite play from former seventh-rounder Jordan Mailata, even though they had two full seasons to develop him in the background. Bell must soak up all he can this year from Johnson — and it still may take a few years for him to reach the position group’s standard.As for the interior, I am less convinced of their current and future depth there than new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion was Saturday, when he included Drew Kendall in his overall statement that the O-line has “a really good crop of young players as well.” It is not an encouraging sight to see center Cam Jurgens twice leave practice early and left guard Landon Dickerson sub out in first-team drills — even if it is part of a load management plan. (It is a reminder that both players require one.) Another draft cycle with greater investment in the interior would serve the Eagles well.Berman: If the starters are healthy, I’m comfortable with this group. That seems to be an annual statement from me, though. We’ll see if there’s anything to Jurgens exiting early the past two sessions. I like how Kendall played and believe they can get by with him if they need a reserve for a week or two. I’d be less enthusiastic about that option for a season-long replacement. And if there are two injuries on the interior, it’s even more concerning. At tackle, Bell has seemed to usurp Fred Johnson as the swing tackle. I don’t know if that’s as much due to the way Bell’s playing or Fred Johnson’s playing, but I’d agree I’ve seen some good signs from Bell.Still, I’m not yet convinced that Bell is Lane Johnson’s heir apparent. I wouldn’t rule it out, but for an organization keen on succession plans, I’m not sure they’d see a high third-round pick as the surefire replacement. (You’re correct about Mailata, although that wasn’t the plan. The Eagles drafted Andre Dillard in the first round to become a starting tackle.) If Bell can develop this year — and the tools are present — it would be an ideal outcome for the franchise as it would not need to push tackle in the draft. I’ve predicted the Eagles would take an offensive tackle in the first round in two of the last three mock drafts. I was wrong, although my guess is Howie Roseman would have been surprised had you told him three years ago that he’d go through the next three first and second rounds without addressing the position. So I’d say to readers: Hope Bell blossoms, but don’t disregard Dane Brugler’s offensive tackle rankings.What should we make of the training camp injuries — especially at wide receiver?Kubena: I am less concerned about DeVonta Smith’s pathway back to the field. He missed two November games with a hamstring injury in 2024 and closed that regular season with two 100-yard games. He also managed a hamstring injury before Super Bowl LIX and still delivered his dagger of a 46-yard touchdown catch in that game. Makai Lemon still has much to learn in this offense. Recall how Cooper DeJean suffered a hamstring injury before training camp during his rookie season, returned to joint practices with the New England Patriots, and still did not start at nickel until Week 5. One could argue DeJean had more to learn in moving to a completely new position. But Mannion’s system is much different than the shotgun-spread system Lemon thrived in at USC. On-field reps are invaluable to his development, and projections of him being a Week 1 contributor go down the longer he’s out. Elijah Moore had a good week of practice. It does, for now, look like the Eagles don’t have to be nudged to dump more on Lemon’s plate than is required.Berman: There haven’t been any season-ending injuries, which is a good sign. I’ve seen those pop up in other camps, and Washington just lost Laremy Tunsil for an extended period. The goal is to get to Week 1 healthy. At wide receiver, I don’t think a hamstring injury is ever something to dismiss. You don’t know if it’s an injury that can linger or must be managed during the season. (Also: Remember when injuries to the offensive linemen and Jalen Carter were not a major concern to the team last summer? You don’t want lingering injuries affecting a front-line player during the season.)I feel the same way you do about both DeVonta Smith and Lemon. With Lemon, he missed most of the spring with a hamstring injury. He’s already missed a week this summer. If this extends much deeper into August, he might be behind as a Week 1 contributor. You’ll hear the narrative that DeJean missed his spring and most of the summer (as you noted). That’s fair. But DeJean didn’t become a meaningful contributor on defense until Week 6. I’m not suggesting that Lemon’s rookie season will be washed away; I’m simply saying it could affect how much he’s used in the first month. That’s why the wide receiver depth is so important to monitor.What surprised you?Berman: Lane Johnson’s announcement surprised me. I know he said “probably” and “potentially,” but it’s reasonable to interpret it as a retirement announcement. There had been retirement murmurs in recent years, although I thought he’d wait to see if he could stay healthy and would keep playing while in good health. Clearly, there are circumstances beyond football that led to this decision. I respect the clarity of thought required. But when I categorize “surprise” — I didn’t drive to work Saturday morning expecting to write about and discuss the best player I covered in 15 years on the beat announcing his potential retirement.Kubena: Willie Lampkin’s rise. The 5-foot-11, 290-pound offensive lineman opened training camp subbing in at center with the third rotation. He is now getting reps at second-team right guard. That ascension can’t be written off by Kendall playing with the first-team unit when Dickerson leaves the field. The Eagles have not been fielding Myles Hinton at second-team left guard recently, which would free a veteran like Michael Jordan to play on the right side. Hinton spent the week at third-team left tackle. Lampkin has captured the coaching staff’s attention. Rookie quarterback Cole Payton said the Eagles show “good-effort” clips in team meetings after every practice, and that Lampkin is on those clips “all the time.” Lampkin has been overpowering the bottom end of the defensive line’s depth chart. If he keeps this up against the top dogs, there may be a spot on the 53-man roster for him.Who is your dark horse for the 53-man roster right now?Kubena: Darius Cooper. I left him off my initial 53-man roster projection. Stupid me. Arguably, he had the best practice of anyone this past week. Hurts singled Cooper out with praise in an interview with NFL Network. Cooper had a one-handed touchdown grab. He’s constantly diving and jumping for contested catches — and often making them. He is showcasing why people called him a “freak of nature” when I wrote about him last training camp. I still think there is room and reason for the Eagles to roster six receivers. If I were projecting another roster today, I would swap out Johnny Wilson for Cooper. Wilson has an enviable 6-foot-6, 228-pound frame, but Cooper had plenty of experience doing the dirty work, too, as a depth receiver with run-blocking responsibilities last season.Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper impressed with the team last season, but his play during training camp this summer warrants more attention. (Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)Berman: I’m with you on Cooper, who I also left off my 53-man roster, and I’d similarly swap Cooper for Wilson. So I’ll go with another option: Lampkin. I had them keeping 10 offensive linemen on my 53-man roster, so it’s either go with 11 or bounce somebody I had them coming. (It would likely be Myles Hinton, or perhaps they don’t keep Fred Johnson if Bell is the swing tackle.) But Lampkin has played well enough to earn a spot. Plus, the Eagles claimed him off waivers last season even while he was injured, which demonstrated their interest. Would Lampkin pass through waivers again if healthy? I’m skeptical. (Perhaps the Rams would try to bring him back…) Lampkin might not look the part, but you have to suspend your notion of what it’s supposed to look like and watch how he plays. He’s on my 53 if I put one out today.What are you watching this week?Kubena: How Mannion prepares for and handles his first game as an NFL play-caller. Coach Nick Sirianni built in “call-it” periods during training camp practices to give Mannion reps, but nothing beats the real thing. Points, yards, and conversion rates will be the major tell of success in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Ravens. But I would argue that pace, precision and discipline are more important at this point in training camp. The 2025 offense was clunky, slow to the line, and experienced early-down penalties that made things even tougher for a group that struggled to move the ball. Mannion’s system intends to make the offense the aggressor. Are they quick to the line when they want to be? Are they disciplined when using their new cadence as a pre-snap weapon? Do they play cleanly?Berman: I like that answer. (Can you believe it’s game week?! We’ll get more on that late in the week.) Two other things for you: 1) Lemon’s status; 2) Roseman’s roster activity. I mentioned the intrigue about Lemon’s status above. The sooner he returns, the better chance he has to contribute in September. As far as Roseman’s roster movement — he made five trades last August. The first was Aug. 5. I could see Roseman waiting for the first preseason game to determine if he needs to make a deal to fortify a certain position. However, joint practices in New England could complicate that second week in the preseason. It’s not as if the Eagles will have a runway for onboarding with those two practices. That’s why I’m curious whether Roseman will act this week.