This is the way the 2025 preseason opened for wide receiver Darius Cooper: 6 catches, 82 yards, and a touchdown. Undrafted from Tarleton State, Cooper opened eyes early in the summer, continued to make progress, and suddenly was a "player to watch" in his rookie preseason. He ended up winning a spot on the 53-man roster and staying there all year.
When it was time to step up in the preseason, Cooper delivered. And his production paid off. That's the value of the preseason games, a series of three show-me games for the majority of the men on the 90-man roster.
"Just staying focused and taking advantage of my opportunities," said Cooper, who caught 9 passes for 92 yards last year in the regular season. "I'm being where my feet are. Last year is in the past and I'm just looking forward to taking it every day at a time, but definitely grateful, definitely blessed on my career so far. So I'm definitely excited for it."
Welcome to the preseason, where everything matters for those who are on the football field. A 90-man roster gets cut to 53 players by Sunday, August 30 at 6 PM. Between now and then, there are three preseason games and for the Eagles, Saturday night in Baltimore (8 PM, NBC10/Eagles app in Philadelphia, SportsRadio 94WIP) is ultra-important.
For the first time this year, the Eagles will play a team in a different jersey. Three weeks of Training Camp give way to a 60-minute football game that doesn't count in the standings but is still a valuable opportunity for the players and coaches.
"Preseason games are what gave me a chance in this league," offensive tackle Fred Johnson said. "I was signed by Pittsburgh (as an undrafted free agent) and played in the preseason and made the team, made the roster. Without the preseason games, I wouldn't have had a chance to show what I could do in a game situation."
It is difficult to narrow down What To Watch in Saturday's game, but here are a few storylines to follow in this opener at M&T Bank Stadium ...
**1\. Sorting out the offensive line depth**
The starters appear to be established – Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, and Lane Johnson from left to right. Behind them, the Eagles have Johnson, an experienced swing tackle, and then some young, promising players.
One of those players is Willie Lampkin, who has gained quite a bit of attention in the practices. He is on the smaller side as far as offensive linemen go – he is listed at 5-11, 290 pounds – but Lampkin has a wrestling background and has used his leverage as an advantage. Claimed off of waivers from the Rams last season, Lampkin has been a story this summer having been here through the spring.
"It's definitely a better advantage. Last season when I came in, I was injured, so that was a little tough for me, but now it feels like a new beginning," he said. "I'm having a great time learning the playbook, learning from Landon, learning from Jordan, Lane, Coach Coop (Chris Kuper).
"They've been teaching me a lot, and I'm just blessed."
No word on whether any starters will play – the Eagles have joint practices the following week before Preseason Game 2 in New England – but this is a great chance for roster hopefuls like Lampkin to make the big push.