‘No comment’: Eagles describe — and decline to discuss — life on the roster bubble ahead of NFL cut day

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — After the preseason finale between the Eagles and Dolphins mercifully came to an end Saturday evening — with the Eagles losing, 48-10 — the visitors locker room at Hard Rock Stadium remained partially upbeat.

Before throwing on his vintage Allen Iverson jersey, wide receiver A.J. Brown played several rap tunes from his phone while he was seated at his locker. Several stalls away from Brown, quarterback Jalen Hurts opted for his wireless AirPods as he scrolled through his phone. Just a few feet away from them, wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins shared smiles as the duo exited the room together.

None of the players mentioned above played in the third and final preseason game with coach Nick Sirianni deciding to sit a majority of his starters. And while the mood throughout one side of the room remained positive, the other side lingered with some nerves.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Dolphins analysis: Birds backups surrender early lead to Miami in 48-10 preseason finale blowout

With the Eagles closing out the preseason, general manager Howie Roseman and the rest of the front office is now tasked with trimming its roster from 80 to 53 players by the league’s deadline at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Roseman did a commendable job at improving the roster during the offseason, and the Eagles hope to build off their appearance in the NFC wild-card game last January.

But there still are several players fighting for their NFL lives with cut day fast approaching. Here’s a peek at life on the bubble, as told by some of the Eagles.

After showing off his cannon in Week 2, Sinnett put together a dud in the preseason finale. He was dealt a tough hand early; Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel played a majority of his defensive starters during the first four drives — with Sinnett taking over on the third series. But even when the Dolphins reserves were inserted, Sinnett struggled to move the ball downfield while the offense remained stagnant for a majority of the game. Sinnett completed 12 of 22 passes for 104 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception that was returned by Dolphins cornerback Elijah Campbell for a touchdown.

“I was a little up and down today,” Sinnett said. “I’ll hopefully watch the tape tomorrow. It’s football. There’s always places to go and get better from. I think I’ve definitely done enough to show I belong in this league. It’s not always up to me. But I think what I’ve been able to put on tape is solid. Of course, you’re always looking to get better and put stronger stuff on tape. That’s how I look at it, no matter if it’s Day 1 of training camp or the last day of the preseason. I feel like I belong, and I will always want to put better stuff on tape.”

Of the four players included on this list, Johnson probably has the best chance at securing a roster spot. But he improved his chances even further with another strong performance against the Dolphins. Johnson started in place of Haason Reddick, and it didn’t take long for him to make a highlight play. During the first half, Johnson lined up against Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson, a former first-round pick. Johnson initially beat Jackson to his outside, which forced Jackson to hold Johnson and also grab at his helmet, although neither penalty was flagged. Despite the extra movements, Johnson still shed his blocker, collapsed the pocket, and sacked quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“It was a good feeling,” Johnson said. “That’s something I’ve been working all week. I knew I wanted to wreak havoc on the edge. It’s something I did in college a lot, fighting through holds and hands to the face, still getting to the quarterback. Coach [Sirianni] gave me an opportunity here to go and ball out, get sacks, and put the offense behind the chains. I’m just going to keep on doing that.

“Me and [defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon] have a pretty close connection. I really like him. He does a great job coaching me. My whole progression throughout camp, I feel like has been pretty good, and that’s a testament to their belief in me. It comes a lot from coaching and putting that hard work in, getting that mindset to let me know I’m ready to takeover in these moments.”

Tartt might be an experienced safety, but he has been unimpressive. Considered a positive move at the time of his signing before training camp commenced, Tartt hasn’t done much to stand out. That he played late into Saturday’s game versus the Dolphins might be a testament to what the coaching staff thinks of the 30-year-old defensive back. His play also improved incrementally with each preseason game. Safety is the team’s thinnest position group, so that also could work in Tartt’s favor.

But when asked for his impressions of Gannon’s scheme, how he fits, and his overall performance in camp, Tartt politely declined multiple times with a “no comment.”

While Tartt has plummeted, Blankenship has skyrocketed. The 23-year-old rookie from Middle Tennessee has been one of the team’s strongest undrafted free agents in camp. Over three preseason games, Blankenship compiled 16 tackles. He’s not just padding stats, either. Blankenship has proven to be a sure tackler who utilizes fundamentals, technique, and his play strength. If Roseman favors draft pedigree over production, he’ll likely keep K’Von Wallace over Blankenship. But the latter certainly put together a strong argument.