The DiCecco Daily: What Will Joe Milton's Role Be For Eagles?

Hey, what's going on, everybody? Welcome in to another episode of DiCecco Daily. It's Andrew DiCecco, Eagles beat reporter for insidethebirds.com. And we do have some more news for the Eagles. They have signed quarterback Joe Milton off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, and he's now on their 53-man roster. In a corresponding move, running back Will Shipley, who has the foot injury, remember there's a partial tear to his plantar fascia. He's been placed on injury reserve. So that's the roster spot. And now the Eagles have three quarterbacks, if you're not including Jalen Hertz, Tanner McKee, Cole Payton, Joe Milton. And there was some intrigue for Joe Milton coming out of the draft. And he, remember, he started at Michigan, ended up at Tennessee. And I think he did some good things. You like his size at 6'5, 236 pounds. Has some background in this offense, at least just the basic principles here. Played in five games over his time. And he began his career as a six round pick in 2024 of the New England Patriots, with the Dallas Cowboys for 2025 and 2026. And he played in five games. So his first season, 22 of 29, 241, one touchdown, no interceptions. The following season, 15 for 24, 183, and one touchdown and two interceptions. He's someone who has a very strong arm, but he's very inaccurate. So he still is a tools-laden prospect. I guess you can say he is 26 years old and he's gonna need, he needs work. He needs more polish to his game. But what I can tell you is that he has a very strong arm. I like this college tape. He's intriguing and he can move a little bit. When you look at his 40 yard dash, 4'6. He can maneuver a pocket. And I think that that kinda gives you quality simulation on the practice field if you're looking to try to simulate what some of the things that J1 Hurts can do or even mobile quarterbacks that you're going up against. So Joe Milton will be your third quarterback and the roster spot that he takes belonged to Will Shipley who's on Injured Reserve. So he has to miss at least four weeks. The Eagles have a lot of roster decisions to make this week and we're gonna go through the injury report because they got some encouraging news. No designation for wide receiver Devontae Smith. And I mean, that's as good a news as you can hope for. So before we get into that out, running back Saquon Barkley, hamstring, defensive back, Michael Carter, abdomen, outside linebacker, Jay Lux Hunt, knee, ankle, quarterback, Jaywin Hertz, calf, running back, Will Shipley, foot, doubtful, outside linebacker, AJ Eponesa, back, questionable, cornerback, Jacory and Bennett, knee, tight end, Grant Calcutera, back, guard, Landon Dickerson, knee, center, Drew Kendall, knee, and tight end, Eli Stowers, quad. So you're not gonna have Saquon Barkley for another week. That's not really a surprise. We were out there on the practice field this week and didn't see Saquon at any point this week. And I didn't see him on the field last week either. I did see Devontae working. He does not have a designation, so he will play. So too will Dontavian Wicks, who let's not forget, was on the injury report on Thursday, not practicing with a hamstring injury. So the Eagles are gonna get their top two receivers to pair with McKay Lemon, which is great news for them as they move forward here in the interim with quarterback Tanner McKay. So they're not gonna be totally barren in terms of their skill players. You have Dallas Goddard. You might have one or two of these tight ends that I mentioned is limited in Grant Calcaterra and Eli Stowers. Now both players, to be clear, would have to be activated to the 53-man roster in order to even be available. So you'd have to clear out some roster spots there. One of them I mentioned, that cleared out the spot for Joe Milton was Will Shipley. You have other players that you could maybe toggle with, and maybe one, you can bring them back on the practice squad. Like when I look at the tight end position, I look at someone like Johnny Munt. Clearly, the Eagles value what he can bring as a blocker. Although, to be frank with you, I haven't seen a ton of the imposing inline blocking that I was expecting to see, and he's a veteran at 31 years old that you could probably get on the practice squad. But those are the type of moves that you have to think about if you're trying to make space for a lot of these players. I mentioned those two. They're not the only tight ends. Zach Ertz is out of elevations, and he's still on the practice squad. You're eventually probably going to have to figure out what you're going to do with him moving forward. They have EJ. Jenkins, who I think is a fine inline blocker, good size, helps on special teams a lot, which I think goes a little bit overlooked, his role on special teams and what he provides there. And of course you have Dallas Goddard. So they have an abundance of tight ends and they're going to have to figure out how they're going to do it. Now, just because you were activated and practiced this week, or not even activated, you had your 21 day practice window activated and practiced this week, doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be active this week. And when I look at someone like Landon Dickerson, depending on where he is health wise, if he's healthy and good to go, I mean, he's playing, he'd be the left guard without question. And then all of a sudden you have some continuity there on the left side. We'll see what happens with center. I remember I mentioned Drew Kendall being limited with the knee. They have some options. I don't know where they're going to go with center. You have Willie Lampkin, you have Drew Kendall. And if they want to maybe give him another week to rest that knee, then it would, in that scenario, be between Willie Lampkin and Jake Majors. And it would depend on who they feel more comfortable with in this particular game. And then you got your right guard, Tyler Steen, and right tackle, Markel Bell. Now, to be clear, I think it's the right move to play Markel Bell. He's a young player. You want to get him these on the job reps and on this on the job training. But in a game like this, where you have someone like Tanner McKee, who isn't a statue by any means, but he's not fleet-footed by any means either, I don't know. I personally would feel a little bit more comfortable if I'm them with Fred Johnson there at right tackle. But understandably, Markel Bell is the future at that position. Or at least they're going to know by the end of this season whether or not he is in fact the future at right tackle. So that's kind of where injuries stand right now. Getting Devontae Smith back in the line up is enormous. And he spoke in the locker room Friday and he mentioned that he sustained the hamstring injury in the Tennessee game. You know, it was 100 degrees. He mentioned being dehydrated, all those things. And he played through it. He played through it again against Chicago. And he determined that after that it was in his best interest and the best interest of the team for him not to continue to push it and make it worse. So that's why he was sidelined for the past couple of games. But that's a welcome addition for Tanner McKee, who makes his first NFL start Sunday in a meaningful NFL game. Remember, he started games in week 18 in the past. But this is the first time where he's going to have to step in with a game that means something. And the running back situation we talked about. No Will Shipley, no Saquon Barkley, no Tank Bigsby. You're going to see a lot of Damian Pearce who spoke on Friday. I really like Damian Pearce's personality. Man, does he have some charisma. Just always upbeat and a lot of energy. It's easy to see why Nick Sirianni took a liking to him. But you have Damian Pearce, you have Carson Steele. Both are on the 53 already. And then Jaden Blue is on the practice squad. He's been here since the beginning of the season. And so, because he has familiarity, he would make sense. You have to have three running backs. So you get him on the game day roster via elevation. And I would imagine, I just mentioned AJ Eponess is out. Grenard, it sounds like it's gonna be a game time decision. He's gonna have to test out that ankle on the field. So kind of going back to what I was saying earlier in the week, I mentioned this I think Tuesday. I wouldn't be surprised if you see Keyshawn James Newby, the rookie edge rusher out of New Mexico, was on the practice squad, elevated for this week as well. So my predictions would be Jaden Blue and Keyshawn James Newby in terms of just the practice squad elevations. And James Newby is an interesting player. I really liked him coming out of the draft. I thought that that was a smart pick at the end. He was very productive in the three colleges that he played for, Montana Tech, Idaho and New Mexico. He's a smaller guy. And when I mean, when I say that, I mean, he has a linear build. He's a speed rusher. I think he runs a four or five. So I have to think that if he is elevated, he can help you on special teams. I like his personality. I've enjoyed the conversations that I've had with him. Really smart guy. And it seems to me like he's someone that, yes, he missed a lot of time in camp with an injury, but he has his wits about him. And he's a smart enough guy. You can see he has the football acumen necessary to pick things up. And it's not an easy system to learn for an edge rusher, because you're asked to do different things, presumably, than he was asked to do in college. But that's kind of where I'm leaning right now, just based off of numbers. But even earlier in the week, that my gut just told me, I was like, I'm going to keep an eye on on James Newby. Now, we'll find out Saturday by 4 o'clock Eastern time, whether or not he is one of those players elevated. But Jaden Blue, we talked about, draft pick out of the Dallas Cowboys last season, fifth round pick, smaller guy, 5'9, 198 pounds, had, I think, 38 carries last year as a rookie. Good quickness, and he does have the ability to return kicks. He's good in the open field. And as the third running back, you just need to have three running backs available. I don't really anticipate him getting any touches because Carson Steele, who was available for the Eagles in London, didn't get any carries. And that was even when Damian Pierce was the only running back after Will Shipley went down. So the Eagles are gonna be under manned in certain positions, but from a wide receiver standpoint, they're gonna have all their guys, and we'll see if they have a Landon Dickerson in the mix. So it may not look as bad or as, I should say, diminished as it initially appeared earlier in the week. There's gonna be some patches there where you're gonna need some reserves to step in there and give you a good effort, and they will, but you can't really replace what a starter is going to give you, obviously, but I don't think it's as dire as it initially appeared, and the injury report certainly dictates that. I think you're gonna see a good game from both Devontae Smith and Don Tavian Wicks. And I think what I'm most looking forward to seeing in this game is just what the offense looks like, because we're now in week six, and I can't tell you, in all honesty, that I have an idea of what this offense is, what they're looking to accomplish, because they're melding two different offenses together. They've gotten further away from the under center play action, the heavy dose that we saw in the spring and the summer, and you're now seeing an offense that sort of resembles a lot of what we saw over the past several seasons here with Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. So what will it look like with Tanner McKee? I don't know, I'm not sure, but I'm very intrigued to see. I know McKee gets the ball out. He did not have a good training camp. There's no mistaking that, and there's a reason why they went with Andy Dalton, I think all things being equal, and their play was fairly on the same playing field, on the same level there. You defer to the veteran, he's been in the system, he knows how to play the position, there's probably a trust and a confidence level there in him. McKee has more upside clearly, and who knows? Two months after the final preseason game, where it looked like he still had a ways to go in terms of just learning the system, maybe Tanner McKee has a better foothold, a better grasp on the intricacies of this offense, because let's not forget, all of the quarterbacks, Sands, Andy Dalton in the summer, had to go through a growing phase. That wasn't just exclusive to Jalen Hurts or rookie Cole Payton. Tanner McKee should be given the same grace and maybe not viewed as a player who's just suddenly regressed. I don't know that. I'm trying to provide some rationale and some context here because it's hard for me to imagine that a player just drops off as drastically as he did, looking at, yeah, week 18 last year wasn't good, but Tanner McKee did not have a good training camp. He was very uneven. And I thought later in camp, he pulled away a little bit from Dalton, but it wasn't anything that was really noticeable. Like it was very incremental and it wasn't really surprising to me that they ended up going with Dalton. But now they have their three quarterbacks and they're going to move forward with McKee in the interim here. But I am very intrigued to see what Sean Manion has cooked for this game and if you're able to see more, maybe of what they were looking to establish in the summer, I don't know. There's going to be a lot of pressure that Carolina is going to bear down. So McKee is really going to have no choice but to get rid of the football quickly. And we'll see where things go. But I think you're giving him, you're at least giving him a fighting chance by having Devontae Smith, and Tabian Wicks, Dallas Goddard, maybe Landon Dickerson out there. Maybe you have a little bit more variety in terms of your tight ends to kind of go into the safety position though in this game as we shift over to the defensive side. The Eagles are light there. Michael Carter is out. And I think Michael Carter, he's probably somebody that in the grand scheme gets overlooked. I like what I saw from Michael Carter, not just in training camp, I like Michael Carter a lot with the New York Jets. As a Nickelback, the way that he moves, the way that he played the football, the eye discipline. I like the short area quickness, his ability to match with receivers of different sizes. Just a really good football. I think he's a really good football player. And now, well, at least he was as a Nickelback. And now he's seemingly taken to this safety role pretty well. And they're not going to have him this week. Hey, football is heating up and everyone's pulling up because prize picks has all your picks in one place. New users, get yourself a head start with prize picks. Best offer yet. If you win your first $5 lineup, you'll get $150 in lineups. That's right. New users get $150 in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. Prize picks is available nationwide. So what are you waiting for? Lock in for kickoff with prize picks. What you want? I'll tell you what I'm on. It's the Bengals wide receivers, T. Higgins, Jamar Chase. They're unbelievable. And Joe Burrow is healthy and he's finding them. So go to prize picks, find Higgins, find Chase, look at their projected stat and hit them more on it. So lock in with me for game time because everyone and everything is on prize picks. Prize picks has your back when other apps don't. Did you know prize picks invented the injury reboot? Yeah, that's right. If a player in your lineup gets injured in the first half and doesn't return, your lineups can still cash. The prize picks injury protection policy help users win over $31 million in the 2025 season. Download the app today and use code birds to get 150 instantly in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. That's right, $150 instantly in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup by downloading the app today and using the code birds. Prize picks, run your game. Everything in life comes down to choice, doesn't it? Whether it's choosing the team you root for, who you listen to, or how you power your home, you deserve the freedom to choose your own adventure. And that goes for your power bill too. Right now across the US, Americans have the potential to harness limitless, clean, affordable energy. We could be powering our hospitals, our schools, our farms and so much more. In some places, this abundant local power is already helping lower utility bills and creating jobs. But depending on where you live, you may not have the option to choose limitless energy for your household. That has to change. We should all get to choose the energy we pay for. Cheaper, cleaner, limitless energy is out there. Let's find more ways to use it. Head over to energylimitless.com to learn more about your energy options. And so, I would imagine you're looking at Marcus Epps and Drew Micuba. You also have Kenny Moore, who can do it. But make no mistake about it. Say what you will about the Carolina Panthers. They do have two good wide receivers. Tommy Trumbull is a nice tight end who I like. I think that he's kind of underutilized in their system. But you have Tett McMillan, who is really coming into his own and becoming much more of a household name this year. And you have Jalen Coker, who those of you who have been following my work for a while may remember that when I did the draft dreams, maybe three, four years ago now, I picked Jalen Coker as someone to interview. He didn't get drafted, I don't think. But he went to Holy Cross, really good story development. And he's a nice player to have opposite Tett McMillan. They're gonna have him there. Their offensive line is pretty susceptible to pressure. And this is where I'm expecting the Eagles up front to build off of what you saw from Jalen Carter. And maybe you get Mauro Jomo and Jordan Davis into the mix. And they're able to kind of put quarterback Bryce Young under siege. Now, Bryce Young, you want to talk about someone who's emerged. It may have taken a little bit longer than the Panthers would have liked. But man, he's a really up and coming quarterback. And I think he does a lot of things well. And we'll see what the defensive plan is. But I certainly like the way that things are trending defensively. They are starting to hit their stride. That's kind of been a common trend with the Vic Fangio defense, where you kind of see them catch fire. Or it takes a little bit of time. But when they do, man, that's going to be something to watch. And I look at what Jaywin Carter did, what Cooper Dejean did, what Zach Bond did, what Quinian Mitchell continues to do. And it's not hard to be intrigued with what they could provide. And we talked about the edge rusher. I should also mention, and I did mention, but to reiterate, no Jaylux Hunt. And with AJ FNSA doubtful, yeah, you need another player there. And Jonathan Grenard being sort of a game time decision. But I think Keyshawn James Newby would be the logical one. I felt that it would, regardless, earlier in the week. And man, if he does get elevated, I'm telling you, I don't know how much of, if he would play on defense. But he's a player that I wanted to see more of in the preseason. I understand that he had the injury. But I like what I saw from him in a limited sample size. And I think they might have something there as a developmental prospect. Looking at the Panthers from a special teams perspective, I was told that they have a kicker who kicks a knuckleball. So that makes things a little bit difficult or tricky, I should say, on those kickoffs. Remember, the Eagles faced Joshua Cardy with the Rams the year prior. And they're gonna have to really be detailed and hone in on that, be able to play the ball well. I don't know that there's gonna be any explosive returns in this game. Could be wrong, but Carolina has a pretty sound group. And I was kind of told that the kicker, he kicks a knuckleball. And there probably isn't going to be the explosive returns that we've seen from the Eagles in recent weeks, especially on punt return. They're a pretty sound unit. And special teams has been the Eagles driving force through the really the first five games. That's what they've been able to hang their hat on. Defensively, that's going to change because they're coming on. And I think if they continue to play like they did against Jacksonville, they are going to be recognized among the elite as they should after overcoming some of those growing pains. And they are dealing with some injuries in key spots, namely the edge position. But I like what I've seen from them. And I think they're going to continue to take steps forward in the right direction. But special teams has been, you know, you talk about Braden Mann, Jake Elliott. Aside from last week, I think their kick return game, their coverage has been great. I think their punt coverage has been excellent. I think Britton Covey, who is second in the NFL in punt return yards, has been fantastic and deserves league-wide recognition for what he's doing. And, yeah, I mean, Michael Clay, I think, is doing a really good job. I think Michael Clay is doing a really good job. I think he's one of those coaches that kind of gets lost in the mix a little bit. And I do what I can when I can to make sure that I'm mentioning what he's doing. You know, a lot of teams, and this isn't just exclusive to Philadelphia. League-wide, you tend to lose sight of the special teams coordinator. But I think Michael Clay has a very bright future ahead of him. And they play hard for him. If you watch how they attack and how they're... You can get starters to jump in. You can get players who really haven't played much special teams in their careers to step in there and buy in and essentially run through a wall for them. I think that speaks to Michael Clay's ability to reach his players. And everyone speaks so glowingly about him. All the players that I've talked to, to be specific, that they just have a lot of positive things to say about him and how he goes about his business and how he's really able to command the room and elicit that buy in. So that's kind of where things are going into Sunday. And I'll tell you right now, I'm gonna have the Eagles winning this game by a score of 20 to 13. I think they rally around Jalen Hurts and the news that the superficial blood clot, and the vibes in the locker room, I would say on Thursday, were pretty upbeat. Fall is the season where everyone gets busier. More calls, more customers, more chances for something to slip through the cracks. And staying ahead means having the right system, not just working harder. That's why today's episode is brought to you by QO, spelled Q-U-O, the business phone system built so you never miss a call. QO is the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000 businesses who rely on it to stay reachable and look professional every day. Money is on the line. Always say hello with QO. Try QO for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to qo.com/birds. That's quo.com/birds. Hey, Philly fans, game day is stressful enough. Parking, traffic, long lines, we've all been there. But when it comes to your cannabis, Camden Apothecary makes it easy. This is the dispensary for sports fans. Just minutes outside of Philly with plenty of free parking. You'll be in and out fast, no hassle, no waiting. They don't just care about convenience. Camden Apothecary is all about the guest experience. Their staff makes sure you feel taken care of every time you walk in. Plus, they carry only the best quality cannabis at the fairest prices. So whether you're stocking up for the tailgate, the watch party or celebrating a big win, you know you're getting the good stuff without overpaying. They even show love to the community with specials for fans, students, service members and healthcare pros. Camden Apothecary, top quality cannabis, great prices and an experience made for Philly fans 21 and up. And this is where I feel the need to give Jordan Milato a mention here because his ability as a leader, I don't want that to get lost. Because think about what has transpired and how his world has been turned upside down from a job perspective. You lose Lane Johnson to retirement. You lose Cam Juergens. You might get Lennon Dickerson back, but now you lose J1 Hertz. All of these pieces around him that he's worked with for years are no longer there. And he is now being that stabilizing presence, the voice that resonates. He's pouring into the young players. He's guiding everyone along. He's focused on his emotions and his direction and how he leads the team. Those are two things that he said. And I think that he just epitomizes what it means to be a leader. And I can't express how much respect I have for how he's approached it, because this is the most challenging time that I can remember that he's had to lead this team. And now, a lot of those familiar faces that have done it with him, Reed Blankenship, the Kobe Dean and, you know, there's others, Lane Johnson, they're no longer there. So this is, I think Jordan has really answered the bell here, and he's been keeping everything together. And when I say that the locker room is upbeat, it is, but it starts with Jordan. It starts with Nick Sirianni and the messaging throughout the week and the consistency and not having a woe is me mentality going out there and saying, this is where we are. This is who we are working with. And in Jordan's case, I need to bring these guys along. I need to instill confidence in them. And talking to some of those younger linemen, that has exactly been the case. So I think that's important to mention here as we wrap things up. And with that, that's going to do it for this episode of DiCecco Daily. I'm Andrew DiCecco, and I'll catch you all on the next one.