You know the names.
They’ve earned a special place in your heart throughout the years. Paul Turner, Henry Josey, Rasheed Bailey and many more. They’re the training camp darlings.
These are the players who end up becoming fan favorites during training camp with a few spectacular plays. The guys you convince yourself will never make it through waivers. Some work out long-term and plenty don’t. But it’s always fun to see who emerges.
Here are five candidates to be this year’s training camp darling:
WR Danny Gray
The Eagles signed Gray (6-0, 200) to their practice squad last September but this will be his first training camp in Philly. He was initially drafted in the third round (105 overall) out of SMU by the 49ers in the 2022 draft, but hasn’t found success in the NFL. As a rookie, he played in 13 games and had just 1 catch for 10 yards. In his second season, he suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on IR. He was released at final cuts last August.
Gray, 26, began his college career at Blinn College before finishing up at SMU for two seasons. He was teammates with Grant Calcaterra in 2021. In his two years at SMU, Gray caught 82 passes for 1,251 yards (15.3) with 13 touchdowns. And then he went to the Combine and ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash.
Gray was a valued member of the practice squad during the Super Bowl season and made some plays in a few spring practices. Going into training camp, there’s a chance Gray can impress enough to earn a roster spot.
WR Terrace Marshall
The Eagles signed Marshall (6-2, 200) to a one-year deal this offseason and while his job is certainly not locked up, he has a chance to make the roster. Marshall, 25, is a name you’ve probably heard before. He was a second-round pick in 2021 out of LSU, but his career never really took off. His best season with the Panthers came in 2022, when he caught 28 passes for 490 yards and a touchdown. Last year, he caught just 3 for 41 with the Raiders.
While his career hasn’t panned out like he hoped, Marshall did get off to a good start. Perhaps he just needed to find a better spot.
During spring practices with the Eagles, Marshall got plenty of run with the first-team offense while A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were out of the lineup. Marshall made the most of those opportunities and has a decent chance to make the Eagles’ roster.
WR Ainias Smith
The Eagles’ fifth-round pick from a year ago missed all of the spring and then fell behind. Smith (5-9, 176) struggled last summer before picking it up a bit late in training camp. Smith ended up getting put on IR on Aug. 27 last year but was activated off IR in late October. He played in 7 games and finished his rookie season with 7 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown with most of that production coming in the regular season finale.
The Eagles like to have different body types and skillsets in their receiver room and Smith is a smaller, shifty receiver who probably projects best in the slot. He’s one of several receivers fighting for a couple spots. He also has some return upside.
RB Montrell Johnson Jr.
The Eagles signed Johnson (5-11, 212) as an undrafted free agent this spring out of Florida. Johnson was a really productive running back in college who has some size but also plenty of speed, which he showed off at the Combine, running a 4.41. He used that speed to make some house calls for the Gators.
Johnson missed a few games his senior season with a knee injury but still managed to rush for 593 yards on 100 carries (5.9) with 6 touchdowns. Johnson had a heavy workload with 569 carries in four college seasons but he was very productive with over 3,000 yards rushing and 33 touchdowns. He also caught 61 passes in his college career.
The Eagles bring back Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley from the 2024 season and signed A.J. Dillon as a free agent. But there could still be a job up for grabs and Johnson has a chance to earn it.
TE E.J. Jenkins
Jenkins, 26, first joined the Eagles’ practice squad during the 2023 season. In 2024, he began the season on the practice squad again but was elevated for three games and eventually signed to the 53-man roster in December. Jenkins (6-6, 245) eventually played in eight regular season games and all four playoff games. His only catch was a touchdown in Week 18.
The Eagles this offseason added a couple of veteran tight ends in Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson but there’s no guarantee either will make the roster behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra. Jenkins has a head start in this offense and had an impressive training camp last year.
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