Philadelphia Eagles' Biggest Preseason Disappointments so Far

It's difficult to find much to be disappointed about with regards to the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason. Through two games, they've handled opponents by a total score of 76-27. All three units—offense, defense and special teams—have been firing on all cylinders.

But it is, after all, the preseason, a time to evaluate and fix weaknesses. And while the Eagles have steamrolled their first two opponents, this team is far from flawless.

Then again, most of the disappointments this summer stem from injuries one way or the other. That's led to a lack of playing time for some key players who could really use the live game reps. Here are some of the things we were looking forward to but haven't seen so far in preseason action.

Not Enough Sam Bradford

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The good news is Sam Bradford played against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, led a touchdown drive and walked off the field under his own power. The bad news is we only got to see it once.

Bradford was under center for just one series in his first NFL action in almost a full year. He completed three of five passes for 35 yards on the 12-play, 84-yard march into the end zone, and while some rust was evident, it was a quality debut overall. Best of all, Bradford took a couple of hits and was able to shake them off.

But again, it was only one series. Bradford didn't play at all in the opener, and with the biggest dress rehearsal on deck, we still have little to evaluate or even get excited about with the Eagles' new quarterback.

It's a minor gripe, to be sure, although by now we hoped to see a little more extensive action from the sixth-year veteran.

Injury to Zach Ertz

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Once again, there was a ton of hype surrounding Zach Ertz this summer. Aside from the anticipated jump the tight end was expected to make in his third NFL season and the highlight-reel catches he was making every day at practice, there was a lot of talk he could potentially push Brent Celek for the starting job.

Unfortunately, Ertz will miss the entirety of the preseason after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. He's expected back in time for the regular season opener or shortly thereafter, but the battle for the No. 1 tight end job is effectively over.

Ertz is clearly the better receiving threat of the two, but Celek has seen more playing time in each of the last two seasons because he's a far superior blocker. There was talk of Ertz working on improving in that aspect during this offseason, but without preseason games to evaluate, the coaching staff won't have a frame of reference.

Ertz will still have a major role in the offense when he returns, but it looks like he'll still be splitting time at best.

Interior Linebacker Rotation Still Unclear

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

We've been waiting all offseason to see how the Eagles are going to make it work at interior linebacker with Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks. Two weeks into the preseason, we still have no answer.

That's because none of the three have suited up for a game yet; all are battling injuries. In fact, it's been weeks since all three were even full participants at practice.

Early in training camp, all three were rotating in with the first-team defense. However, on Sundays, there are likely to be situations where the Eagles want certain packages on the field.

As of now, we have no clarification what those will be. Popular thinking is Alonso will be a three-down linebacker, Ryans will line up on running downs and Kendricks will replace him in passing situations. That's just a hypothesis, though.

We should have a better clue after the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers this Saturday, provided they suit up. Then again, one game may not be much of an indication of the Eagles' intentions come the regular season.

Marcus Smith Missing Important Time

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Marcus Smith showed some signs of improvement in the preseason opener. After a lost rookie season in which the first-round draft pick failed to record even a single tackle, Smith got on the board with one against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. He also recorded a pass breakup and made some nice plays setting the edge against the run.

Unfortunately, Smith's progress was halted a few days later at practice when he went down with a hamstring injury. Smith looked better, but he could still use a lot of work. In particular, he didn't get much pressure on the passer, one of the outside linebacker's top priorities.

This is especially concerning for the Eagles, who have extremely limited depth behind Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham at outside linebacker. The club already lost Travis Long, Brandon Hepburn and Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo for the year to injuries. That's led to moving interior linebacker Brad Jones and defensive end Vinny Curry outside.

The Eagles need Smith to step up this season. Fortunately, he isn't expected to miss a ton of time. However, there's still a question of how effective he will be, and preseason reps would be critical for his development.

Right Guard Competition Fizzles

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There was supposed to be a four-way battle at right guard this summer. Two weeks into the preseason, it appears Andrew Gardner has won that competition by default.

Gardner has been lining up with the first-team offense the past couple weeks. John Moffitt has been relegated to the second string, while Matt Tobin and Julian Vandervelde were moved to the left side at tackle and guard, respectively.

The thing is, only Gardner has had a chance in game situations. And while he was fine in Week 1 against the Colts, his run blocking looked labored at times versus the Ravens on Saturday.

Yet at this point, it seems Gardner is destined to be in the lineup for the Eagles on opening day, barring an unforeseen acquisition. At least, there doesn't seem to be an ongoing competition anymore.

All camp observations and quotes are the author's unless otherwise noted.