Philadelphia Eagles Stock Watch: Which Players Are Rising and Falling?

The Philadelphia Eagles have been at training camp for about a week, their first of the Chip Kelly era. Let's just say that there have been more than a fair share of interesting occurrences. 

There's been the open competition, not just at quarterback, but at every other position. There's the change from Lehigh to the NovaCare Complex. There's the upcoming joint practices with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. And of course, there's the awful Riley Cooper controversy. 

While it's certainly been interesting, it's also still very early in camp. August just started, and the players will have several more weeks to prove that they are worthy of a spot on the official 53-man roster. 

The following slides will highlight eight players whose stock value has increased or decreased throughout the first few days of training camp. They are in no particular order. 

Up: Russell Shepard, Wide Receiver

Since the beginning of training camp, wide receiver has gone from one of the deepest positions on the team to one of the thinnest.

Veteran Jeremy Maclin tore his ACL and will miss the entire season, while Riley Cooper has earned criticism for a racial slur and Arrelious Benn has struggled to stay healthy.

Lucky for the Eagles, rookie Russell Shepard has emerged as arguably the star of the entire camp. The undrafted receiver from LSU has been dominating during camp, making unbelievable catches left and right, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com.

At this point, it truly looks like the second wide receiver position is Shepard's job to lose. 

Down: Arrelious Benn, Wide Receiver

It's hard to make the club from the tub, as the old saying goes. That's the case for veteran wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who missed eight days with a knee injury. 

Benn returned to practice on Sunday, but the former second-round draft pick has a lot of catching up to do, as Russell Shepard and Damaris Johnson have both played very well during Benn's absence.

Benn was originally signed as a red-zone threat. He will have four preseason games to prove that he is worthy of a roster spot. 

Up: Mychal Kendricks, Linebacker

Last season, the Eagles' second-round draft pick had an up-and-down rookie year. He showed flashes of brilliance, especially early in the year, but he also missed 13 tackles, including a ridiculous six in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This year, Mychal Kendricks will likely have a bigger opportunity on the defense. He's made some terrific plays in camp, including a diving interception that Kelly absolutely raved about. The head coach also called Kendricks the best cover linebacker on the team. 

Down: Felix Jones, Running Back

The former first-round draft pick has been overshadowed at camp by last year's undrafted free agent Chris Polk, who has been one of the stars at camp through the first couple of weeks. 

Felix Jones has failed to stand out at all in camp. According to Tim McManus of Philly Mag, Jones has simply blended into the scenery, while Polk has distinguished himself as a legitimate back worthy of earning a spot in the running back rotation. 

Down: Ifeanyi Momah, Wide Receiver

Every year, it seems like Philadelphia fans fall in love with an under-the-radar wide receiver during training camp. This year, the fan favorite is rookie undrafted free agent Ifeanyi Momah, who stands 6'7" and has blazing speed.

Momah hasn't really impressed at camp, however, according to Chip Kelly. He hasn't been able to separate from defenders.

Momah still has a ton of time to prove himself, however. He has four preseason games to show that he is worthy of a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad (more likely).

Down: Matt Barkley, Quarterback

Rookie Matt Barkley is starting to feel the frustrations of a quarterback competition that really doesn't feel like the three-way competition it was originally claimed to be. Barkley has been receiving almost no first-team reps, and the team's first official depth chart listed Nick Foles and Michael Vick in a tie for the starting quarterback spot.

Barkley still has a long way to go. Everything could (and will) change once the players start taking actual snaps in preseason games. But it's not going to help the former USC standout that he will be playing with only third-stringers in the exhibition games. 

Up: Michael Vick, Quarterback

Veteran Michael Vick seems to very quietly be emerging as the favorite in the quarterback competition. He's listed as the starter along with Nick Foles on the first official depth chart, but Tim McManus of Philly Mag says that Vick appears to have a slight edge in the competition. 

Kelly says that he is looking for the quarterback who can consistently play at the highest level. 

If he's looking to win now, Vick may be the solution. The veteran playmaker can run much better than either of the other two quarterbacks. He's also the clear team leader, as shown by the way he handled the Riley Cooper situation. 

Up: Connor Barwin, Outside Linebacker

The veteran linebacker for the Eagles signed a six-year, $36 million deal and is the only one of the team's five linebackers expected to receive significant playing time (Brandon Graham, Trent Cole, Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans) who played for a 3-4 defense last year.

Connor Barwin has been solid in camp, while also working with veterans Trent Cole and Brandon Graham. Cole has never played in a 3-4 defense, while Graham hasn't done so since college. 

Barwin says that the defense will be formed around the players instead of the team using a specific formation.