Bailey Zappe among players on the list of players

Nick Sirianni was an assistant coach with the Chargers in 2017 when Austin Ekeler joined the team after a strong performance in the final preseason game.

Ekeler is now in his eighth NFL season and his first in Washington.

Sirianni, who is entering his fourth season as the Eagles’ head coach, used Ekeler’s clips to motivate players before Philadelphia’s final preseason game last year. He’ll try the same tactic before the Eagles face Minnesota on Saturday.

“Yeah, we’ll probably do something similar,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “But as far as the guys here, we’ve had a good number of undrafted free agents that have been successful the last couple of years.”

Sirianni cited Eagles punt returner Britain Covey, cornerback Josh Jobe and linebacker Ben VanSumeren.

The final preseason game is an opportunity for players on the roster to impress coaches and clinch a roster spot before Tuesday’s cut deadline. Late-round draft picks and undrafted rookies get the most playing time.

Ekeler was an undrafted running back who struggled to break into the Chargers before catching the coaching staff’s attention by rushing and receiving for 108 yards. He eventually earned a starting role and threw for 38 touchdowns rushing and receiving in 2021-22. The Commanders signed him to a two-year, $11.4 million contract in free agency.

As young players battle for roster spots this weekend, several veteran players are on edge as they could be on their way out.

Here are five veteran players on the bubble:

Bailey Zappe

Quarterback Bailey Zappe started eight games for the New England Patriots in his first two seasons, going 4-4. But Zappe’s future likely lies elsewhere. Drake Maye was drafted to be the quarterback of the future and Jacoby Brissett was brought in to provide veteran leadership. The Patriots also selected Joe Milton in the sixth round to add depth.

New England likely kept Zappe to try to trade him, although there won’t be much of a market for him unless a team loses a replacement.

Kadarius Toney

Receiver Kadarius Toney, a first-round pick of the New York Giants in 2021, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl two years ago after acquiring him in a trade during the season. In a span of three minutes in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, Toney made two monumental plays. First, he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass that gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead. Then, he returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles 5-yard line to set up another touchdown.

But Toney hasn’t been able to build on that success. He struggled last season, sitting out Week 15 until the playoffs and missing Kansas City’s Super Bowl win over San Francisco. His most memorable play of the 2023 season was an offsides penalty that negated a game-winning TD he scored on a Travis Kelce lateral pass late in the fourth quarter of a loss to Buffalo.

The Chiefs added veteran wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and selected Xavier Worthy in the first round to go with Rashee Rice. They also have Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.

James Bradberry

Cornerback James Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2022, playing a big role in helping the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl. He had a bad season last year and the Eagles moved him to safety after selecting cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.

Bradberry has earned praise from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during camp, but he’s still learning the position. The Eagles could get about $15 million in cap space by releasing Bradberry, but they can spread that out over two seasons, with about $4.3 million coming off the salary cap this season and the rest in 2025.

La’el Collins

Right tackle La’el Collins hasn’t played an NFL game since 2022 due to a knee injury that forced him to miss last season. He finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad, returning to the Cowboys after starting 71 games for them from 2015-21 and spending 2022 with Cincinnati.

Buffalo signed Collins to be a backup to tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. But he struggled in training camp and was moved to guard as a last resort to secure a roster spot.

Mike Edwards

Safety Mike Edwards, who won Super Bowls with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, is also battling to make the Bills roster. He missed the spring with a shoulder injury and much of training camp with an ankle injury. Edwards was able to practice this week and is battling to make up for lost time. He has $1.6 million guaranteed, but the Bills would save $1.2 million on the salary cap if they cut him.