By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Philadelphia Eagles practiced for the final time of Doug Pederson’s inaugural training camp last Tuesday ahead of their 17-0 shutout victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While many young Eagles are solidifying their spots on the 53-man roster, other highly touted players are seeing their hopes dissipate with just two preseason games remaining to reinvigorate their status on the team.
Standout Stars
Nolan Carroll
Although he was limited at times during camp, Carroll is showing no ill-effects from his broken ankle suffered last Thanksgiving against the Lions.
Carroll was the star of the game on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The rangy cornerback was magnificent in press coverage early in the first quarter against wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, running stride for stride with the speedster before turning his head at the exact necessary moment in order to swat away the deep ball from quarterback Landry Jones. Carroll then got the Eagles on the board when he stepped in front of a nonchalant comeback route and took the interception 38-yards for a touchdown.
As of now, it looks like Carroll will start on the outside with Ron Brooks working in his comfort zone as the nickel corner.
Jaylen Watkins
When Jim Schwartz told the media that he wanted his backup safeties to step up in the early stages of training camp, Watkins answered the bell with a series of excellent practices on the first unit in Malcolm Jenkins’ absence.
On Thursday, Watkins recorded one of the four first half interceptions by the Eagles defense, although ferocious pressure from the defensive line deserves much of the credit for the lofted pass resulting in a turnover. Nonetheless, the brother of Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins did a great job reading Landry Jones’ eyes and dropping back to make an easy pick. Watkins has all but cemented his place as the Eagles third safety after a strong summer.
Steven Means
Steelers tight end Jesse James was no match for Means on Watkins' interception at the end of the first half. The 6'3", 263-pound defensive end was barely touched as he rushed outside on Jones using a swift swim move on his way to a punishing hit on the former Oklahoma quarterback.
Means is making a strong case to be the fourth defensive end on the Eagles roster over former first-round pick Marcus Smith. In fact, one play before Means' pressure forced the interception from Jones, it was Smith who committed a penalty by jumping offside.
Means was even more impressive against Tampa Bay in the preseason opener. The former Buffalo Bull forced a fumble with one hand after overpowering a Bucs offensive lineman and later showed off a Dwight Freeney-esque spin move to cause an airmailed interception. At this point, Means' dynamic pass rushing has elevated him past Smith on the depth chart.
Paul Turner
In 2016, the most consistent wide receiver for the Eagles has been undrafted rookie from Louisiana Tech Paul Turner. After leading the team in receiving yards, receptions and targets in Week 1 of the preseason, Turner made an acrobatic one-handed catch on a back shoulder pass from Chase Daniel in the third quarter against Pittsburgh.
Once again, Turner led the Eagles on Thursday night with 44 receiving yards on a trio of catches. Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich stated early in camp that he expects "perfection" after being asked about the frequent drops by Philadelphia receivers. If Reich values sure-handed receivers like he says, Turner is likely to be receive the final wide receiver spot on the 53-man roster, although the acquisition of Dorial Green-Beckham hinders the 5'9" wideout’s chances.
