Eagles 2025 training camp preview: Specialists
Over the last few weeks (basically whenever there wasn't other news to cover), we've been looking at every player on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, and how they fit with the team heading into training camp.
Today we'll finish out the series with the specialists.
Previous training camp previews Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver Tight end / Fullback | Offensive tackle | Guard | Center EDGE | Interior DL | Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety Jake Elliott Elliott is pretty safely the best kicker in Eagles franchise history, but after three stellar seasons in 2021, 2022, and 2023, he had a down year in 2024.
He missed 8 field goal attempts in 2024, the same number of misses the previous three years combined.
Leading up to the Super Bowl, Elliott had missed 5 kicks in his previous 4 games, but he was a perfect 4/4 on field goals and 4/4 on PATs in the big game.
Turns out there was maybe a good reason why he struggled.
According to Beau Allen on Chris Long's Green Light podcast, Elliott was hampered by an injury during the season.
Asked if that was true, Elliott chose not to make excuses.
#Eagles K Jake Elliott on whether he played through an injury during the season: "I know [former #Eagles DT and current podcaster extraordinaire] Beau [Allen] put that out there.
Everybody's dealing with soreness throughout the year, little things.
I was able to play every...
The Eagles said repeatedly throughout Elliott's struggles that they believe in him, and, well, they recently gave him a big contract, so he'll run unopposed in training camp.
But for the first time in a few years, his training camp performance will be notable.
Braden Mann Mann finished 10th in net punting, at 42.1 net yards per punt, as the Eagles' punt coverage teams were good for the better part of the season.
Of course, Mann also had the benefit of playing with two very good gunners in Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown.
The below chart is a little tough to see if you have old eyes, but the folks at Puntalytics had Mann in the middle of the pack in punter EPA in 2024: Aside from his punting duties, Mann wasn't so good at kickoffs (see: the Eagles' loss in MD to the Commanders), but he was outstanding as a holder, most notably in the snow against the Rams (video via @Eaglesfans9): The Eagles got some really crappy punting from Arryn Siposs in 2021 and 2022, but after Mann replaced him early in 2023, he has helped stabilize the position.
Charley Hughlett Rick Lovato has thrown the ball through his legs full-time for the Eagles since 2017.
He is one of just four Eagles with two Super Bowl rings, along with DE Brandon Graham, RT Lane Johnson, and K Jake Elliott.
However, as we noted in our stay or go series , Lovato's job wasn't completely safe, partly because of Elliott's struggles last season.
Instead of merely giving Lovato competition, they outright replaced him.
Enter Hughlett, who the Eagles signed in free agency, and who has been in the NFL since 2012.
He bounced around a bunch of NFL training camps the first three years of his career, before earning a full-time job as the Cleveland Browns' long snapper from 2015 to 2024.
The Eagles don't often replace their long snapper: Mike Bartrum: 2000-2006 Jon Dorenbos: 2006-2016 Rick Lovato: 2016-2024 Charley Hughlett: 2025-??? Hughlett is 35 years old, so his tenure very likely won't be as long as the other Eagles long snappers above.
The Eagles could have signed a second young long snapper to give me a long snapper competition to watch in camp, but sometimes they just hate fun.
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