‘Confidence Going Up’

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles on Tuesday unveiled their initial 53-man roster, though one not necessarily furnished with bombshells or revelations.

Rather, the assembled group featured a slew of feel-good stories, players whom few would deem household names or viable roster contenders for a well-stocked team with championship aspirations.

While the team elected, for now, to go lighter on the offensive side and fuel up the defense, it kept two players in particular – defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV and safety Tristin McCollum – who represented a heavier lean at their respective positions

Both players, who entered the offseason as long shots and relative unknowns to most, draw notable parallels.

For one, both are approaching their third NFL season. Booker and McCollum also spent the entire 2023 season on the Eagles’ practice squad before both signed reserve/futures contracts in January.

Different positions, sure, but they’ve embarked on the road less traveled together, reaching their destination through tireless preparation and unrelenting resolve.

Here’s a closer look at how Booker and McCollum punched their tickets onto the Eagles’ 53-man roster.

GETTY IMAGES: Offseason work, and tons of time at the NovaCare Complex, fueled Thomas Booker’s ascent to the 53-man roster.

Thomas Booker IV

It only took a handful of practices to observe that something had clicked for Eagles’ third-year defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV. The Stanford product was noticeably more explosive off the ball, more violent with his hands, and showcased an understanding of leverage that bordered on clinical.

For a player squarely on the roster fringes – at a position fairly secure, with five players ahead on the depth chart – these alterations and enhancements were essential to garnering attention from the onset.

The transformation, Booker said, can be directly attributed to his offseason training, when he fixated on refining his pass-rush acumen.

“I was really just working out at the [team] facility with BG [Brandon Graham], Tarron Jackson, some of the guys we had there,” Booker outlined after Saturday’s preseason finale. “Just working pass-rush, change of direction and all the rest of it. And this is a similar scheme to what I played in college, so I felt some familiarity there, for sure.

“Definitely a lot of things were clicking back in. When we were doing installs, I was like, ‘You know, I’ve heard that before.’ I think that, and also, it’s my third year. I think a lot of the time, the third time you do something is when you’re starting to really hit your stride. So, that’s kind of really how I feel this year. Confidence is going up.”

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say his unlikely path to the Eagles’ 53-man roster was forged during those sessions at the NovaCare Complex, where Booker spent enough time to pay rent.

“This guy, if you were here in the offseason, he lived in the facility,” said Howie Roseman, the team’s executive vice president/general manager, on Tuesday after cuts. “Tremendous work ethic. Obviousl, an incredibly smart guy – a Stanford guy. He’s got all the tools in his body. Just an incredible tribute to him and how hard he worked.

“When you see his tape and his get-off, and his ability to play with leverage, to play with power, to affect the quarterback, to be disruptive around the quarterback in the backfield.”

Functioning in a system similar to the one he played in at Stanford under new Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, in a way, unlocked Booker, affording him the freedom to play without restraint, and with aggression rather than tentativeness.

His alignment versatility – Booker can play a 1-, 3- and 5-technique – likely aided in his summer-long quest to endear himself to Fangio, who mentioned his preference of rostering “a minimum of five to seven” pure defensive tackles.

But it’s one thing to flash in practice, which was a daily occurrence for Booker. The true test, which factors heavily into the roster discussion, is parlaying the success into a game setting, which Booker also did.

Even when that stat sheet wasn’t the greatest indicator of his impact, Booker passed the eye test. The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder was consistently active at the point of attack, giving interior linemen fits while knifing his way into the backfield.

“It’s just a real good example, too, of the work that he got against a good offensive line last year while he was here,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Thomas on our practice squad last year really improved because of the quality of player he was going against the entire year.

“To see him grow because he’s going against Landon [Dickerson], he’s going against Cam [Jurgens], and [Former Eagles center] Jason Kelce.”

Even if he doesn’t factor into the game day equation initially, Booker offers intriguing depth and versatility on a team that figures to rotate linemen.

While Booker hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since his 2022 rookie season with the Houston Texans, his fortune could soon change. He pointed to his growth as a catalyst for fueling his leap.

“I think, just in general, my calmness out there,” he said. “And I think that reveals itself in a lot of different facets. When it comes to pass-rush, having a pass-rush plan. Run defense, being able to anchor down and know where the ball is going. Everything is starting to slow down a little bit. So, it’s definitely one of those things I’ve been looking forward to since I’ve come into this year.”

Tristin McCollum

Operating exclusively with the second-team defense throughout camp, Tristin McCollum was in his element, directing traffic, patrolling the secondary and flowing to the football.

The game, which once resembled a Los Angeles freeway for the third-year safety, had slowed. He knew exactly where to be and how to counter, tapping into his high-end instincts and range to impact a play, rather than overthink his assignment.

In Fangio’s defense, McCollum quickly began to show signs of a young player poised to make a considerable leap. But the key, McCollum said, was leaning on his intangibles.

“I was studying my ass off,” McCollum said, before pausing. “Studying my ass off. And you’re building from previous years as well. So, I’m learning from a lot of my mistakes and a lot of my processes that didn’t maybe put me in the best position in past training camps.

“And taking all of that into consideration to develop the best plan for me moving forward, whether that’s more studying, whether that’s being very intentional with practice. Just all those different things. Things in the offseason, all of it.”

McCollum, who appeared in three regular season games and a postseason contest with the Eagles last season, spent most last season honing his craft on the practice squad.

While his work behind the scenes the past year went on full display this summer and commanded attention from a broader audience, the typically reserved and focused McCollum last season toiled in relative anonymity.

But the natural evolution of his game can be boiled down to something simplistic – ebbs and flows of his position that are hard to be appreciated from the outside.

“I feel like just slowing down the game for myself, mentally,” he said. “I felt like in the past, I’m seeing too much, I’m not really locking in on my keys because everything’s happening fast just because I’m overthinking things.

“And this camp, my coach JK [Joe Kasper], CP [Christian Parker], they sat down with me and got me to just control that, slow down the thinking and just handle one thing at a time.”

At times acting as a heat-seeking missile intermixed with an intriguing blend of coverage acumen, the 6-foot-3 McCollum separated early from the logjam of backend safeties vying for snaps – and, in some cases, a roster spot.

There wasn’t a rep he logged that didn’t showcase his improved physicality or illustrate his sense of urgency. With each opportunity, he appeared to distance himself from his competition while also drawing him closer to the 53-man roster.

But the reality is that McCollum, barring something unforeseen, probably won’t see a role on defense. But his special teams prowess surely will be tapped into.

The 25-year-old carries additional appeal due to his third phase versatility, as McCollum offers the bandwidth to rep at gunner, personal protector, as well as kickoff interior or exterior. Really anywhere, as his speed, athleticism and toughness lend itself to wearing multiple hats, particularly crucial in light of the new kickoff rule.

Entering training camp relatively buried on the depth chart, heightening the importance of each rep and underscoring shortcomings, McCollum overcame the external factors seemingly working against him to defy the odds.

To fully appreciate the leap from the practice squad to the active roster – forcing the Eagles to carry five safeties at the position, no less – one must take into consideration the off-field preparation, including classroom work and studying outside of the NovaCare Complex that contributed to McCollum’s climb.

It surely wasn’t lost on Sirianni.

“Tristin obviously flashed in games and did some really good things in games that we all saw,” Sirianni said, “But also, he was consistent in the things that he did in practice. He has great athletic ability that can help on special teams, and we know how he can affect the game on special teams as well. Really happy for him.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.