Missing Pieces?

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles could be without centerpieces on both sides of scrimmage when they welcome the Los Angeles Rams to the Linc this weekend.

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who leads the Eagles in receptions (19), yards (235) and targets (27), has been sidelined this week with a hamstring injury, leaving his status for Sunday’s game in jeopardy.

Smith, of course, missed a few weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury, though it’s unclear whether it’s the same one that’s resurfaced or a new one. Soft tissue injuries can linger and require adequate time to heal, often clouding recovery timelines.

While it’s never ideal for a team to be without its top receiving option, Smith’s absence this week would be the equivalent of a gut punch against a Rams team with the ability to rack up points in bunches.

Sure, the Rams surprisingly opened the season on shaky ground, but the Matthew Stafford-led offense is expected to have wide receiver Puka Nacua returning this week, complementing three-time All-Pro Davante Adams.

The NFC West titans are coming off a 30-26 loss to Denver and could smell blood in the water. And as a refresher, the Rams have lost the previous four matchups against the Eagles, the last two being two narrow Philadelphia victories.

Sean McVay’s teams historically have been outcoached and overpowered by the Eagles, though they’ll now expectedly face an undermanned Eagles team reeling from a lopsided 27-7 loss on Monday Night Football.

If the Eagles are in fact without Smith on Sunday, they will lean on a receiving trio of Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper to fill the void.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: DeVonta Smith has been nagged by a hamstring that could sideline him Sunday.

Wicks, 26, has emerged as an effective complement to Smith in the first expanded role of his four-year career. The former Green Bay Packers wideout is second behind only Smith in targets, receptions and yards, and has developed an early rapport with quarterback Jalen Hurts, chemistry, Wicks said, that can be attributed to the efforts being put in both on and off the field.

“Reps,” he said. “It’s repetition and off-season work. Being around each other when everybody else ain’t around, doing the small things that go towards just getting that chemistry and building relationships.

“It’s not just about on the field, but it’s about building a relationship off the field so that, that trust builds on the field. That’s the biggest thing.”

Early in the season, that confidence established between quarterback and wide receiver is reflected in how often Hurts has targeted Wicks on money downs. The timing is a byproduct of time on task, with Hurts often delivering the ball to a spot where he entrusts Wicks to be.

Even for one game, though, Wicks elevating to the top of the pecking order – where he’d likely see quite a bit of one of the game’s premier cornerbacks in Trent McDuffie – is a tall order.

Still, he projected confidence in the remaining group banding together to hold down the fort in the interim.

“You know, it’s next man up,” Wicks said Thursday. “When you get to practice and get the reps in, the other guys out there, we ready for everybody to step up. It’s football. You know that those times show up, come up during the season. It’s a long season, so some weeks you might not have guys out there. But we just going with it, and however it plays out, we gonna be ready.”

On the defensive side, All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun remains in concussion protocol, casting considerable uncertainty that he’ll clear in time for Sunday. Baun popped up on Wednesday’s estimated injury report with the head injury, and there are five phases he must advance through to clear.

Baun, the NFC Defensive Player of the Week following the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders, has accounted for 97 percent of the defensive snaps through three games. A trusted leader on Vic Fangio’s defense, Baun rarely leaves the field. He also sports the green dot on game days.

To be without him against an offense versed in deception and eye candy would be a monumental blow.

Next up would be third-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who logged defensive snaps for the first time this season on Monday night. Trotter Jr., 23, has generated plenty of intrigue the past two summers, showcasing veteran instincts and an innate knack for diagnosing plays, but a numbers game has relegated him to a cameo-sized contributor on defense. Fangio, typically, doesn’t rotate his linebackers. At full strength, Baun and Jihaad Campbell are constants.

Instead, Trotter Jr. has functioned and excelled as a core special teamer, where he seemingly comes up with a critical coverage stop in every game. His tenacity and attention to detail in the third phase jumps off the tape. Still, curiosity from the public of inserting Trotter Jr. in a situational role never dissipated. He’s provided consistency in training camp and the preseason, and when his number has been called in regular season spot duty, he’s delivered.

GETTY IMAGES: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could start Sunday vs. the Rams if Zack Baun (concussion) can’t go.

Much of that is a testament to the way Trotter Jr. prepares. He approaches every week as though he’ll be starting, remaining diligent in his film study and preparation. He’s wired in such a way that even if he is called upon to step into a more prominent role, his process remains the same.

“Not too much different,” he said Thursday. “I just try to prepare every single week like I’m gonna be the starter. And I feel like when you have that preparation every single week, you’ll be ready in any scenario. So, I just try to treat it like a normal week, and my preparation never really changes.”

Intelligent and as fundamentally sound as Trotter Jr. might be, however, look for Stafford and McVay to test him early Sunday afternoon, specifically in coverage.

That’s where McVay is known for devising a plan to incorporate eye candy and put players in conflict.

“We definitely see a lot of boots on film, mess with the line and try to mess with your reads,” he said. “But as long as your eyes are in the right place and you understand your responsibility and your role, as far as the one piece out of 11 guys, you’ll be fine. You just gotta slow the game down and make sure your eyes are right and get back to fundamentals.”

Trotter Jr. was unsure who would wear the green dot when asked Thursday, but mentioned that the communication piece is something that will require some adjustment.

If Baun were to miss the game, Trotter Jr. will team with Campbell, whom he’s repped with at different points the past two summers. Trotter Jr. added that the chemistry is “really good” across the linebacker room, and that each member feels “comfortable playing with whatever type of combination you wanna put together,” illustrating the cohesiveness at the position.

As for Campbell, he might have a new running mate alongside him Sunday afternoon, but the second-year pro didn’t flinch when speaking on Trotter Jr.’s preparedness.

“Man, Trot was born ready,” he said. “Whether he [has to] play or not, at the end of the day, he always practices like a pro. He always takes notes and studies like a pro. So, he’ll be fine.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is the Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.