Spadaro: 8 storylines to follow vs. Patriots

1. Veterans to watch in secondary

James Bradberry has done a terrific job transitioning from cornerback to safety. Avonte Maddox looks natural there as well. Tristin McCollum is on the football and plays solid, intelligent football. Who wins the backup safety spots? That's a question to consider as the team reaches 53 players.

At cornerback, it's wide open. Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers, Eli Ricks, Zech McPhearson, Josh Jobe, Mitchell, and now second-round pick Cooper DeJean, who is back on the practice field in a limited way and who won't play in this game, are contenders. That is a lot of talent for ... how many roster spots?

1. What is Vic Fangio's approach to Game 2?

He blitzed here and there last week and the Eagles had great success. In Tuesday's practice, the defense dominated quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye and the New England offense. The Eagles mixed things up in that practice session and came away very happy with the results. Will they show anything in this game? Will Fangio keep it very, very vanilla? The latter is likely to be the case as the Eagles continue to evaluate their roster. But they made a lot of progress in the joint practice.

1. Which players make their big move in this game?

There isn't an answer to this question because nobody has a crystal ball, but it's "go" time (later than that, really) for those on the roster bubble. Who wins a job either with the Eagles or another team with a big performance in the game? That's kind of the essence of the preseason – to win jobs. Players understand they are playing to put the best version of themselves on tape.

1. OK, another look at kickoffs

It's worth watching and waiting to see how teams play the kickoff. Both teams experimented a bit in the joint practice but in the game situations, they will likely keep things simple to evaluate coverage players, blockers, and returners. In the regular season, trust me, it's going to be wild. In the preseason, a big kickoff return could either win or lose jobs for players, as coaches want to see returns.