5 Surprises from training camp and the first two Eagles preseason games

You never know what to expect from the Philadelphia Eagles, but that's why we love them.

Who knew tackle-free practices and football games that don't count toward the win-loss total could be this much fun? We turned the page from July to August. We're about to turn another page, one that takes us into September. That means the Philadelphia Eagles will need to trim their 90-man training camp roster to a 53-man regular-season version (and a 16-man practice squad). There are truly no days off in the NFL.

Two preseason games have evaporated from the to-do list. One remains. The Birds host former offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen, and his new squad, the Indianapolis Colts, on Tuesday for a joint practice session. Then, these proud franchises meet for a game on Thursday, one that doubles as the preseason finale for both sides.

If you haven't learned anything else by being an Eagles fan, it should have been this. Expect the unexpected. Sure, they follow a familiar guideline when it comes to roster-building, and more often than not, they operate in silence, only alerting the public of what they'd like them to know (and usually after the deeds are done). Still, there are times when we think we have figured out what their next move should be, and they ignore our requests.

While we have a bit of free time, here are a few things that caught us off guard. That includes a couple of nice surprises.