While there are plenty of roster spots up for grabs on Thursday night when the Eagles play the Jets, there's only one position where an opening day starter might be determined by who impresses the most when the Eagles suit up for their preseason finale - free safety.
"Quintin Demps will start the game and I'll just keep a close eye on the safety position," head coach Andy Reid said in his final remarks to the media before the Eagles head up the Jersey Turnpike. "It really doesn't matter what position they're playing back there in the secondary, as far as the safeties go, they'll be able to show me what they can do. We have an open competition there and we'll just see how that works.
"The thing is there are really three guys battling for that spot and I know all three can play so I'm confident in that and it's just a matter of getting to where you pick out that one guy to do it. And they understand that there's a competition there and they've got to continue to perform well."
Aside from Demps, veteran Sean Jones, formerly a starting safety with the Browns, and rookie Macho Harris are competing to line up next to Quintin Mikell when the Eagles travel to Carolina on September 13th.
On Thursday night, Demps and Jones will start alongside each other, and Harris will get significant playing time as well.
"I look at it as a challenge," Demps said. "They're challenging me to prove myself again."
Demps, the second-year player who was considered the incumbent, said he feels he's done enough to lay claim to the starting spot.
"All the way back from (Organized Team Activities) I put my work in," he said, "And they want me to be perfect. I'm only in my second year. It's frustrating, but it's probably good for me."
Asked if he'll play with a chip on his shoulder Thursday night, Demps replied that rather than a chip, he had "a boulder on my shoulder."
Having come to the Eagles with a starting pedigree and 14 interceptions in the last three years, Jones was expected to push Demps from the start of training camp.
But the surprise in the mix is Harris, the rookie fifth-round pick who played cornerback exclusively at Virginia Tech.
"Coming in here, I wanted a job," Harris said. "Wherever I could help the team, that's what I wanted to do."
Harris said he knows what he has to do in order to make his case Thursday night.
"Just focus on my assignment," he said. "Just focus on what I need to do, show great hustle, great effort, and everything will take care of itself."
Harris said he wasn't sure he could play safety at this level until the first preseason game against the Patriots, but once he got out there, he knew he could handle it.
"Flying around and making plays, that's when it really clicked," he said, "when I first felt like I could be a good safety.
"I'm comfortable with safety now. I still have a lot of learning to do because it's a new position. The point of view is different, but I'm just trying to listen to what the coaches have to say and do what I'm coached to do."
An all-america cornerback in college, Harris has an interesting perspective on his new position.
"It helps a lot because having played corner," he said. "I know how important it is to have the safety have your back. So now that I'm playing safety, I let the cornerbacks know that I have their back."
For Harris, Demps, and Jones, it might all come down to who proves to be the most consistently reliable.
"I'll be disappointed in myself (if I'm not the starter)," said Demps. But "it's out of my control. I just have to come out and be the best that I can be, and see what happens from there."
