They all matter. They all have value, and every single player who reports to the NovaCare Complex understands his responsibility: Be ready when called upon.

This is a mentality that extends beyond the 53-man roster. The 4-0 Eagles, one of only two unbeaten teams in the NFL, treasure each and every spot on the team – gameday roster, 53-man roster, practice squad. It is the latter portion of the roster that is the focus here, for the importance of the practice squad, as interchangeable as it is throughout the season, came to light once again on Sunday with the win in Tampa.

Who ignited the Eagles with an early-game play? Cameron Latu worked the timing and execution of the rush and blocked Tampa Bay punter Riley Dixon's punt, setting up Sydney Brown for an easy recovery and 35-yard race to the end zone to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead before the crowd at Raymond James Stadium broke its first sweat.

Latu, a former third-round draft pick by San Francisco who spent much of last season on Cleveland's practice squad, was signed to a reserve/future contract in late January during the run to Super Bowl LIX – remember, Howie Roseman and the personnel department must keep one eye on the current season and another on the future at all times – and then worked his way onto the practice squad in an unassuming, do-the-dirty-work kind of way in the spring and summer.

Latu was a pass catcher (56 receptions) and a touchdown maker (12 of them) in his time at the University of Alabama, but he earned notice with the Eagles as a rugged in-line blocker and a physical young man who held promise on special teams. Latu was waived when the 53-man roster was established and then added to the Eagles' practice squad when the rest of the league passed on him.

In Weeks 2 (Kansas City) and 3 (Los Angeles), Latu bumped up to the active roster for gameday and helped the offense with a total of 11 snaps in those games and aided the special teams in coverage. Late last week, Latu moved from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and, as we saw early against the Buccaneers, made his impact immediately, and also played eight snaps on offense, the fullback position included.

What does Latu do for the Eagles? Well, he's listed as a tight end, but he's playing fullback and he's lining up in multiple spots and he delivers in the blocking game. On special teams, he is a huge part of what coordinator Michael Clay wants – he blocked the punt, he plays well in coverage, and he, again, can block.

Latu has found his niche – from practice squad to contributor on gamedays.

"He is a physical dude. It's exciting – physical plays that show up on tape and that show during the game, that brings a lot of energy to your team, and I think that he's done a nice job," Head Coach Nick Sirianni said last week of Latu. "Even back to preseason games, he did a really good job on special teams, and you could see that physicality. You see it in practice; you see it in the game. We love the physicality he plays with. Strong, big dude that loves to play physical. There's always room for guys that play with that physicality on a football team. I always love those guys that play like that, and he's doing a nice job."

Parry Nickerson is an amazing story, a player on his sixth NFL team who has been cut 15 times in his career, which began at Tulane and who was originally a sixth-round draft pick by the Jets in 2018. Sunday was his first game since the 2023 season – when he played with Miami in a game against the Eagles, coincidentally – and his 31st game overall. He has hung around, hung around, done all the right things – and on Sunday he was rewarded.

Stepping up with a rash of injuries in the Eagles' secondary, Nickerson played three defensive snaps and was the defender in coverage against Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otton on the Bucs' final play from scrimmage. Nickerson made the play, stopping Otton short of the mark to gain.

This is all about depth and resilience and understanding how to do all the little things to keep you in the picture. Latu and Nickerson aren't the only ones, of course. Safety Marcus Epps was with Philadelphia from 2019-22, a starter on the NFC Championship team. He signed with Las Vegas in free agency in 2023, played with the Raiders for two seasons. He joined New England this offseason and was then released this summer.

The Eagles scooped him up, added him to the practice squad, and last week after being on the gameday roster for the opening three games, was added to the 53-man roster. He's a valuable depth piece, an experienced player, an example of doing everything it takes to help a team win.

And that's what this is all about: Finding ways to win each week. Everyone has a role to play. The players on the practice squad practice and prepare to contribute on gamedays. They are waiting for the call-up to the active roster.

They know that when it happens – and it does a whole lot more than maybe some fans understand – they have to be ready to perform. The Eagles are 4-0 for a lot of reasons, practice squad players helping out, included. It's that way now and it has been that way for many seasons.

"I think sometimes that's rare that you have those guys on the practice squad that have played and have contributed and that you can trust right at the beginning of the season," Sirianni said recently, when asked about depth at the tight end position. "We feel that way now. Our players on the practice squad are ready to play and that's a good situation to be in."