Live analysis: Why Eagles have to rely on Julio Jones. 3 key players return vs Dolphins.

PHILADELPHIA − Julio Jones will make his 2023 debut, and it will mark his first time during his illustrious 12-season career as a practice-squad elevation.

It's a new experience for Jones in so many aspects when the Eagles face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night. So what are the realistic expectations?

For that, let's go back to last November, when the Eagles signed defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh. Four days later, Joseph started the game against the Indianapolis Colts and Suh was in shortly thereafter.

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Joseph played 40% of the snaps and Joseph played 26% in the Eagles' 17-16 win.

Like Jones, who's 34, Joseph and Suh were in their mid-30s. And they were all free agents who had yet to play in a game before signing with the Eagles.

It's likely that Jones will play more than that, however. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith play close to 100% of the snaps, as does tight end Dallas Goedert. That leaves the rest of the receiver snaps to be divvied up among Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, and the remaining few to tight ends Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra.

In other words, who are the Eagles going to rely on more? Jones, with 13,629 career receiving yards, or the others, with less than 2,000 combined?

"Julio, you're going to be tempted to want to put him in because he's a phenomenal player that's done a lot in this league," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "We are going to have to make sure that we're not putting him in danger, doing what we need do to help us win the game and doing what he needs to do to help us win the game.

"And also being smart with his rep count just because of elevated risk of injury if you put him in for too much."

Expect that happy medium to be less than 100%, but definitely more than 40%.

"I feel great," Jones said. "It depends on the coaching staff, where they want to fit me in, where they want to play me, whatever the case may be. I’m willing and ready for whatever."

Eagles getting some top players back, but still short at safety

The Eagles have cleared three players who either last week's game against the Jets or were injured in it. That included rookie DT Jalen Carter (ankle), RT Lane Johnson (ankle) and CB Darius Slay (knee). They're also getting rookie safety Sydney Brown back after he missed three games with a hamstring injury.

The only players ruled out were S Reed Blankenship (ribs) and CB Bradley Roby (shoulder).

Expect Terrell Edmunds and Brown to start at safety, with rookie Mekhi Garner, who got the other practice-squad elevation, serving as the backup. Josiah Scott could end up starting at nickel corner in place of Roby.

Scott was signed off the Steelers' practice squad last week. But he played for the Eagles the previous two seasons, so he could step right in if needed.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles vs. Dolphins: Live analysis, updates as Jalen Hurts faces Tua