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Now that we’ve wrapped up three weeks of Eagles training camp and Philadelphia’s second preseason game, it’s a great time for an updated projection of the 53-man roster. Read on to see how the team is forming. [Click here for a link to our previous version.]
QB: Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco (2) [2]
Hurts was having his best part of the summer before suffering from a stomach infection. Will it pick up where it left off? Hopefully it remains available for the entirety of 2021 because having to watch Flacco play won’t be fun.
RB: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenny Gainwell, Jason Huntley (4) [6]
Sanders always looks great as a runner. It’s just a matter of how much he can be relied on in the passing game. Scott appears to be guy # 2 at the moment. He could possibly be overtaken by Gainwell, who shone more in preseason games than in practice. Huntley was injured but the speedster is worth keeping; he’s the team’s best kick return option. Jordan Howard is notably absent from this list because it just doesn’t make sense to keep him on the original 53. Who’s really going after him if the Eagles cut him? No other team jumped in to sign him on their roster while he was available for nearly five months (from November 2020 to April 2021). The Eagles should be able to bring him back after Week 1 to avoid guaranteeing his salary as an acquired veteran.
WR: DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, Greg Ward, JJ Arcega-Whiteside (6) [12]
Smith is going to be the Eagles’ volume target and he is going to dominate. Count on it. Watkins is the team’s most inspiring big-game threat, but he’s not limited to that specialty. Reagor has been impressive in 1v1, but has yet to make a consistent impact across the squad, whether in practice or preseason games. The Eagles’ top three are stuck. As for what is behind them, it is not as settled. Fulgham might not even be a roster lock anymore considering how late he has played in preseason games. As a prototype X receiver, the Eagles could be looking to keep him in depth. Ward gives the Eagles some depth in the lunge and on the punt return. He’s a cromulent No.4 or No.5 option. I don’t see the need for the Eagles to keep six receivers, but the feeling here is that they won’t want to give up on JJAW. Although they should at this point.
TE: Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers, Tyree Jackson (3) [15]
It is a difficult place to understand. Zach Ertz is still there, but everything indicates that a trade is still on the table. I think the Eagles might just try to wait to process him before the deadline, especially if they’re not in a good position to wrestle at this point. What if they are in the mix for the playoffs, they might just choose to keep it. For now, we’ll assume a deal will be done sooner rather than later, leaving Goedert as TE1. It is important to see how he handles this role before signing him for an extension. As an acquired veteran, Dick Rod is a candidate to be cut and brought back after Week 1. But the Eagles might just need to keep him, especially if Ertz is traded before Week 1. Jackson would be out for 8-10 weeks. with a back injury, but the Eagles could choose to keep him on the original 53 and then put him in the injured reserve with a chance of being activated in October. The Eagles could look to add another tight winger via waivers. Or they could add Jack Stoll to the 53 if he goes through any unclaimed waivers.
OL: Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Nate Herbig, Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, Brett Toth (10) [25]
The starting offensive line is established. The question is, what is behind the top five? Dillard did nothing to earn a spot on the list, but he Looks like the Eagles are gonna keep it anyway. Stupid. They really should just get all they can for him That much; Dillard is a sunk cost. He’s not a valuable backup considering he’s 1) bad 2) injury prone and 3) not versatile. Herbig may be the best save option indoors (until Landon Dickerson is healthy, at least), but he hasn’t really had a good summer. Driscoll plans to be the best replacement behind Johnson and he has received guard training as well. Opeta gives the Eagles even more depth of guard; may be too much. Toth is arguably a better player than Dillard and the Eagles seem to like his potential. Le’Raven Clark is on the bubble here.
FROM: Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, Ryan Kerrigan (4) [29]
Graham, Barnett, Sweat, and Kerrigan are all locks. It’s a good quartet. Are the Eagles keeping Tarron Jackson past these four? It is possible but it is not a guarantee. He was not so good that they have to keep it. And Milton Williams playing the defensive end gives the Eagles more depth there.
DT: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams, TY McGill (4) [33]
Cox and Hargrave could absolutely destroy the interior this year. If either player gets injured, the depth behind them doesn’t look great. Williams shared the time as an on-board rusher. Hassan Ridgeway did nothing to earn a spot and his injury history is cause for concern. TY McGill shone throughout the summer. This is yet another player who falls into the bucket of vowed veterans. McGill could be a prime candidate for last year’s Cre’Von LeBlanc situation where the Eagles temporarily cut Strap to free up an extra spot in the roster only to bring him back the next day. The defensive tackle is another position the Eagles may be looking to add via waivers.
LB: Eric Wilson, Alex Singleton, Genard Avery, TJ Edwards, Davion Taylor, JaCoby Stevens (6) [39]
Wilson and Singleton seem to be the best two. Avery looks set to play a role in that defense as a SAM. Edwards has carved out a place for himself on the squad as a defensive player and a special teams contributor. Taylor was injured for most of camp, but the Eagles seemed to really like his potential from the start. Stevens has missed a few weeks now, but the Eagles seem to be enjoying his advantage as he moves from safety to linebacker. Shaun Bradley played a lot late in the preseason games; the Eagles give him a chance to stay but he hasn’t erased all doubts. Patrick Johnson is also in the bubble. The Eagles could get a little heavier at this position than expected with some of those players (Avery, Johnson) expected to have pass rush roles instead of just linebackers without the ball.
CB: Darius Slay, Steve Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Craig James, Josiah Scott (6) [45]
Slay and Nelson are the away starters with Maddox starting in the slot. This is blocked. ZMP struggled in the preseason games after having excelled in training. Either way, the rookie is the best candidate to play if one of the starters breaks down. James isn’t necessarily a lock as he missed time with an injury, but it’s assumed here that the Eagles still appreciate his special-teams abilities. Scott is on the bubble but could stick around as the Eagles gave up on a future draft pick for him and he’s providing more lunge depth. Michael Jacquet III hasn’t done enough to make the squad, but it’s worth staying on the practice squad.
S: Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace, Elijah Riley (5) [50]
It is assumed here that McLeod will be activated from active / PUP before week 1. But will he be ready to play in week 1? We’ll see. Otherwise, it will likely be Harris and Epps as starting security. Wallace made his groin injury worse against the Patriots and he hasn’t done much to part with Epps anyway. The Eagles probably need to keep five safeties with McLeod and Wallace under 100 percent, so that’s where Riley comes in.
K: Jake Elliott (1) [51]
Elliott is currently on a day-to-day basis with an ankle injury. The Eagles hope he heals soon.
P: Arryn Siposs (1) [52]
Siposs ranks ninth out of 41 preseason bettors in average net yards per punt attempt. He showed enough to win the job.
LS: Rick Lovato (1) [53]
Yeah.
NON-FOOTBALL INJURY (NFI): Landon Dickerson
The Eagles might want to slow down with Dickerson given his extensive injury history. If he starts the season on NFI, he won’t be able to play until Week 7 at the earliest.
QB (Unnamed Nick Mullens), RB Elijah Holyfield, WR John Hightower, WR Jhamon Ausbon, TE Jack Stoll, OT Le’Raven Clark, OG Kayode Awosika, C Ross Pierschbacher, DE Tarron Jackson, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, LB Shaun Bradley, LB Joe Ostman, LB Patrick Johnson, CB Michael Jacquet III, S Andrew Adams, S Grayland Arnold
Exemption: FROM Matt Leo
Tuesday August 24 – Switch from 85 to 80 players
Tuesday August 31 – Switch from 80 to 53 players
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