5 Players Philadelphia Eagles Could Release to Make Room for Mike Patterson

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To make room for defensive tackle Mike Patterson on the active 53-man roster, the Philadelphia Eagles will need to either release a player or send someone down to the practice squad.

Patterson has been inactive all season after having offseason brain surgery, but reports from CSNPhilly’s Derrick Gunn say that Patterson could be cleared to begin practicing on Monday. He may not dress for next week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, but Patterson is on his way to returning to NFL form.

The Eagles can always choose to send a player down to the practice squad, but in doing so he could be claimed by another team around the league. That’s why the following five guys should be wondering whether they’re in their final week with the Eagles.

Darryl Tapp

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Before the season, it appeared as if the Philadelphia Eagles might cut veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp. He was scheduled to make $2.58 million with the team in 2012 but agreed to a pay reduction that has Tapp slated to earn just $850,000.

Tapp is buried on the depth chart behind Trent Cole, Jason Babin, and Brandon Graham, and he hasn’t made the most of his snaps when he has seen the field. In 138 snaps, he has just two quarterback hurries and he’s a part of a defensive line that doesn’t have a sack for 13 straight quarters.

Mardy Gilyard

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Mardy Gilyard was only added to the Philadelphia Eagles' official roster because Riley Cooper broke his collarbone and missed the first several games.

Gilyard has seen six offensive snaps in 2012 and he hasn’t caught a pass since 2010. He really doesn’t offer a whole lot on special teams either, so it’s confusing as to why the Eagles are keeping him on the roster.

Nate Menkin

When Jason Peters tore his Achilles tendon in the offseason and King Dunlap suffered a hamstring injury early in 2012, the Philadelphia Eagles needed offensive linemen.

They signed Nate Menkin, a relative unknown who attended a Division-III school at the collegiate level. Menkin has not taken an NFL snap yet and he is on the roster simply to add depth to the offensive line.

Jason Williams

The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t used their backup linebackers much at all this season, and Jason Williams was only signed a little over a week ago. His signing officially ended the Adrian Moten era in Philly, but Williams isn’t expected to play at all on defense.

He’s simply a body to contribute on special teams, but he’s easily replaceable.

David Sims

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The debacle that occurred against the Detroit Lions last week came largely from the lack of depth at safety. When Philadelphia Eagles’ third-year man Nate Allen got hurt, the Eagles’ secondary all but fell apart.

David Sims doesn’t offer anything in terms of a defensive player though; he’s strictly a special teams player who was picked up from the Cleveland Browns at the end of preseason. The Eagles feel he provides defensive depth, but he still hasn’t seen a single defensive snap yet.