Predicting Last 5 In, Last 5 out for Philadelphia Eagles' Final 53-Man Roster
Say what you want about head coach Chip Kelly's roster overhauls, but the Philadelphia Eagles are heading into 2015 with a ton of talent. At a few positions in particular, the coaching staff is going to have some very difficult decisions over who stays and who goes when training camp concludes.
The Eagles roster sits at 90 men for now, but come September, the team will have to cut down to 53 players. As you can see from our predictions over the last five in and last five out, it won't be easy.
We avoided what we felt were the obvious choices and tried to find the guys who truly are the most on the bubble at this stage of the offseason. Obviously, camp will sway these decisions a great deal, but there's a chance these 10 guys are among the athletes battling for the final five roster spots this summer.
In: Matt Barkley
1 of 10
True, Matt Barkley has shown very little in his first two NFL seasons. Of course, there isn't much of a body of work to judge, either.
Barkley has two appearances in meaningful games, throwing four interceptions while leading zero scoring drives for the Eagles. However, both appearances were in his rookie season, he entered those games while his team was already trailing and all four interceptions came in the fourth quarter.
Barkley actually looked capable during last summer's preseason action, despite playing exclusively with third-stringers and camp bodies. He's likely the best option for an emergency quarterback in Philadelphia.
Out: Tim Tebow
2 of 10
Much has been made about the Tim Tebow experiment in Philadelphia, and while some have noticed an improvement in his throwing mechanics, most observers feel he has a long way to go.
Reuben Frank for CSNPhilly.com was one of the latest to weigh in, writing he sees the "same Tim Tebow as ever" on the practice field. That means plenty of inaccurate, wobbly passes from an indecisive quarterback.
Tebow will always have his legions of fans, but there's a reason—a football reason—why he's spent the past two years out of the NFL. He simply isn't a great passer.
In: Seyi Ajirotutu
3 of 10
Perhaps the most under-the-radar signing the Eagles made this offseason, Seyi Ajirotutu was added to the roster to little fanfare in April. However, the longtime San Diego Charger has an excellent shot at making the 53-man roster to his stellar special teams play.
Ajirotutu may have just 24 receptions in five NFL seasons, but the fifth or sixth wide receiver on the depth chart seldom gets in the game on offense anyway.
Chip Kelly has long demonstrated his commitment to special teams, and we saw in 2014 just how much of an impact that phase of the game can have, so I would expect Ajirotutu to be here when the dust settles after training camp.
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Out: Riley Cooper
4 of 10
As predictions go, this is out there. The Eagles don't really stand to save any money from the release of Riley Cooper, and while his 2014 numbers were a huge letdown, he's not useless, either.
That being said, the depth chart at wide receiver is more crowded than people realize. Recent draft picks Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor are in. We just gave Ajirotutu a roster spot. The Eagles also signed veteran Miles Austin this offseason, a two-time Pro Bowler who may have something left in the tank. If Austin makes it, that's five wide receivers.
Austin could easily be the odd man out, or the Eagles could carry six wideouts. Yet even if the Eagles carried six, there are some impressive undrafted free agents battling for spots as well, like Rasheed Bailey out of Delaware Valley and Devante Davis out of UNLV.
Cooper may make the roster simply because it makes sense financially. But with so much competition, it might not be a given after all.
In: Matthew Tucker
5 of 10
The Eagles are absolutely loaded at running back. Between DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, why would anybody else ever see the field?
That's the obvious case against carrying a fourth back, but Matthew Tucker provides more than the ability to carry the rock. He can contribute on special teams as well, and at a high level. Add in the fact that Murray and Mathews have had durability issues throughout their career, and it might make sense to have an extra set of legs on the roster.
This will be Tucker's third season with Philadelphia, spending most of the past two on the practice squad. He's ready for a slightly larger role in 2015.
Out: Emmanuel Acho
6 of 10
To his credit, Emmanuel Acho really helped the Eagles defense through difficult periods without Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans last season. Acho appeared in 14 games for the Birds in 2014 and was not a total liability, which is saying something for a guy who's been bouncing around practice squads the past few years.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to find room on the depth chart at interior linebacker in Philly these days. Kendricks and Ryans are now sharing starting duties with Kiko Alonso, while rookie Jordan Hicks out of Texas and veterans Brad Jones and Najee Goode are vying for roles as well.
Even if one of those top six is moved in a trade between now and September, the Eagles still won't need Acho, even if it will be difficult cutting a capable reserve.
In: Travis Raciti
7 of 10
There's a good way to tell which undrafted free agents may have an inside track to make the roster: their contracts. A select few may get extra guaranteed money to sweeten the deal, which often indicates a higher-than-normal level of interest from the team.
Defensive lineman Travis Raciti is one of the Eagles UDFAs to receive such a bump, according to Mark Eckel for NJ.com. The San Jose State product lists at 6'5", 285 pounds and is expected to play defensive end, although he also has some experience playing outside linebacker—versatility that Chip Kelly loves.
Raciti is far from a certainty to make the team, but his odds are better than most. Plus, as it turns out, the Eagles just may have an opening up front.
Out: Brandon Bair
8 of 10
Brandon Bair finally made an NFL roster last season after a strong preseason for the Eagles. He even demonstrated some additional value by getting his hands on a few field-goal tries.
Unfortunately, Bair produced very little for the Eagles when he was on the field with the defense once the regular season came around. The defensive end is 30 years old and offers little in the way of upside.
Between Raciti, second-year end Taylor Hart and seventh-round draft pick Brian Mihalik pushing for roster spots, it's difficult to envision there being room for Bair.
If Bair solidly outperforms his younger competition this summer, maybe he sticks around. More likely, the Eagles have seen enough.
In: Brett Boyko
9 of 10
Much like Raciti, Brett Boyko is an undrafted free agent who received some extra guaranteed money from the Eagles, per Eckel. And the better news for Boyko is there's even less of a logjam in front of him on the depth chart at offensive guard, giving him a clear path to make the 53-man roster.
With the offseason releases of Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis, the Eagles are in the unenviable position of replacing both starting offensive guards. Since the club didn't draft anybody, it'll likely do that from within, with Allen Barbre and Matt Tobin expected to step up. That may or may not work, but it's eating into Philly's depth regardless, which means somebody has to seize some backup jobs.
Boyko started 43 games at left tackle for UNLV, and some were surprised to see him go undrafted in the first place. The Eagles made it clear they wanted him in camp, so he should have every opportunity to carve out a space on the roster.
Out: Ed Reynolds
10 of 10
If we're being fair, the fifth round isn't where a lot of stars or even capable NFL starters come from. However, there's a chance Ed Reynolds is never even going to see the field in a regular-season game.
The Stanford safety wound up spending all of his rookie season on Philadelphia's practice squad in 2014. Given the state of the Eagles secondary and the fact that another team didn't feel enticed to sign him at any point, it's pretty telling what people think about Reynolds around the league.
Reynolds will be in camp this summer and has a chance to show significant improvement. To go from a total afterthought to making the roster would be an amazing turnaround, though—perhaps too huge of a gap to bridge in one year's time.
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