5 Philadelphia Eagles Veterans Now on Roster Bubble Following Draft
Six prospects will get their opportunity to make a name for themselves in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles as a result of the 2015 draft. However, the flip side to that is should those six prospects make it; they will be taking opportunities away from six veteran players.
We’re not just talking about starting positions or playing time, either. Every year around the league, the draft costs hundreds of players their roster spots—their livings as professional athletes. It’s no different for the Eagles, who will have several notable veterans competing for one of 53 lockers come training camp.
The good news is some players will land on their feet with another franchise. Others will continue bouncing around the football until they fade into obscurity. The one thing that is certain, however, is the draft will cost several people their job.
These aren’t all fringe players, either. Many of the veterans on the roster bubble are names you will recognize, and the ones you might not probably played more pivotal roles than you realize. They can’t all come back, though, as long as the league limits regular-season rosters to 53 men.
Miles Austin
1 of 5
Miles Austin was signed as an insurance policy in case second-year wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff weren’t ready to handle the bulk of the targets in Philadelphia’s passing attack this season. Now that the Eagles used their first-round pick on Nelson Agholor, there may not be enough balls to go around to warrant keeping Austin on the roster at all.
Agholor figures to join Matthews and Huff as an immediate fixture in the wideout rotation. Riley Cooper should be around as well, in large part because the organization doesn’t really save any money with his release.
That means Austin could wind up the de facto fifth receiver, a role that’s generally reserved for somebody who contributes on special teams. While Austin sounded amenable to playing special teams in Philly, per Eliot Shorr-Parks for NJ Advance Media, the soon-to-be 31-year-old wideout also admitted he had done so for a couple years, back when he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s hard to say how much value Austin would have in that role, or even as a receiver, when his last quality season came in 2012. According to Spotrac, the Eagles will eat $1 million in dead money against the salary cap with the two-time Pro Bowler’s release, but by then they may have gotten all Austin has left to offer—tutoring for the team’s young receiving corps.
Nolan Carroll
2 of 5
Philadelphia took not one, not two, but three defensive backs over draft weekend, and cornerback is the first position for all three. The Eagles also signed Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond during free agency. That’s five corners right there, not including Brandon Boykin, who presumably lines up in the slot, provided he’s not traded before the regular season begins.
NFL teams traditionally don’t carry more than five or six cornerbacks, which means unless somebody winds up on injured reserve during training camp, Nolan Carroll is facing an uphill battle to make the roster.
Carroll was signed last season and pushed Bradley Fletcher for a starting job during camp, but he lost, which should tell you all you need to know about his ability. The former Miami Dolphin started Week 17 in place of Fletcher, but he didn’t fare much better, granted it was one opportunity.
Of course, there was a reason Carroll was available last offseason in the first place. He’s a decent reserve cornerback, has some value as the fourth corner in a dime package and special teams contributor but little else. Seeing as Philadelphia can save all $2.9 million of Carroll’s salary in 2015, according to Spotrac, it shouldn’t be too difficult to cut ties after the influx of talent that was brought in over the offseason.
Najee Goode
3 of 5
Like Carroll, Najee Goode is a serviceable backup who appears to be caught up in a numbers game at his position.
Philadelphia is absolutely stacked at interior linebacker now. The club traded for Kiko Alonso, extended DeMeco Ryans, kept Mychal Kendricks (so far), signed Brad Jones and drafted Jordan Hicks this offseason. That’s more than enough players at a position that traditionally starts two.
Goode might not be in this position had he not fallen on some bad luck last year. The three-year veteran was set to play a bigger role in the defense as a rotational player behind Ryans and Kendricks in 2014, but he tore his pectoral muscle in Week 1 and wound up on injured reserve.
The previous season, Goode recorded 21 tackles, 1.0 sack and four pass breakups in 14 games with one start. Now he’s an afterthought at best.
Alonso and Ryans are coming off season-ending injuries of their own, and who knows where either is at in his recovery. If anybody else goes down, there may be a path for Goode to make the roster. Right now, however, it’s looking very unlikely.
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Brandon Bair
4 of 5
Brandon Bair was one of the pleasant surprises of last summer, performing well enough at training camp and in preseason play to earn a roster spot. The defensive end had been trying to make it in the NFL since 2011, but he had never finished as one of the top 53 prior to this past year with the Eagles at the age of 30.
Bair played in all 16 games for Philadelphia in ’14, registering 17 tackles, 1.6 sacks and a blocked field goal as a reserve. Yet that production is perfectly replaceable, quite possibly by seventh-round pick Brian Mihalik out of Boston College.
Mihalik’s college stats won’t blow anybody away, with 86 tackkles, 8.5 sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles for his career. That being said, the kid’s measureables are off the charts. At 6’9”, 295 pounds, he has the stature to be an imposing 5-technique end in the NFL.
Bair isn’t necessarily out of a job just yet. Round 7 picks aren’t locks, and Mihalik is no different. Plus, 2014 fifth-round selection Taylor Hart hasn’t necessarily secured his spot after essentially redshirting his rookie year, either. Still, Mihalik and Hart have upside, whereas Bair will be a 31-year-old journeyman. He’ll have to play his butt off to make the squad again this season.
Matt Barkley
5 of 5
The Eagles did not select a quarterback during the draft, and they didn't sign an undrafted free agent afterward. However, Matt Barkley’s job was already in jeopardy heading into the weekend.
While Barkley hasn’t had many opportunities, it seems the Eagles are trying to keep it that way, trading for Sam Bradford and re-signing Mark Sanchez to serve as backup. For Barkley to be heading into his third NFL season and not even in consideration as the No. 2 signal-caller seems telling.
Then the Eagles signed Tim Tebow shortly before the draft. While Tebow is—objectively speaking—a terrible passer, word from Albert Breer for NFL.com is he’s improved his throwing mechanics (although we’ve heard that before). If true, perhaps Tebow might actually give Barkley a run for his money in a competition.
Some have also suggested Tebow may carry additional value if the league changes rules regarding extra points that make going for two-point conversions more palatable. A vote is coming up on new rules in May.
Sure, Tebow has been out of the league for two years now and simply fixing his delivery doesn’t mean he’ll be a drastically improved passer, which he would need to be to even beat out Barkley. Then again, with ESPN's Chris Mortensen reporting Barkley was on the trade block back in March, it seems the Eagles may simply be ready to move on from the 2013 fourth-round pick.
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