Eagles 53-Man Roster A Work In Progress

The Philadelphia Eagles cut 17 players to get down to the final 53-man roster on Saturday. "Final", however, could be used loosely in this situation. The Eagles obviously have much left to attend to with who will actually don the midnight-green this Sunday night.

Less than 24 hours after announcing the final cuts, the Birds released third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley and picked up run-stuffing defensive tackle Antonio Dixon off of the waiver wire. It was clear that Feeley would not last long with Michael Vick waiting in the wings, but the fact that his release came so soon all but infers that more moves could be on their way.

Quarterback (2): The Eagles will go through weeks one and two with Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb as their only quarterbacks. Because the Eagles say that Kolb is the number two guy, questions still remain about what role Michael Vick will play when he is finally activated in week three.

Half Back (4): This position is one of the least controversial. Brian Westbrook is a Pro-Bowl player, LeSean McCoy is the future, and Eldra Buckley played his way onto the squad. Leonard Weaver is just the fullback the Eagles have been missing in recent years. Barring major injuries, this crew does not worry me.

Tight End (2): Keeping only Brent Celek and Tony Curtis is a scary thing to me. While Celek has shown what he can do in two seasons here, he has never started a full 16 games. Curtis is a complete unknown. With free agents like Leonard Pope available, the Eagles need to do something to fortify an unproven position.

Wide Receiver (7): Yes. You read that number correctly. Seven. Trust me, I did a double-take the first time I saw it, too. There is absolutely no need for Reggie Brown to be here anymore. His time has come and gone. He is not a special teams player, and I highly doubt the former starter would accept such a role. Something else is going on here.

Offensive Line (10): No qualms about who they kept, only angst about if they will stay healthy. This line has the ability to do some major damage and clear some huge holes for Westbrook, but if there is no continuity, then it will not matter.

Defensive Line End (6): This crew is rather solid, although more speed could never hurt. Victor Abiamiri, in his third year, could have his coming out party in 2009.

Defensive Tackle (4): Dixon will help in run support, but not right away. Broderick Bunkley will look to build off of a much-improved 2008 campaign.

Linebacker (6): The starting linebacker still remains in question. Omar Gaither seems like the smarter choice with starter experience and more range in coverage. There is no doubt, however, that the loss of Stewart Bradley will have large effects.

Cornerback (5): This could easily be the deepest position on the roster. Asante Samuel is and All-Pro corner. Sheldon Brown is the seasoned veteran that has Pro-Bowl abilities. Ellis Hobbs is a former starter opposite Samuel in New England. Joselio Hansen showed his worth and earned himself a new contract during the off-season. Dimitri Patterson will play a key role on special teams.

Safety (4): Quintin Mikell is the anchor of the secondary, and perhaps the entire defense. He will look to take over the gigantic void left by the great Brian Dawkins. Mikell is arguably one of the most underrated player on the Eagles, or even in the league. Questions still remain about the free safety starter, although signs point to the other Quintin, Quintin Demps. Demps made some foolish errors last season, but the Eagles claim that he has matured.

Specialists (3): No surprises with David Akers at kicker, Sav Rocca at punter, and the magician, Jon Dorenbos, at long snapper.