5 Dark-Horse Candidates to Make Philadelphia Eagles' Final 53-Man Roster

There are surprises every year when teams trim their rosters down from 90 players to 53 at the end of training camp, and the Philadelphia Eagles will be no exception in 2015. The team has done a tremendous job of assembling talent at just about every position, and the battles for the last few jobs will be tight and could last until the end of the summer.

In some cases, the obvious choice won't win. The dark-horse candidate will sneak up from the rear and steal a roster spot from a more established or pedigreed player.

There may not be five of those choices come cut-down day this September, but there will be one or two at least. There always are. And while we're still weeks away from the start of training camp, and two months out from the Eagles' roster trimming down to 53, we're taking a stab at predicting who those unlikely winners will be once the dust settles.

DB Jerome Couplin

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The Eagles signed Jerome Couplin off the Detroit Lions practice squad last December, stashing him on the 53-man roster for precisely this opportunity.

Couplin didn't suit up at all for Philadelphia in 2014. The undrafted rookie out of Division I-AA William & Mary was still very raw, appearing in just eight games for Detroit and lining up for all of 12 defensive snaps total, according to Pro Football Focus.

However, Couplin possesses measureables that make scouts salivate, which is why the Eagles made the wise decision to take a flier on the young man. The 23-year-old defensive back is listed at 6'1", 215 pounds, with Geoff Mosher for CSNPhilly.com reporting 4.5 speed, a 41.5-inch vertical and an astounding 81-inch wingspan.

Whether Couplin's unique blend of size and athleticism will translate to the NFL remains to be seen, but he has a path to a roster spot. Philly is extremely thin at safety in particular, where Malcolm Jenkins and converted cornerback Walter Thurmond are currently penciled in to start, and there's little in the way of established depth behind them.

Ultimately, Couplin won't be handed a spot again based on potential alone. He needs to show he can play a position in the secondary at this level or, at the very least, make an impact on special teams. If Couplin does either of those things, he may not be much of a dark-horse candidate to make the final cut after all.

WR Rasheed Bailey

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Despite waving goodbye to DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in consecutive offseasons, Philadelphia has a lot of talent at wide receiver. 2015 first-round draft pick Nelson Agholor joins second-year players Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff to form an exciting, young nucleus, with veterans Riley Cooper and Miles Austin in line to contribute as well.

Of course, the Eagles don't necessarily need both Cooper and Austin to make the offense go. If somebody were to push for their roster spots this summer, the coaching staff could have a difficult decision on their hands.

One such player to watch at training camp is local product Rasheed Bailey. Now, some might be wondering what business an undrafted rookie out of little-known Delaware Valley University has on an NFL roster, but the numbers speak volumes.

Bailey dominated as a senior, leading all of Division III with 1,707 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns. Yes, it was against lesser competition, but how could anybody not be intrigued by that type of production? He also has good size, measuring 6'2", 205 pounds.

Cooper and Austin both have guaranteed money on their contracts, so they're not exactly likely to be released. Bailey must also demonstrate he can contribute on special teams, as wideouts further down the depth chart are typically counted on in this phase. That being said, if he can help in that area, Bailey can theoretically push the vets for their jobs, as he has far more upside.

RB Matthew Tucker

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With DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles already set to make the roster, do the Eagles really need a fourth running back? Perhaps not, but a case can be made carrying Matthew Tucker in such a role.

This will be Tucker's third season with Philadelphia, much of that time being spent on the practice squad. However, he's demonstrated some value in limited work. At 6'1", 207 pounds, Tucker is a bigger back who's hard to bring down with excellent footwork and vision. He also plays special teams.

Obviously, the latter is especially important. There's absolutely no reason for the Eagles to keep four backs if the last guy doesn't put in work in that phase of the game.

Then again, Tucker may have a role to play on offense as well. Murray and Mathews have experienced durability issues throughout much of their NFL careers, and if one were unavailable for any reason, Sproles is a change-of-pace back, not somebody who should share the load. Even with just a few touches per game, Tucker could help ease the loss of either workhorse back.

Special teams is still the area where Tucker must carve out his roster spot. As long as he can get the job done there, though, the Eagles might just see the upside to having four running backs.

LB Najee Goode

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What a difference a season makes. This time last year, Najee Goode was prepping to play a larger role in Philadelphia's defense, perhaps spelling an aging DeMeco Ryans at interior linebacker in certain situations. Today, he's an afterthought to make the roster.

This offseason, the Eagles added Kiko Alonso, Brad Jones and third-round pick Jordan Hicks out of Texas to an interior linebacker depth chart that already included Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, Emmanuel Acho and Goode. The club is likely to carry no more than five ILBs, and based on their contract situations, Ryans, Alonso, Jones and Hicks probably aren't going anywhere.

Still, it's difficult to forget the Eagles liked Goode a lot this time last year. The 26-year-old was seeing some reps with the first-team defense in place of Ryans during training camp, and the talk was Goode could help keep the 30-year-old, two-time Pro Bowler fresh. Unfortunately, Goode suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 1, and that was his year.

Goode returns from injured reserve to find a logjam at his position, but his chances of making the roster aren't obliterated quite yet. An injury could free up a roster spot. And while it's all speculation up to this point, the idea that Kendricks could be traded before September is a notion that hasn't died yet.

Despite the possibilities, Goode is facing an uphill battle, but he's a quality reserve whom it would be a shame to see released when camp concludes. The Eagles will certainly wait and see what develops.

C Mike Coccia

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As good as Jason Kelce is, the Pro Bowl center has missed time with injuries in two of the past three seasons. And when Kelce has been out, the Eagles have struggled to replace him.

Last season, it was David Molk for four games, but the smallish center got pushed around. Julian Vandervelde has been on Philadelphia's roster for four seasons, yet he has never started a game. There simply isn't an established backup on the roster.

That is at least partially why Mike Coccia has a shot of slipping into a roster spot this summer. An undrafted free agent out of New Hampshire, Coccia has the size (6'2", 303 lbs) to play at the next level, although he'll have to prove he can hang against better competition than he faced at a Division I-AA school.

That being said, he should have little trouble fitting in with the Eagles, as New Hampshire still runs a similar style of offense that Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly implemented during his years at the University and uses to this day. Coccia could also see work at guard, where the club is thin following the releases of Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans this offseason.

Given that offensive-line depth is an issue for the Eagles overall, Coccia probably has at least as good a chance as many of the guys battling for reserve spots. In fact, his familiarity with the offense may even give him a leg up on the competition.