Projected Philadelphia Eagles' Final 53-Man Roster, Pre-Training Camp Edition
In a few short weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles will report to training camp, and the coaching staff will begin the arduous task of trimming their roster down from 90 men to 53 players for the 2015 season. And in a time-honored tradition of the NFL writing world, we're taking our way-too-early stab at who makes the final cut.
Obviously, we have a long way to go until the final cut-down day arrives in September. Players' stocks will rise and fall between now and then, and injuries will inevitably change the outlook, as will one or two newcomers most likely. There's no way to get this thing 100 percent correct now.
Nonetheless, if the Eagles were dropping down to 53 players today, here's one man's take on how it would shake out. Are we missing anybody?
Quarterback
1 of 12
Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley
Bradford will be under center for the Eagles come opening day, provided he's healthy. Re-signed during the offseason, Sanchez is the fallback plan in case of any setbacks.
The only real debate is over who will earn the emergency quarterback job. While some would claim Tim Tebow is a better fit for head coach Chip Kelly's offense, there's a reason he spent the last two seasons out of the NFL. Truth be told, we really don't know what the Eagles have in Barkley, but he's a far more accurate passer than Tebow, anyway.
Running Back
2 of 12
DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles
Murray may be the reigning NFL rushing champion, but he and Mathews may be closer to 1A and 1B on the depth chart than people realize. Sproles, of course, is the change-of-pace back and could see a lot more work in the passing game this season now that there are two workhorse backs to carry the load.
The only question is whether the Eagles would carry four ball-carriers. Matthew Tucker is heading into his third camp with the club and can contribute on special teams. However, I simply couldn't find space for him on my roster at this juncture.
Wide Receiver
3 of 12
Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, Miles Austin, Riley Cooper, Seyi Ajirotutu
While lacking a proven star, the Eagles are relatively deep at wide receiver. The club spent high draft picks on three in the past two seasons, including Matthews and Huff in 2014, and a first-round selection on Agholor this year.
The Eagles signed Ajirotutu in free agency, and while he doesn't add much in the way of a receiving threat, his special teams prowess should be enough to earn a roster spot.
The cases of Austin and Cooper are interesting. Both are owed some guaranteed money this season, so one might think their roster spots would be safe. However, Austin doesn't have much value as a specialist, and Cooper is coming off of a disappointing season. There are some intriguing undrafted wideouts who could push for their jobs, such as Rasheed Bailey out of Delaware Valley or Devante Davis out of UNLV, or perhaps even a player at another position.
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Tight End
4 of 12
Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton
No surprises here. Celek and Ertz will continue to split time based on the situation. Burton could be a secret weapon of sorts this season as he steps into the third tight end role. The second-year player can line up at tight end, split wide or in the backfield—he can even attempt a pass.
The Eagles brought in a bunch of undrafted free agents, which is how Burton came to make the club last season. However, one would have to impress on special teams to make the cut as the rare fourth tight end.
Offensive Line
5 of 12
Jason Peters, Allen Barbre, Jason Kelce, Matt Tobin, Lane Johnson, Andrew Gardner, John Moffitt, Brett Boyko, Mike Coccia
The only starting job along the offensive line that doesn't appear to be set in stone is at right guard. Peters, Kelce and Johnson will retain their jobs at left tackle, center and right tackle, respectively. Barbre appears to be in line to take over for discarded All-Pro Evan Mathis at left guard. But right guard appears to be very much open to competition between Tobin, Gardner and perhaps the recently added Moffitt.
Tobin and Gardner should be locks, as both gained valuable experience last year and can play multiple positions. I'm not convinced Moffitt is a definite to make the team after spending the better part of two years away from football, but his pedigree as a 2011 third-round pick is better than most of the guys trying out.
A pair of undrafted rookies round out the depth chart for now. Mark Eckel for NJ.com notes that Boyko received guaranteed money on his free-agent deal, usually a sign a player has an inside track to make the roster. Coccia is just a guess, honestly. The Eagles don't seem thrilled with backup centers David Molk or Julian Vandervelde, while Coccia has experience playing in a similar-style offense coming out of New Hampshire, where Kelly made his name.
Defensive Line
6 of 12
Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Beau Allen, Taylor Hart, Travis Raciti
Cox will be the cornerstone of Philadelphia's front seven for years to come. Logan has proven to be a very capable nose tackle the past two seasons, particularly against the run. Thornton is also a dedicated run-stuffer and comes off the field in favor of Curry—second on the team with 9.0 sacks last season—in obvious passing situations. Allen is the backup at nose.
The Eagles could opt to keep either one or two more linemen. Mark Eckel reported Raciti was the other undrafted rookie who received a guaranteed bonus from the club, so we'll pencil him in for the time being. I like Hart, a 2014 fifth-round pick, to earn a job as well. Hart managed to stick on the roster all of last season despite not dressing for a single game, and now that the Oregon product bulked up nearly 25 pounds since his arrival, he should be ready to compete for playing time.
Outside Linebacker
7 of 12
Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Marcus Smith, Travis Long, Bryan Braman
Barwin and Graham both received new or adjusted contracts this offseason, ensuring one heck of an outside linebacker tandem in Philadelphia for at least the next few seasons. Braman, a linebacker in name only, also reworked his deal to stay on as a special teams ace.
There is some doubt as to whether Smith will make the cut, but looking at the depth behind Barwin and Graham, it seems like the Eagles will be counting on some form of contribution from the 2014 first-round pick. The club is high on Long, but he's yet to see a down in the NFL. It's not that Smith's experience is so extensive, but he possesses the size and athleticism to play at this level—plus there really isn't much in the way of legitimate competition for the job.
Interior Linebacker
8 of 12
Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, Brad Jones
As far as the logjam at interior linebacker is concerned, it's a good problem to have. Alonso is a three-down linebacker in any scheme. Ryans, almost 31 and coming off of an Achilles injury, will likely be on the field on running downs, while Kendricks, a dynamic pass-rusher and playmaker in the open field, can take over in obvious passing situations.
That is, of course, provided Kendricks is still around. Not seen on this depth chart are Najee Goode or Emmanuel Acho, capable reserves caught up in the numbers game. If the Eagles get a fair offer for Kendricks between now and September—although unlikely at this point—don't be shocked if he's moved.
The Eagles signed Jones in free agency and used a third-round pick on Hicks out of Texas, so they'll be here.
Cornerback
9 of 12
Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Brandon Boykin, Eric Rowe, JaCorey Shepherd, Jaylen Watkins
Maxwell was signed to a blockbuster free-agent contract to solidify one half of the field. Now it's just a matter of figuring out the rest.
Carroll is currently running with the first-team defense at corner, per Phil Sheridan for ESPN.com. However, Rowe, a second-round pick out of Utah, is expected to compete for that job. Boykin's name has also been bandied about in this competition, although he'll likely reprise his role in the slot, while Shepherd, a sixth-round pick out of Kansas, might be a sleeper to earn serious playing time.
An additional roster spot came down to Watkins or sixth-round selection Randall Evans out of Kansas State. I suspect the decision could come down to whichever one could fill in at safety more capably.
Safety
10 of 12
Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond, Chris Maragos
This is a bit of a mess. Jenkins proved to be an excellent fit for the Eagles last season, so at least that's taken care of. Thurmond is a cornerback by trade, but he is changing positions due to the lack of viable starters at the position. It's not as far-fetched as it might sound, as Philadelphia deploys its safeties in a lot of man-to-man coverage, yet still far from ideal.
As mentioned in the previous slide, the backup safety may effectively come down to Jaylen Watkins or Randall Evans. Earl Wolff should make the roster if he's healthy, which hasn't been the case, and Jimmy Kempski for Philly Voice explained Kelly is losing his patience. Jerome Couplin or Ed Reynolds could also be in the mix, but we're talking about total unknowns here.
At least Maragos has a spot on lockdown due to stellar special teams play, although he's never actually started a game at safety in the NFL before.
Specialists
11 of 12
Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos
No real competition for any of these jobs. Parkey handled the kicking duties brilliantly in his rookie season. Jones continued booming punts and pinning opponents in their own end. The next time Dorenbos messes up a snap, I'm fairly certain it will be his first.
Depth Chart
12 of 12
| QB | Bradford | Sanchez | Barkley | ||||||
| RB | Murray | Mathews | Sproles | ||||||
| WR | Matthews | Agholor | Huff | Austin | Cooper | Ajirotutu | |||
| TE | Celek | Ertz | Burton | ||||||
| OL | Peters | Barbre | Kelce | Tobin | Johnson | Gardner | Moffitt | Boyko | Coccia |
| DL | Cox | Logan | Thornton | Curry | Allen | Hart | Raciti | ||
| OLB | Barwin | Graham | Smith | Long | Braman | ||||
| ILB | Alonso | Ryans | Kendricks | Jones | Hicks | ||||
| CB | Maxwell | Carroll | Boykin | Rowe | Shepherd | Watkins | |||
| S | Jenkins | Thurmond | Maragos |
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