Predicting Philadelphia Eagles' First Wave of Roster Cuts
The Philadelphia Eagles held their first training camp practice of the summer Sunday, and we know what you’re wondering—who’s getting cut?
OK, so obviously one training session is not enough to make any real judgments on any of the 90 players gunning for a spot on the 53-man roster. Then again, it’s not too difficult to see a handful of athletes who will almost certainly miss the cut, likely caught up in a numbers game at a position where the Eagles have amassed solid depth.
In fact, that’s exactly the case for most of the players we are predicting will wind up in the Eagles’ first round of releases this summer. One or two of them may even have the talent to make another NFL team, which, believe it or not, might expedite their departures.
Before the Eagles get down to 53 men, they must first go from 90 to 75 players by September 1, two days prior to the final preseason game. Here are five names who could be among that initial wave.
Emmanuel Acho
1 of 5
Emmanuel Acho went from the practice squad to playing a sizable role in Philadelphia’s defense out of necessity last season. That is far less likely to be the case in 2015, so much so that it borders on the impossible.
Injuries to Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans and Najee Goode did a number on the Eagles’ depth at interior linebacker. That left Casey Matthews and Acho to handle a lot of work in the middle. The 24-year-old wound up appearing in 14 games, starting two and finishing with 31 tackles.
Matthews is gone, but Kendricks, Ryans and Goode are all back and healthy, along with reinforcements. The club traded for Kiko Alonso from the Buffalo Bills, signed Green Bay Packers free agent Brad Jones and spent a third-round draft pick on Jordan Hicks out of Texas.
Simply put, Philadelphia’s depth would have to be seriously depleted for Acho to even have a shot at making the 53-man roster. More likely, the team will grant him an early release so he has a better shot at catching on with another team.
Acho isn’t going to any Pro Bowls anytime soon, but he didn’t embarrass himself when called upon last season, either. He could certainly make a roster elsewhere, and the Eagles should be happy to oblige.
Jeff Maehl
2 of 5
Jeff Maehl is in a similar boat as Acho. While his role with the Eagles has been far more limited, Maehl has made the 53-man roster each of the past two seasons. However, he will not make the cut again in 2015.
The Eagles are quietly very deep at wide receiver. The club spent second- and third-round selections on Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff last year and in April used the 20th overall selection on Nelson Agholor out of USC.
In addition to the impressive collection of youth at wideout, veterans Riley Cooper and Miles Austin are in the mix, while the Eagles also signed San Diego Chargers special teams standout Seyi Ajirotutu in free agency. Oh, and there are a number of impressive undrafted players vying for spots as well.
Maehl has all of nine receptions in an Eagles uniform the past two seasons, and he’s not particularly useful on special teams, either. That being said, he did fill a role for the club for a while, so it makes sense he would be let down gracefully. Like Acho, Maehl could receive his walking papers early so he might find a job elsewhere.
Ed Reynolds
3 of 5
I’m not normally one to rush to conclusions about prospects, but it certainly isn’t very promising that Ed Reynolds spent the entirety of his rookie season on the practice squad. That doesn’t mean the 2014 fifth-round pick couldn’t impress coaches and make the roster this year, or at least do enough to make it through camp and back on to the scout team.
That being said, Reynolds has little to show for his brief time in the NFL, even in training camp practices or preseason games. And for as thin as the Eagles are at safety—extremely—it appears he’s starting his pursuit of a roster spot from the very bottom of the depth chart.
Where I’ll give Reynolds the benefit of the doubt is he joined camp late last season due to an archaic NFL rule that forced him to wait until after Stanford’s graduation. Those early practices can be very important to a rookie’s development.
Still, his chances at making the roster appear to be distant at best, and if he doesn’t show something the first few weeks of camp, I’m not sure Reynolds’ name isn’t among the first cuts that are handed down.
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B.J. McBryde
4 of 5
The Eagles are operating from a position of tremendous depth along the defensive line, to the point where an NFL-caliber player will almost certainly wind up getting cut. That means that making a meaningful push for a roster spot for an undrafted free agent like B.J. McBryde is extra unlikely.
At 6’5”, 304 pounds, McBryde certainly has an NFL build, which is no doubt what enticed the Eagles to give him a look. However, the Connecticut product didn’t even become a starter until his senior season, notching 26 tackles and a lone takedown for a loss.
McBryde is making the shift from an interior lineman to a 5-technique defensive end in Philadelphia’s system, which makes his chances of having an impact even more remote. With Brandon Bair, Taylor Hart and Travis Raciti in a probable battle over the final two roster spots at end and seventh-round draft pick Brian Mihalik out of Boston College seemingly destined for the practice squad, it’s hard to say how much use the Eagles have for McBryde, barring he is a surprise standout.
Kip Smith
5 of 5
No offense, Kip Smith, but you are probably the member of the Eagles’ 90-man roster who is least likely to make the team. That’s what happens when you’re the second punter on a team with a Pro Bowl-caliber punter, not to mention an excellent holder, in Donnie Jones.
Smith is the definition of a camp body who’s only in Philadelphia to keep Jones and kicker Cody Parkey fresh and give the specialists an extra guy to train with. The best the Oklahoma State product can hope for is he gets some kicks on tape this summer and maybe another team eventually comes calling when it needs a punter.
Barring an injury, it won’t be with the Eagles.
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