The Philadelphia Eagles, along with the rest of the NFL, are just over a week away from announcing their official 53-man rosters. On August 31, each team around the league will need to cut down from 80 to 53 players in preparation for Week 1 of the regular season.
The Eagles only have one preseason game remaining, as they’ll face the New York Jets in East Rutherford Friday night. We’ve seen the team in game action twice now, and it’s starting to become clear who will and won’t make the final cut on the final day of August.
Here’s out latest 53-man roster predictions.
Click here for the previous 53-man roster predictions.
Quarterback (2): Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco
No changes here from the previous version. If the team had a suitable third quarterback, perhaps they’d elect to carry three into the regular season. But alas, Nick Mullens has been nothing short of terrible during the preseason this year. On 15 passes this preseason, Mullens has completed 6 of them for 31 yards along with tossing 3 interceptions. Regardless of the fact that Mullens has only played with reserves in the 3rd and 4th quarters, that stat line is inexcusable.
Running Back (4): Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott
Again, no notable changes here. With the Kerryon Johnson injury, the chances of the former Detroit Lion having an impact this season are slim to none. Therefore, the team is better off keeping guys they know they can rely on. Jason Huntley is currently on the outside looking in. With one more preseason game to go, he’ll have his opportunity to prove his worth and earn a roster spot. But at this point, I’m not sure it’s worth carrying five backs in order to keep Huntley.
Wide Receiver (6): DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, Travis Fulgham, Greg Ward, John Hightower
Unless the team decides to go out and trade for a veteran wideout, this is the group that should suit up every Sunday. The one change here is replacing J.J. Arcega-Whiteside with John Hightower at the end of depth chart. JJAW has expanded his horizons by playing special teams this summer, but so has Hightower. And Hightower is only in his second professional season; there’s still potential there with Hightower’s skill set. With JJAW, what you see is what you get. He was a bust of a pick and the organization should quit wasting their time trying to get anything out of him. Cut your losses and move on.
Tight End (3): Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Richard Rodgers, Tyree Jackson (IR)
With the back injury to Tyree Jackson, his roster status is up in the air. The team could elect to place him on IR while carrying him on the original 53-man roster. That means they’ll keep Richard Rodgers around until Jackson is healthy and eligible to return. Once he’s active, Rodgers will likely get cut. So technically, once Jackson is on IR, the team will have a roster spot open for Rodgers. They’ll only suit up three tight ends on game days. While Jackson is listed here, he won’t count towards the 53-man once he’s place on IR, he’ll just need to be on the original 53-man before the team can give him the IR designation. If they put him on IR before having him on the original roster, he won’t be able to play at all this season.
Offensive Line (10): Jordan Mailata (LT), Isaac Seumalo (LG), Jason Kelce (C), Brandon Brooks (RG), Lane Johnson (RT), Andre Dillard, Jack Discoll, Nate Herbig, Le’Raven Clark, Sua Opeta
No real changes here. Landon Dickerson will start the year on the NFI (non-football injury) list, which means he won’t be eligible to return until at least Week 7. The Eagles are clearly taking the long-term approach with Dickerson, so this makes sense. Sua Opeta and Le’Raven Clark will provide the offensive line with depth while Dickerson fully recovers.
Defensive End (4): Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, Ryan Kerrigan
I originally had Tarron Jackson making the team as the fifth edge rusher, but he hasn’t impressed enough during camp and the preseason to justify keeping him on the 53. Milton Williams has played exclusively defensive end this summer, but he figures to be a depth piece along the interior as well. With his versatility, only keeping four true defensive ends on the roster makes sense.
Defensive Tackle (4): Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams, T.Y. McGill
I elected to keep five defensive tackles on my previous roster predictions, but truthfully, none of the bubble interior lineman have impressed enough to earn a roster spot. Rookie Marlon Tuipulotu, someone I included as the fifth tackle, will likely be placed on the practice squad.
Linebackers (6): Alex Singleton, Eric Wilson, T.J. Edwards, Genard Avery, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley
Genard Avery wasn’t included on the last roster predictions here, but with two preseason games down it’s clear that his skill set will have a defined role in Jonathan Gannon’s defense. The rest of the linebacker depth chart is pretty straight forward, with Alex Singleton and Eric Wilson being the primary starters.
Cornerback (6): Darius Slay, Steven Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josiah Scott, Craig James
The cornerback group remains unchanged from the last roster predictions list. Michael Jacquet had an opportunity to make the roster during camp this year, but he hasn’t done enough to warrant a spot on the 53. But, he should make the practice squad.
Safety (5): Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, K’Von Wallace, Marcus Epps, Andrew Adams
I didn’t include Rodney McLeod on my last prediction, but something tells me he’s going to be ready to go by Week 1. He said earlier this offseason that his goal was to be ready by then, so I’ll take his word on it. Anthony Harris will man the other starting safety spot, with K’Von Wallace and Marcus Epps being the first guys off the bench. Andrew Adams will play primarily on special teams.
Specialists (3): Jake Elliot (K), Arryn Sippos (P), Rick Lovato (LS)
The list of specialists on the Eagles hasn’t changed at all this offseason. These will be the starters heading into the year.
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