The Birds Blitz Eagles 53-man roster projection

All the way back in May, we posted our way-too-early Eagles 53-man roster prediction. Since then, a lot has changed. Brandon Brooks is out for the season (or at least most of the season) with an Achilles injury, Jason Peters is back, Joshua Perkins is injured and is likely to miss some time (we already had him not making the final cut), and Marquise Goodwin opted out.

The wide receivers and defensive line are balling, according to reports, but the offensive line is struggling. Miles Sanders hasn’t practiced for most of training camp, and it doesn’t sound like any of Elijah Holyfield, Mike Warren, or Adrian Killins have done a whole lot to stand out as worthy of a roster spot. Sidney Jones has barely practiced, and it would not be a shock to see him cut or traded.

So, where does that leave us as we try to predict the initial 53-man roster as we get closer to cutdown day? The Eagles have to cut down to 53 players on the active roster by Saturday, so let’s take a look.

[3] Quarterback (3)

1. Carson Wentz
2. Jalen Hurts
3. Nate Sudfeld

Changes: None. I toyed with the idea of leaving Sudfeld off my final projection, mostly because I wanted to use his roster spot to keep an extra player somewhere else. But while Jalen Hurts has flashed in training camp, it doesn’t sound like he is ready to be the backup just yet. Is it possible that Sudfeld gets cut or traded? Sure. Could Josh McCown come back at the 11th hour and serve as the veteran backup? Why not. But, for now, I’m begrudgingly leaving Sudfeld.

[6] Running Back (3)

4. Miles Sanders
5. Boston Scott
6. Corey Clement

Changes: I didn’t have Corey Clement making the team in my initial projection, but he apparently looks great and is as healthy as he has been in years. That’s good news for the Eagles. I also had the Eagles adding a veteran like Isaiah Crowell, but they have resisted that urge even though the youngsters (Mike Warren, Elijah Holyfield, and Adrian Killins) haven’t stood out. So I’ll go light here and have them keep three in this initial projection while stashing a couple on the practice squad. They like Holyfield, and Killins has been working out at RB, WR, and as a returner, but I don’t think either has really forced their way onto the roster. I think Howie Roseman will be eyeing the waiver wire on Saturday.

[13] Wide Receiver (7)

7. DeSean Jackson
8. Jalen Reagor
9. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside
10. Greg Ward
11. John Hightower
12. Deontay Burnett
13. Quez Watkins

Changes: Marquise Goodwin opted out, so he’s off the roster now. I still think the Eagles keep seven here, and the guess is that they stash Alshon Jeffery on the PUP list to buy themselves some time there. Deontay Burnett has been a standout in camp, and the Eagles need help at the position in both the short and long term. Watkins flashed early but has been banged up lately. Could the team cut him and try to sneak him onto the practice squad? Maybe. But I think he showed enough early on in camp to stick around.

[16] Tight End (3)

14. Zach Ertz
15. Dallas Goedert
16. Noah Togiai

Changes: None. With Joshua Perkins injured, this choice became a little easier. I projected Togiai to make the roster back in May, and here is a note I shared on him right after the NFL Draft in April:

News of tight end Noah Togiai’s signing came out minutes after the draft ended. He is clearly someone the team was aggressive in targeting and had an agreement with before the draft completed. He reportedly got $100,000 guaranteed from the Eagles.

[25 ] Offensive Line (9)

17. Lane Johnson
18. Jason Peters
19. Jason Kelce
20. Isaac Seumalo
21. Matt Pryor
22. Jack Driscoll
23. Nate Herbig
24. Prince Tega Wanogho
25. Jordan Mailata

Changes: Brandon Brooks is done for the year, Jason Peters signed to play right guard (for now?), and Andre Dillard is headed to injured reserve. Jack Driscoll has impressed in training camp, and the team seems to really like Nate Herbig. Jordan Mailata has been up-and-down, but the Dillard injury opens up a roster spot for him. Prince Tega Wanogho is more of a raw prospect in the Mailata mold, but I have the team keeping him around as a project. Maybe they cut him and try to stash him on the practice squad or he heads to IR with a mystery injury to give him a redshirt year. We haven’t heard much about Luke Juriga, but the team liked him coming out of the draft:

According to multiple reports, center Luke Jurig’s UDFA contract with the Eagles included $116,000 total guaranteed, including $100,000 base salary guaranteed, $16,000 signing bonus. That’s notable because it means 1. The Eagles wanted him enough to guarantee that kind of money and 2. He likely had multiple suitors.

If they go with 10, Juriga is a name to keep an eye on. But my guess is they cut him and try to stash him on the practice squad with a couple of other linemen.

[31] Defensive End (6)

26. Brandon Graham
27. Derek Barnett
28. Josh Sweat
29. Joe Ostman
30. Vinny Curry
31. Casey Toohill

Changes: I predicted the Vinny Curry signing last time around, but I also had them keeping Genard Avery and sticking with just five defensive ends. Avery is now hurt, and it’s unclear how long he will be out. Before the injury, he was being outplayed by Joe Ostman and Casey Toohill. The team used a fourth-round pick to draft Shareef Millier and traded a fourth-round pick to acquire Avery, so there could be some politics here. Have undrafted free agents like Ostman and Toohill outplayed Avery and Miller enough for the team to admit they wasted those picks?

[35] Defensive Tackle (4)

32. Fletcher Cox
33. Javon Hargrave
34. Malik Jackson
35. Hassan Ridgeway

Changes: I took a swing back in May and projected Raequan Williams to make it and Hassan Ridgeway to get traded. There are still a few days left for that to happen, but the guess here is that Ridgeway makes the team. We haven’t heard Williams’s name much in training camp, and that is probably all we need to know.

[40] Linebacker (5)

36. Nate Gerry
37. T.J. Edwards
38. Davion Taylor
39. Duke Riley
40. Shaun Bradley

Changes: I had Jatavis Brown making the team in my initial projection, but he…retired? Instead, we’ll go with Shaun Bradley, who has impressed in camp. The Eagles rarely play a normal 4-3 base defense, so they can afford to go light here.

 [46] Cornerback (6)

41. Darius Slay
42. Avonte Maddox
43. Nickell Robey-Coleman
44. Cre’Von LeBlanc
45. Rasul Douglas
46. Craig James

Changes: I had the team keeping five corners in May, with Rasul getting cut or traded, and Craig James getting cut. It’s still very possible that Douglas and/or Sidney Jones are cut or traded, but the team has a concerning lack of depth at outside corner, which makes those moves difficult. I also wonder if Howie Roseman will be willing to cut bait on Jones without getting something in return, but I think Jim Schwartz is done with him either way. Craig James gets the edge for a spot because of his special teams contributions.

[50] Safety (4)

47. Rodney McLeod
48. Jalen Mills
49. K’Von Wallace
50. Marcus Epps*

Changes: *Mike Garafolo reported the Will Parks hamstring injury as I was writing this, so I swapped out Parks for Epps, who I otherwise was on the fence about. In an effort to play it safe with Parks, I think they might IR him and try to bring him back after the first few weeks of the season, which is allowed this season. They might try to keep Parks and a fifth safety, but that might prove difficult given the number crunches we are seeing elsewhere.

[53] Specialists (3)

51. Jake Elliott
52. Cameron Johnston
53. Rick Lovato

Changes: None. The Eagles didn’t even pretend to bring in competition for their specialists this offseason.

Reach out on Twitter and let me know your thoughts. Who do you have making the Eagles 53-man roster who didn’t make the cut here?