The Eagles' first preseason game is just two days away and excitement is at an all-time high. However, injuries to Kamu Grugier-Hill, Cre'Von LeBlanc and Joe Ostman have thrown some curveballs at the Super Bowl 52 Champions. Here's a quick look at the projected roster ahead of Thursday.
Quarterback: 3 (3)
Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, Cody Kessler
There shouldn't be any surprises here, the Eagles will keep the three best quarterbacks on the roster, as they should.
Clayton Thorson may be improving, but the Eagles are ultimately in a 'win-now' mode and are committed to the cyclical drafting of a quarterback it may seem. There's a strong chance Thorson is stashed on the practice squad if he's not claimed by another team, but it's not the end of the world if he is poached given the new focus on adding a developmental arm every year or two.
Running back: 4 (7)
Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles, Corey Clement
Boston Scott was my wildcard to make the roster before camp, but the re-signing of Darren Sproles and a recent injury have seen him slip down the depth chart. The first three spots are all but finalized, but I think Corey Clement's resurgence and a late surge from Josh Adams, who can be Jordan Howard's direct backup as a physical downhill runner, should be enough to push the pair of former UDFA's onto the roster.
Offensive line: 9 (16)
Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Andre Dillard, Jordan Mailata, Matt Pryor, Halapoulivaati Vaitai
I still stand by the surprise cut here being Stefen Wisniewski, who on top of seeing a decline in status on the depth chart since that glorious Super Bowl win, has now transitioned to center after Big V stole the backup RG spot and has struggled snapping the ball.
Matt Pryor can play every spot along the offensive line, Jordan Mailata is going nowhere, and the team will want to get younger eventually. If there’s a weak veteran link, it’s Wisniewski…and if it means adding talent at other areas, don’t write it off.
Tight end: 3 (19)
Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers
There is a wildcard in the way of Josh Perkins who could sneak onto the roster, but at this point, I think the Eagles are more committed to 12-personnel than 13, giving them some flexibility with Rodgers in what would be a Celek-like role. Unless they can move some pieces around to facilitate a tight end who hasn't really shown any major strides in development, 3 should be the magic number,
Wide receiver: 6 (25)
Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward Jr, Marken Michel
The wide receiver position is in a state of flux. Shelton Gibson and Mack Hollins are dealing with injuries and behind the starting trio that are set to blow up the league in 2019 and rookie JJ Arcega-Whiteside, the depth chart is completely malleable. As of right now, AAF star and former Houston QB Greg Ward Jr. has made the most of his third offseason with the team and CFL standout Marken Michel brings a very versatile skillset to the roster that may be enough to clinch a place.
Continued on the page below.
Defensive tackle: 5 (30)
Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Timmy Jernigan, Hassan Ridgeway, Treyvon Hester
No real surprises here, the Eagles have a solid defensive tackle group one year after injuries left it in a state of emptiness. Hassan Ridgeway may be one of the most underrated offseason acquisitions and Treyvon Hester showed enough promise last year to warrant keeping around.
Defensive end: 6 (36)
Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, Shareef Miller, Connor Barwin
The injury to Joe Ostman is a tough pill to swallow, but as a result, it's likely that the Eagles bring back Connor Barwin. Josh Sweat has come on leaps and bounds this Summer, but Ostman seemed to be a lock at DE4 and Miller, aside from giving Casey Tucker a 619, has a lot of growing room. Barnett hasn't been an active participant in camp and the Eagles may really benefit from Barwin's presence.
Linebacker: 5 (41)
Nigel Bradham, Zach Brown, Nate Gerry, L.J Fort, Alex Singleton
The injury to Kamu Grugier-Hill is a tricky situation to gauge because he's only set to miss 6-8 weeks, meaning he's scheduled to be healthy by October if all goes well. In any means, I think the extra numbers matter here and a committee effort to replace his impact would make sense, comprising of Gerry, Singleton and Fort.
https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/08/04/could-a-committee-effort-fill-the-void-left-by-eagles-lb-kamu-grugier-hill/
CORNERBACK: 5 (46)
Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, Orlando Scandrick
LeBlanc will likely start the season on the PUP list and hasn't yet been placed on IR, leaving veteran Orlando Scandrick to take his place. Jalen Mills will be in a similar boat, exposing the younger guys who are contracted past the end of this season a real chance to shine.
Safety: 4 (50)
Rodney McLeod, Malcolm Jenkins, Andrew Sendejo, Jonathan Cyprien
Cyprien has made a splash already despite only having just joined the team and I think his history as a reliably productive starter will be enough to see him fill the fourth Safety role alongside Sendejo, who has given the Eagles no reason to pursue a compensatory pick at his expense.
Specialists: 3 (53)
Jake Elliott, Cameron Johnston, Rick Lovato
Situation normal, here!
Practice squad:RB: Boston ScottQB: Clayton ThorsonRB: Josh AdamsTE: Josh PerkinsWR: De’Andre ThompkinsLB: T.J EdwardsG: Sua OpetaG: Ryan BatesC: Anthony FabianoCB: Jay Liggins
