Position by position analysis of Eagles official 53-man roster
2 September 2017 Eagles News
The 4 p.m. deadline has passed, which means the Eagles 53-man roster has been released. Here it is.
QB: Carson Wentz, Nick Foles
Watching the preseason, you saw how disastrous the other two quarterbacks were. With that being said, Nick Foles was never in danger of losing his spot. Obviously, this position is all Carson Wentz, so that is why the Eagles only need to keep one other quarterback on the roster.
RB: LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement, Donell Pumphrey
Keeping five running backs on the roster is a weird move, but when you look at it with the Eagles perspective, it is the right one. LeGarrette Blount is on a one year deal and Darren Sproles does not have much left, so, therefore, the Eagles feel obligated to keep some young prospects on the roster to see if they will bloom.
WR: Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Marcus Johnson, Shelton Gibson
Not much to talk about here except for the fact that Shelton Gibson managed to beat out Bryce Treggs. It would seem the Eagles think he has more upside than Treggs. On a positive note, look how much better this group is than last years’.
TE: Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Brent Celek
The Eagles usually like to keep four tight ends, but none of the other ones on the roster at the time were good enough to make the cut.
OL: Jason Peters, Issac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Halapoulivaati Vaita, Stefen Wisniewski, Chance Warmack
This is the one position I think you can question. When you look at those names, you only see three offensive tackles. Either the Eagles really believe Big V can fill in at either tackle position in case of injury or, they are looking to add another tackle in the near future. Because, when you look at the position, you have an aging Jason Peters and Lane Johnson who will get banned with another mishap, one tackle is not a good enough insurance policy.
DT: Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Beau Allen, Destiny Vaeao, Elijah Qualls
The Eagles best group on the roster. Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan are the best defensive tackle duo in the league and unfortunately for the league, after them, it does not get easier with Beau Allen, Destiny Vaeao, and Elijah Qualls as depth players.
DE: Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Derek Barnett, Chris Long, Steven Means
Another very strong group that looks the part. There should be a lot more sacks racked up this season with this group at defensive end.
LB: Jordan Hicks, Mychal Kendricks, Nigel Bradham, Najee Goode, Joe Walker, Kamu Grugier-Hill
I am surprised Nate Gerry did not make the roster, but I really like Joe Walker and Najee Goode as the Eagles depth, they are borderline starters who will help lock down the position.
CB: Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Rasul Douglas, Dexter McDougle
You can still argue this is the Eagles weakest position, but it is much better than before. The Ronald Darby and Dexter McDougle acquisitions helped bolster the group, while they still wait for Sidney Jones. Darby was a huge pick up because, without him, this group is not looking too good at all.
S: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Corey Graham, Chris Maragos, Jaylen Watkins
Expect to see Jaylen Watkins get some time at cornerback, as well as Malcolm Jenkins. But, other than that not really any surprises here.
ST: Caleb Sturgis, Donnie Jones, Rick Lovato
Once Jon Dorenbos was traded, this group was set in stone.