Eagles 53-Man Roster
5 September 2020 53-Man Roster Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have their initial 53-Man Roster. They placed Guard Brandon Brooks on the PUP List and waived/released the following nine players throughout the day: CB Rasul Douglas, CB Sidney Jones, DE Shareef Miller, G Sua Opeta, DE Joe Ostman, DT Anthony Rush, TE Noah Togiai, T Prince Tega Wanogho, DT Raequan Williams.
If any of the players cut, are not claimed by tomorrow at 1pm ET, the Eagles can place them on their Practice Squad. The Practice Squad has now been increased to 16 players due to CoViD-19. Six of those players can be veterans with any amount of seasons accrued, where as the others follow the same Practice Squad guidelines. Also, four players can be “locked” each week from the Practice Squad, so another team can’t sign them to their active roster (you must be signed to the active roster, not Practice Squad).
Now that the 53-Man roster is set, the Eagles can place injured players on the newly adjusted Injured Reserve. This has also been adjusted due to CoViD-19. An unlimited amount of players can be placed on the IR, rather than just two and they only have to wait three weeks to be able to come back, rather than eight. This new rule could help the Eagles and players like S Will Parks and possibly WR Jalen Reagor.
Without further ado, here is the Eagles 53-Man Roster. For now…
-Quarterbacks (3)
Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, Jalen Hurts
No surprises here. Carson is your starting QB and man am I excited for him. Nate Sudfeld comes in at QB2 but the Eagles also drafted Jalen Hurts in the 2nd Round in this year’s draft. The belief is that over time, he’ll take that spot from Nate but the future the Eagles have in store for Jalen, is truly unclear. Eagles fans can hope for a healthy season for their star quarterback, to at least silence a lot of the negative chatter. This year should be a huge year for Carson, now that he has a plethora of weapons, if and when they’re healthy. The O-Line is still very questionable at LT and RG, so Carson may have to use his legs more but I see another MVP-caliber season from him. After being released by the Falcons, Ex-Eagles QB Kyle Lauletta could be a candidate for the Practice Squad.
-Running Backs (3)
Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Corey Clement
This stable is led by 2nd Round pick from last year, Miles Sanders. He’s looking to break the 1k barrier this year and show the world what he can do. He missed most of training camp with a lower-body injury but all reports say he should be good to go and the Eagles are just being precautious. With some more weapons around him, he should have a fantastic season. Boston Scott proved what he could do last year and looks to provide depth again this year. Corey Clement looks to be as strong and healthy as he has since 2017 and that’s great news for the Eagles. Miles will get the majority of snaps but the back-ups will definitely get their chance to shine in this system. A lot of people were surprised by the cuts of the young RBs. They looked good in camp but the Eagles wanted to run with the guys familiar with the system. As mentioned, Miles will be handling the bulk of the workload. Don’t be surprised if Killins, Holyfield and/or Warren end up on the Practice Squad and further get a chance to prove their worth.
-Wide Receivers (7)
Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Greg Ward, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, Quez Watkins
With quite the surprising move, Alshon Jeffery will start the season on the regular roster. Which means he should be almost ready to go. There was talks that he may be traded but nothing came to fruition. He can’t go on the three-week IR that I spoke of earlier because he was previously on the PUP list. When he comes back he will return as one of Carson’s favorite receivers and looking to do some damage. I have faith that he still has some left in the tank. JJ Arcega-Whiteside would have had to step into the “X” role and still will until AJ is officially in the lineup for a full workload. I expect big things from JJAW coming into his second year. The addition of Aaron Moorehead and Jason Avant should prove to be a great help, for JJ and the rest of the WRs. It doesn’t hurt to have some competition in the Secondary, either. DeSean, when healthy, is still one of the fastest players in the NFL. He showed in one game last year, what he brings to this offense. If he can stay healthy, he should have a monster year. Greg Ward worked his tail off and got on the roster last year. In that short amount of time, he showed exactly what he could do in this offense. He provides Carson a security blanket at that slot position. Now, I am beyond excited about the addition of Reagor but clearly he’s injured to start the season. He will probably be placed on IR for three weeks and return on Week 4, if all goes will in his recovery. I see a bright future for him, as the predecessor to D-Jax in this offense. Hightower and Watkins are both very exciting. They are both fast and over 6′. That intrigues a lot of people, including myself. That said, they have a lot of work to do. I have really liked what I’ve seen but you have to talk all of that with a grain of salt. They just may be needed earlier than the Eagles want, due to injuries, so I’m hoping they’re quick learners. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them both get a shot in the return game, especially with Reagor out. Deontay Burnett was a surprise cut for some people, as he really shined in camp, so he’ll be a candidate for the Practice Squad.
-Tight Ends (2)
Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert
The Eagles have the best TE duo in the league. This was a no-brainer. They may do the same thing as last year and bring a guy up from the Practice Squad each week. Undrafted Free Agent Noah Togiai has a great chance of ending up on said Practice Squad, if not claimed.
-Offensive Line (8)
Matt Pryor, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Jason Peters, Lane Johnson
Jordan Mailata, Jack Driscoll, Nate Herbig
The Eagles Offensive Line has the biggest question mark looming over it’s head. Will Jason Peters move to Left Tackle, without a new contract. The Eagles lost Brandon Brooks before Training Camp even began and then lost Andre Dillard just a little over a week ago. Peters was brought back to play the void left by Brooks but now that Dillard is out, we really need help there. I understand he deserves more money playing that position but he should have thought of that when signing his contract. There’s no way he didn’t know there was a strong possibility of this happening. We all knew… I really like Matt Pryor but I do not like him at LT, at all. He did well at RG and I was intrigued to see how he would do there, this year. For Carson and the rest of the Eagles sake, I hope JP and Pryor make a switch, however that needs to get done. The rest of the starters are your usual suspects in Lane, Isaac and Jason. I’m hoping their veteran leadership and experience can help this line through these hardships. Now, the depth behind these guys is very inexperienced. I hope Driscoll can one day replace Brooks but for now, I could actually see him coming in as our swing tackle. Herbig provides interior depth as he can play both Guard and Center. I’m not so sure Mailata would still be on the team, if it weren’t for the injury to Dillard. He’s an interesting prospect and I’m rooting for him but he’s had his fair share of struggles. Look for Prince Tega Wanogho and Sua Opeta to end up on the Practice Squad.
-Defensive Line (10)
Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett
Malik Jackson, Hassan Ridgeway, Josh Sweat, Vinny Curry, Genard Avery, Casey Toohill
The defensive line was bolstered by the addition of Javon Hargrave and the return of Malik Jackson. A healthy Cox, along with those two, should be quite the formidable rotation. Throw in Ridgeway and you could have the most dominant interior D-Line in the league. Brandon Graham is a leader and a playmaker for this team. Besides him, there are question marks everywhere. This is the year for Barnett to show us he can stay healthy and produce. If not, we’ll be saving $10 MIL off the cap by getting rid of him, next year. Sweat looked really good last year and I expect big things from him. Curry was brought back to provide some depth and he’ll definitely get his fair share of reps but how much does he have left in the tank? Genard Avery has a bone bruise but even before that he wasn’t playing all that well in Training Camp. He’ll have to prove this year, that he was worth trading for a fourth-round pick. Casey Toohill was the Eagles last pick in the draft and he really impressed in camp. Enough to push out the likes of last year’s fourth-rounder Shareef Miller and Training Camp stand-out the past couple years, Joe Ostman. Both are candidates for the Practice Squad.
-Linebackers (6)
Nate Gerry, TJ Edwards, Duke Riley, Shaun Bradley, Davion Taylor, Alex Singleton
This position has been a concern since before Free Agency. It became a bigger problem after recently signed Jatavis Brown decided to retire. We know Gerry can cover and Edwards can tackle but both need a lot of work still. Riley is a Special Teams ace that only saw 26 snaps on Defense last year. He may get a chance to step in this year and show he can provide more than just ST help. Taylor and Bradley hope to be the future for the Eagles at LB but both have work to do, as well. Bradley has actually outperformed Taylor but we all knew coming into camp, Davion was an extremely raw talent. These young guys will provide some help on Special Teams but depending on the play and health of the others, they may get Defensive snaps, sooner rather than later. Singleton is a guy who played really well on Special Teams but doesn’t provide much on Defense. He didn’t play a single snap in 10 games, last year but still plays with such grit, you have to love the kid. He could possibly see that change, as the competition at Linebacker is wide open, whether they say so or not.
-Cornerbacks (5)
Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Craig James
The Eagles surprised everyone by releasing both Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas. To start the day, there was chatter that the Eagles were trying to trade both of them. Apparently, no one was biting. Both have been busts and the Birds were ready to move on. Especially, with the additions of Darius Slay and NRC. Both of them will start and provide this Defense a huge boost. Look for a Pro Bowl-caliber year from both of them. The CB2 job was locked up by Avonte Maddox, early in camp. He had some struggles but looked to have gotten better each practice. LeBlanc provides not only depth but the ability to come in and play versatile roles in Jim Schwartz defense. The same can be said for all of these guys. Versatility is key. Craig James provides a tough nosed Jim Schwartz-type player to the secondary and Special Teams. This is looks to be a vastly improved Secondary this season.
-Safeties (6)
Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills, Will Parks, K’Von Wallace, Marcus Epps, Rudy Ford
The Eagles lost a key contributor next to starter Rodney McLeod, in Malcolm Jenkins. To fill that void, they added three players to the position. Moving Jalen Mills to Safety is a move a lot of people have been calling for, for years. He will get his chance as the starting Safety, opposite McLeod. Parks was going to play a huge role in this defense and will when he comes back healthy. He is a versatile DB who can help in roles like the Dime Linebacker and Big Nickel CB. He may not be considered a starter but he will see a plentiful amount of snaps when he returns. He will be out for the next 4-6 weeks and will probably be placed on the IR, which only keeps him out three weeks, as previously mentioned. They are two different safeties that will play two different roles but in the absence of Parks, Wallace will have to step it up. There is lots of Dawkins comparisons but if he reminds me of anyone, with his play-style, it’s Malcolm Jenkins. I have very high hopes for him. Marcus Epps played almost 100 snaps last year (98) and provides the Eagles with a depth player that knows the system. He can also help on Special Teams. Rudy Ford on the other hand was someone who only played 17 snaps on Defense but was a much bigger contributor on Special Teams. He knows the system and that helped both of their causes. Don’t be surprised to see Training Camp stand-out Grayland Arnold, on the Practice Squad tomorrow.
Special Teams
K- Jake Elliot
P- Cam Johnston
LS- Rick Lovato
Injured Reserve (IR)– T Andre Dillard
Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)– G Brandon Brooks
As mentioned, there’s the possibility that more than just Will Parks ends up on the three-week IR, as Jalen Reagor and Javon Hargrave both have injuries that could keep them out an extended period of time. Once placed on the IR, a roster spot opens up. Look for all three of these guys to have a major impact when they come back.
The Practice Squad will be announced tomorrow, after 1 pm ET. Look for an entirely new 53-Man Roster at that time, as well.
My thoughts on this initial roster, are that the Eagles have missed on a lot of draft picks as of late and are hoping that an influx of youth and Free Agents can change their fate, as of late. They’ve added a lot of speed and have a lot of playmakers on both sides of the ball. If they can figure out the Offensive Line and stay healthy across the board, this team has a chance to win the division and even compete in the Super Bowl. I truly think with weapons around him, Wentz is going to have an MVP caliber season and put most of the rhetoric to rest. In my opinion, this is a ten to eleven win team, ready to compete for another trophy!
Go Birds!!!