This is probably the quietest time of the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. Free agents have been signed, the draft is finished and no disgruntled former Heisman winning quarterbacks are still holding out of camp.
The only thing worth discussing right now is which players will make the official 53-man roster for the Eagles. I’d say there are about 35 spots on this team that are guaranteed, meaning 18 are still up for grabs. Overall there are probably about 70 to 75 players with a legitimate chance to earn a spot on this team.
Below I will break down each positional group on the Eagles with an explanation for those who did and did not make the final roster.
QB: Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz
The only drama surrounding the quarterback position is the order of the three. The Eagles insist that Sam Bradford will open the season as the starter, but things could easily change once training camp starts and the team catches a glimpse of the player they just mortgaged the future on. Right now, I’m expecting Bradford to be the starter, veteran Chase Daniel to be the league’s highest-paid backup, and number two overall pick Carson Wentz to be a game day inactive.
RB: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Wendall Smallwood, Kenjon Barner
I thought the Eagles would do more to improve the running back position after trading veteran DeMarco Murray to the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Mathews is a more than capable starter but he’s also been heavily plagued by injuries throughout his career. A brutal concussion severely hampered the second half of his 2015 season and it’s not realistic to expect the 29-year-old to play all 16 games in 2016. Darren Sproles, even at age 33, will fill his usual role as a third-down back, while rookie fifth-round pick Wendell Smallwood’s role is yet to be identified. Early speculation has Smallwood handling the ball six to eight times per game, both as a runner and a receiver. I think Kenjon Barner sneaks onto the team as the fourth running back, although at this point in his career it’s hard to see the 27-year-old ever amounting to anything on the field.
WR: Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Rueben Randle, Josh Huff, Chris Givens, Byron Marshall
Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor will be the top two receivers on this team, for better or for worse. The rest of the unit has yet to be decided. Veteran Rueben Randle scored eight touchdowns in 2015 and even though he’s a player Giants fans were happy to see leave, he’ll probably be slotted in as the Eagles’ third option at receiver. Josh Huff has been a major disappointment during his two seasons in Philly. I would support cutting him if the Eagles had better options at the position. I have underachieving free-agent acquisition Chris Givens beating out another underachieving free-agent acquisition in T.J. Graham for the fifth spot, with UDFA Byron Marshall earning the final receiver spot.
TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton
There won’t be any surprises at the tight end position. Zach Ertz is firmly entrenched as the starter, a borderline top-10 tight end in the NFL. Veteran Brent Celek returns for his 10th season with the Eagles, while Trey Burton remains the third tight end.
OL: Jason Peters, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Allen Barbre, Dennis Kelly, Malcolm Bunche
Four of the five starters on the Eagles’ offensive line are set. The big question is who will replace Evan Mathis at left guard. I predict rookie third-round pick Isaac Seumalo wins the job, meaning free-agent acquisition Stefan Wisniewski doesn’t make the team. Fifth-round pick Hal Vaitai can play both tackle spots, while veterans Allen Barbre and Dennis Kelly provide depth at tackle and guard. Malcolm Bunche is a sleeper to one day earn a starting guard spot. The odd man out is last year’s Week 1 starter at right guard, Andrew Gardner.
DL: Vinny Curry, Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, Mike Martin, Marcus Smith, Connor Wujciak, Bryan Braman
This is where new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz hopes to do his damage. Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan are the starting defensive tackles, with former Titan Mike Martin and UDFA Connor Wujciak as the backups. Two of Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin will win a starting spot at defensive end, although they’ll rotate pretty frequently. Marcus Smith gets one final chance to show that he can play at the NFL level, and special teams ace Bryan Braman projects as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme.
LB: Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, Nigel Bradham, Joe Walker, Najee Goode, Deontae Skinner
It’s safe to say the three starting linebackers are penciled in, with the big storyline revolving around whether last year’s rookie breakout star Jordan Hicks can continue his success from 2015. Rookie seventh-round pick Joe Walker should earn a roster spot and contribute on special teams. Veteran Najee Goode has been a fixture for the last several seasons. Deontae Skinner is somewhat of a surprise name, but the Eagles aren’t exactly the 2011 49ers at the linebacker position.
DB: Eric Rowe, Nolan Carroll, Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Leodis McKelvin, JaCorey Shepherd, Jalen Mills, Chris Maragos, Ron Brooks, Blake Countess
I’m most fascinated to see the Eagles’ competition at the cornerback spots. Eric Rowe and Nolan Carroll will likely be the starters, but the rest is completely up for grabs. I went with veteran Leodis McKelvin earning the nickel corner spot, and last year’s rookie sixth-round pick JaCorey Shepherd starting as the dime corner. Special teamer Ron Brooks, a former Jim Schwartz player, and rookie Blake Countess earn the final two spots. At safety, Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are the locked-in starters, with rookie seventh-round pick Jalen Mills already earning praise in camp. Special teamer Chris Maragos rounds out the safety position.
ST: Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones, John DePalma
There’s going to be a camp battle between Cody Parkey and Caleb Sturgis. I would be really surprised if Parkey lost the battle. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2014, while Sturgis really struggled in 2015, missing six kicks, including extra points. Jones has been a rock at punter since signing with the Eagles before the 2013 season and easily beats out Ryan Quigley to keep his job. I think Jon Dorenbos, the longest-tenured member of the Eagles, is released during camp. He’s in his age-36 season and the Eagles brought in competition in the form of undrafted rookie John DePalma. Although Dorenbos still hasn’t snapped a wild ball in a single game in 10 seasons, his time in Philly comes to an end.
Practice squad: RB Cedric O’Neal, WR Hunter Sharp, WR Cayleb Jones, TE Chris Pantale, OG Josh Andrews, DE Aziz Shittu, DE Steven Means, LB Myke Tavarres, CB Denzel Rice, CB Randall Evans
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