Roster Talk

The Eagles are always tweaking the roster, whether to add talent or to sometimes just add players to help in Training Camp or preseason games. The team made a move on Thursday before the Ravens game.

Roster Move: #Eagles have agreed to terms with Arizona to acquire S Rudy Ford in exchange for DT Bruce Hector.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/85A8XljV8g

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 22, 2019

There are two ways to look at this. First, the Eagles dealt a player who wasn’t going to make the team for a DB/STer to check out for 10 days. This move doesn’t mean much at all.

The other possibility is that the Eagles traded a player they liked for a player they had specific interest in.

I tend to lean toward the second option.

The Eagles had a stud STer in Chris Maragos in 2016 and 2017. They missed his presence last year. The team added Blake Countess this summer to be a backup S and STer. Unfortunately he got hurt and will be out for a while.

Ford is a good young STs player. He is the kind of guy you want as a role player. He’s cheap and good at a specific role, while also offering depth. The Eagles have 10 days to decide if he’s worth serious roster consideration or is better suited for the practice squad. Or maybe he’s just cut loose.

The fact the Eagles traded for him makes this worth thinking about. If the Eagles just wanted a camp body, they could have signed someone. I take the trade as a sign they had specific interest in Ford.

Hector was the #6 DT. He played well this summer, but you just aren’t keeping that many DTs. That made him expendable. I was projecting Hector to the practice squad.

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The coaches give us some interesting hints by who they play and when they play them.

We all had Stefan Wisniewski penciled in as the backup center. Last night the coaches pulled Jason Kelce in the 2nd quarter and replaced him with rookie Nate Herbig. Wiz has been disappointing this summer. The Eagles have seen him for two years so getting an extended look at Herbig was more important. I don’t know that the Eagles will put Herbig on the roster, but I do know the coaches are telling us Wiz is far from a lock.

The Eagles didn’t play Jordan Howard, Darren Sproles or Wendell Smallwood. They have seen those guys in action for years. The coaches wanted an extended look at Corey Clement to see how healthy he is. They wanted to see more of Josh Adams. And Boston Scott and Donnel Pumphrey. We know Howard, Sanders, Sproles and Clement will make the team. Will there be a fifth RB?

The Eagles won’t give that roster spot away. They need a RB to stand out and make them want to keep him. No one has done that so far.

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PK Jake Elliott has missed a couple of kicks this preseason. Is that something to worry about?

Worry? No. Elliott has been very good for two years. He will miss some 40-49 yard FGs that he should nail. He is outstanding on long kicks and that makes him a player worth keeping.

It would be good for him to have a clean game next week.

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Should we expect any more trades?

I think the Eagles should be happy with the LB situation. Zach Brown and L.J. Fort have played well. Nate Gerry has gotten better and shown real promise. I don’t know that T.J. Edwards has done enough to make the team, but he’s in the conversation.

I think Daeshon Hall has done enough to make the team feel good about the #4 DE spot. Josh Sweat has had his moments, but Hall has been terrific.

I could see the Eagles having some interest in a backup C/G with experience. Isaac Seumalo could replace Jason Kelce, but then you’d replace Seumalo with…Matt Pryor? I’m not predicting a move, but it wouldn’t shock me.

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