Roster Guess #1
Posted: May 13th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | No Comments »Free agency is mostly over. The draft has come and gone. Now we can make our first educated guess as to what the Eagles roster could be.
QB – 3 – Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
This should be pretty obvious. Hurts is a star QB. Pickett and McKee give the Eagles a pair of young QBs to develop.
RB – 3 – Saquon Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, Will Shipley
Barkley is the best RB the team has had since Shady McCoy. Gainwell is entering his fourth season and has proven to be a good backup. Shipley was taken in the fourth round and the coaches want him in the mix. Shipley can run, block and catch. He also has KOR ability so he checks a lot of boxes. He could be a good role player as a rookie.
WR – 5 – AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Parris Campbell, Ainias Smith, Britain Covey
This is the first spot where things start to get interesting. Do the Eagles keep 5 or 6 WRs? Do they keep Parris Campbell or DeVante Parker? Does Johnny Wilson have a realistic shot at a spot? I’m guessing Campbell makes it over Parker. The Eagles have a pair of stud receivers to play on the outside. Campbell has the experience to play in the slot. He also has the speed to play outside if needed. He was with Nick Sirianni in 2019 and 2020 in Indy. The Eagles liked him prior to the draft. Parker is the bigger name, but Campbell might prove to be the better fit. There is a possibility of putting either Parker or Campbell on the practice squad and then calling them up as needed. I think Wilson is ideal for the practice squad. It will give him time to develop as a receiver and for the coaches to see if they think he can contribute on STs.
TE – 3 – Dallas Goedert, CJ Uzomah, Grant Calcaterra
Goedert is entrenched as the starter. Uzomah feels like the primary backup because of his size, experience and ability to block and catch. The team still likes Calcaterra as an athletic pass-catcher, but he needs to show real growth this year. Albert O could be an X factor. He joined the team late last year and didn’t do much. This summer will give us more of an idea what he can (or can’t) do.
OL – 10 – Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Mekhi Becton, Fred Johnson, Matt Hennessy, Trevor Keegan, Dylan McMahon
I don’t think there is a lot of mystery here, unless one of the guys listed above really struggles. That could open the door for someone like Darrian Kinnard or Brett Toth. Gottlieb Ayedze could be worth developing for the future, but I don’t see him winning a roster spot.
DL – 5 – Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu, Moro Ojomo
Another spot without much mystery. The Eagles signed CJ Mustipher to offer depth at NT. He could challenge for a spot. Gabe Hall is a UDFA with NFL ability. He was inconsistent at Baylor and the Senior Bowl, but is a good developmental prospect. Hall could be a role player in the future. I don’t see him winning a spot this summer unless his game takes a big jump due to pro coaching.
EDGE – 5 – Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, BG, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt
This is one of the deepest positions on the team. The Eagles really like the top five guys. There are a variety of sizes and skill sets. The team has some solid pieces behind them. Patrick Johnson has flashed when he’s been on the field. Julian Okwara has 9 sacks in his career. Tarron Jackson and Terrell Lewis aren’t likely to push for roster spots, but they are more than just camp bodies.
ILB – 6 – Devin White, Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, Oren Burks, Ben VanSumeren, Jeremiah Trotter Jr
Now to one of the weakest positions. No one here is a lock to start or even make the roster. This position is wide open. White and Dean will get the first chance to start. The coaches will give everyone a shot since this spot is so open. Baun and VanSumeren could be key STers. Trotter will be a fan favorite because of his legacy. Let’s hope he plays well so the story can focus more on him than his dad.
SAF – 4 – CJ Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, Mekhi Garner
The Eagles could go light here with DeJean and Maddox having safey experience, but Brown is coming off an injury so keeping four guys seems like the safe move. Garner is far from a lock. He’s got potential with his size and physicality. UDFA Andre’ Sam will push for a roster spot. He has good potential. Tristin McCollum could also be in the mix.
CB – 6 – Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, Avonte Maddox, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers
Another deep position. Maddox isn’t a lock to make the team. I could see the Eagles putting DeJean in the slot and seeing what he can do. Tyler Hall is another slot who will battle for a spot. Eli Ricks showed potential last year, but he might get caught in a numbers crunch. If he plays well this summer, you’d love to find a way to keep him. Josh Jobe is the best STer in the group. I just don’t know if he’s good enough at CB to win a roster spot.
ST – 3 – Rick Lovato, Braden Mann, Jake Elliott
Lovato and Elliott are great at what they do. Mann was very good last year. Let’s see if he can build off that and have another strong season.
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There will be surprises, good and bad, so take this guess with a grain of salt. Injuries are always the ultimate X-factor.
I’m sure Howie Roseman will keep looking around the league to see if he can find upgrades. He might want to see these guys in action first, but he’s got a good idea of how things should play out.
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If you want to see the roster, here you go:
Updated #Eagles depth chart following today's moves. Two spots are open on the 90 (really 91)-man roster. https://t.co/EwNuhcMLms pic.twitter.com/34IUdFXCA5
— Deniz Selman (@denizselman33) May 13, 2024
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Here is BLG’s take on the roster.
Eagles 53-man roster prediction: Post-2024 NFL Draft editionhttps://t.co/wmiqWjGyKX
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) May 10, 2024
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