Following a slew of roster cuts in the last several days, the Philadelphia Eagles have their 53-man roster finalized. Well, actually, it’s only at 52, following the surprise release of quarterback Tim Tebow.
Chip Kelly has already said the Eagles will be adding a third quarterback from those released around the league, which includes veteran names like Matt Flynn and Christian Ponder.
As of now, the Eagles roster stands at the 52 players listed below, with brief analysis on each of the positional groups.
Quarterback: Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez
When the Eagles traded Matt Barkley to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, it seemingly clinched Tim Tebow’s roster spot. Nope. In a surprising move, the Eagles released the former Heisman winner, stating their desire to add a third quarterback, on either the 53-man roster or the practice squad, from those released around the league. It’s definitely possible that the Eagles bring back Tebow later in the season in the event of an injury to either Bradford or Sanchez, but as of now, the Tim Tebow era in Philadelphia appears to be over.
Running Back: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner
Kenjon Barner clearly earned his roster spot with a terrific preseason that included a punt return touchdown in each of the first two games. It’ll be interesting to see if he takes over veteran Darren Sproles’ role as the primary punt returner. Despite leading the entire league in yards from scrimmage this preseason, the Eagles released UDFA Raheem Mostert.
Wide Receiver: Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff, Riley Cooper, Miles Austin, Seyi Ajirotutu
Some speculated that the Eagles could release a veteran like Riley Cooper or Miles Austin, but that wasn’t going to happen with their 2015 salaries containing some guaranteed money. Ajirotutu earned the final spot over Jeff Maehl, who was waived/injured. Ajirotutu is a total non-factor in the receiving game, as he dropped two of the six passes thrown at him this preseason.
Tight End: Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton
Some concern over whether Zach Ertz will be ready to play in Week 1 could have resulted in the Eagles keeping a fourth tight end like UDFA Eric Tomlinson. But even if Ertz misses a few games at the beginning of the season, Celek and Burton, who had a very strong preseason as a pass-catcher, will hold down the fort at tight end.
Offensive Line: Jason Peters, Allen Barbre, Jason Kelce, Andrew Gardner, Lane Johnson, Matt Tobin, David Molk, Dennis Kelly, Josh Andrews
Josh Andrews is the obvious surprise name on the offensive line, as the former UDFA spent 2014 on the practice squad but didn’t draw rave reviews this preseason. Molk edged out Julian Vandervelde as the backup center, and versatile Dennis Kelly, a 2012 fifth-rounder, returns for another year. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles scour the waiver wire and add a recently released offensive linemen, likely over Andrews.
Defensive Line: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Beau Allen, Taylor Hart, Brandon Bair
Absolutely no surprises on the defensive line. This is one of the strengths of the team, and the Eagles have to be feeling pretty good about the way backups like Allen and Hart played this preseason.
Linebacker: Connor Barwin, Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks, Brandon Graham, DeMeco Ryans, Marcus Smith, Jordan Hicks, Bryan Braman, Brad Jones
Some thought last year’s first-round pick Marcus Smith might be cut, but realistically, no head coach can cut a first-round pick after just one season (and two preseasons). Veteran Najee Goode, who has been with the Eagles for the last two seasons, was the final player released, according to Kelly.
Cornerback: Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Eric Rowe, EJ Biggers, Denzel Rice
The Brandon Boykin trade looks questionable right now, as the Eagles will likely roll with rookie second-round pick Eric Rowe at the nickel corner spot. Veteran EJ Biggers and Denzel Rice are on the team for now, but don’t be surprised if they’re gone by the end of the season, replaced by a waiver wire pickup. Sixth-round pick Randall Evans is a likely practice squad candidate. The big cut was last year’s rookie fourth-rounder Jaylen Watkins, who many expected to make the team even though he was quiet in preseason.
Safety: Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond, Jerome Couplin, Chris Maragos
Although 2014 fifth-round pick Ed Reynolds played well, he was cut in favor of athletic freak Jerome Couplin, now the third safety. Another surprise cut was special-teamer Chris Prosinski, as the Eagles will keep just four at the safety position.
Specialists: Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos
No surprises here. Let’s hope Cody Parkey’s minor groin injury is completely healed at the start of the season.
