Who's in, who's out? Our Eagles 53-man roster projection as camp begins
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA − The start of training camp brings about hope for the coming season. It also brings about competition.
That competition is something the Eagles want at every position, whether it's for starting jobs, backup roles, or even coveted spots on the 53-man roster.
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For the Eagles, that competition begins with the first training camp practice on July 29. For many, that competition will continue throughout camp, the joint practices with the Patriots (and ex-Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown) and the three preseason games.
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NFL teams have to cut their rosters from 90 down to 53 by Aug. 30. So the competition at some spots will be intense. And the Eagles are doing this while learning a new offensive system under new coordinator Sean Mannion, and with at least three new starters on defense.
Here, then, is our first look at what the Eagles' 53-man roster will look like heading into the season:
Quarterback (2)
In: Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton
Out: Tanner McKee, Cole Payton
Comment: At some point in late August, a team will have suffered an injury to its starting quarterback or top backup. And that team will place a call to the Eagles for McKee, who can start if needed and serve as a capable backup. If a mid-round pick or better is offered, the Eagles will do it, thus turning over the backup duties to veteran Andy Dalton. Payton, the fifth-round pick, appears to be a developmental guy, and thus the Eagles would try to get him on the practice squad while signing a veteran to serve as QB3.
Running back (3)
In: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
Out: Dameon Pierce, Elijah Mitchell, Carson Steele
Comment: The Eagles brought in Pierce and Mitchell, who both have had a season with 900-plus yards rushing, to compete with Shipley. But Shipley, whom the Eagles drafted in the fourth round in 2024, provides special teams value that will likely be enough to hold off the challengers. Expect a bounce-back year from Barkley, and Bigsby is a solid No. 2 who can give Barkley a breather during games.
Tight end (4)
In: Dallas Goedert, Eli Stowers, Johnny Mundt, Cameron Latu
Out: Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, E.J. Jenkins, Dae’Quan Wright
Comment: I really wanted to put Dae'Quan Wright on the "in" list, but Latu has proven to be a strong special teams player who can also play fullback. Wright, the undrafted rookie free agent, should get to the practice squad. Calcaterra loses his spot as TE2 to Stowers, the Eagles' second-round pick.
Wide receiver (6)
In: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson
Out: Darius Cooper, Britain Covey, Quez Watkins, Danny Gray, Samori Toure, Erik Ezukanma
Comment: Cooper, who made the team last year as an undrafted free agent, has his work cut out for him as the Eagles signed two veteran free agents in Brown and Moore. Plus, Wilson's size at 6-foot-6, gives him an advantage in the red zone. The Eagles have better overall depth than they did last season, and that's how they plan to replace A.J. Brown. Cooper, thus, appears to be the odd man out.
Offensive line (11)
In: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Markel Bell, Drew Kendall, Cameron Williams, Micah Morris, Fred Johnson, Michael Jordan
Out: Myles Hinton, Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors, Hollin Pierce, John Ojukwu, Jaeden Roberts
Comment: Last season, the Eagles saw what can happen if injuries hit their starters. Dickerson, Jurgens and Lane Johnson all missed multiple games with various ailments. There simply isn't enough depth. That's the case again this season. Only Fred Johnson and Jordan have significant game experience among the reserves. If healthy, however, the Eagles easily have a top-five offensive line. That health will determine if the Eagles have a top offense or not.
Edge rusher (5)
In: Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie, A.J. Epenesa
Out: Keyshawn James-Newby, Jose Ramirez, Joshua Neru
Comment: Expect Greenard and Hunt to be the stars of this unit. Sure, the Eagles will have a rotation because it's a long season. But it's easy to see each getting 60-70% of the snaps. Smith, Ebiketie and Epenesa are all veterans who can easily plug in the remainder without a dropoff. If healthy, it's a deeper edge unit than the Eagles have had in recent seasons.
Defensive tackle (6)
In: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard
Out: Ta'Quon Graham, Gabe Hall, Zion Wilson
Comment: If Carter is healthy for the entire season, watch out. He was hampered all last season with shoulder injuries that caused him to miss six games. Davis is a budding Pro Bowl player, and Ojomo is a full-time starter on practically any team. But the depth behind the three isn't great. And Bernard, the Nigerian signed through the IPP program, is nowhere near ready to play this season.
Linebacker (4)
In: Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter, Smael Mondon
Out: Chance Campbell, Deontae Lawson
Comment: The Eagles planned for Nakobe Dean's departure by drafting Campbell in the first round in 2025. Now, it's Campbell's chance to show that he can take over. But Campbell is coming off shoulder surgery, and he might not be ready to start training camp. If Campbell's recovery lasts well into August, it's possible the Eagles could sign a veteran free agent. Baun has had two straight Pro Bowl seasons.
Cornerback (5)
In: Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Cooper DeJean, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo
Out: Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams, Tariq Castro-Fields, Ambry Thomas, Shaun Wade
Comment: Woolen's arrival in free agency means that DeJean will be a safety in base defense (about 20% of the time) and at nickel the rest of the time, giving the Eagles one of the top cornerback trios in the NFL. Ringo gets a roster spot because he's a Pro Bowl special teams player. Watch the battle between Thomas and Jones for that last spot, with the edge going to Jones because of his wealth of experience and backup nickel ability.
Safety (4)
In: Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter, Cole Wisniewski
Out: Andre’ Sam, J.T. Gray, Maximus Pulley, Kapena Gushiken
Comment: As mentioned above, DeJean is the base safety next to Mukuba, who's back from a broken leg. Epps and Carter will battle to be the second safety in nickel and dime packages. Wisniewski, the Eagles' seventh-round pick, could see a role as a third safety. Special teams will determine if he makes the roster.
Specialists (3)
In: Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rocco Underwood
Out: None
Comment: The Eagles are apparently sticking with Elliott as the kicker because they have yet to bring in competition. Mann, the punter, is coming off a Pro Bowl season, while Underwood was signed as an undrafted free agent to serve as long snapper.
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the "Eye On The Eagles" newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Who's in, who's out? Our Eagles 53-man roster projection as camp begins