The Eagles initial 53-man roster is set — now it is time to start changing it.
Wednesday will be a very active day around the NFL, as teams spend time deciding which players that were released from the 31 other teams around the league are potentially worth picking up. The process will be different for certain players. Those that aren’t a vested veteran have to go through waivers. Those that are a vested veteran do not and are able to sign with whatever team they want.
The Eagles currently have the sixth spot on the waiver wire, meaning if there is a player they want to claim, they have a good shot of getting him. In 2016, when Doug Pederson was a rookie head coach and Howie Roseman was starting his last rebuild of the roster, the Eagles claimed four players on waivers — and chances are they will be extremely active again.
Here is a look at players that were released on Tuesday that could interest the Eagles:
John Brown, WR, Raiders: Brown checks all the boxes for being at the top of every Eagles’ fans wishlist — he is a receiver, he is fast and he has played well against the Eagles in his career. Brown had a down 2020 season, but he was very explosive in 2019, catching six touchdowns and averaging 14.7 yards-per-catch on 72 catches. At 31-years old he doesn’t exactly fit the youth movement the team seems to be going with at receiver, but he would provide some the much-needed veteran experience they need.
Michael Jordan, G, Bengals: An 23-year old offensive linemen with 27 games (19 starts) of experience in the NFL? The Eagles might be deep along the line with players they like and want to develop, but a 6-foot-6, 315 pound former fourth-round pick hitting the waiver wire might be too enticing for Howie Roseman to pass up.
Karl Joseph, S, Raiders: The Eagles safety situation is an interesting one. It seems Rodney McLeod might be able to play in Week 1. Even if he is, however, the Eagles could feel a bit nervous about who will be lining up next to Anthony Harris. McLeod missed all of training camp and in his place the team would have to go with a combination of K’Von Wallace and Marcus Epps. Joseph isn’t a long-term need, but he does make sense as a short-time signing while McLeod fully recovers.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Saints: The Eagles had interest in Freeman last year when he was a free agent prior to his decision to sign with the Giants — a decision that proved to be a bad one. Freeman Carrie the ball only 54 times last season, averaging 3.2 yards-per-carry. Part of that was due to a very bad Giants offensive line, but the Saints clearly didn’t seem to like what they saw from Freeman either this offseason. It is possible the Eagles decide they would rather have Freeman as their veteran running back instead of Jordan Howard, considering Freeman has had more success as a receiver than Howard has.
Travis Benjamin, WR, 49ers: Benjamin, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, spent two seasons with Nick Sirianni (2016, 2017) during his time with the Chargers. He was a productive player with Sirianni, catching 81 passes for 1,244 yards and eight touchdowns. He has not been as good since, however, with only 18 total catches over the last two seasons. Benjamin is 31-years old, but like with John Brown, he could provide veteran leadership — and Sirianni might be able to get him back to being a productive player as well.
Rasul Douglas, CB, Texans: Roseman and the Eagles are certainly familiar with Douglas, who spent the first three seasons of his career in Philadelphia before being released prior to the 2020 season. Why would a reunion make sense? The Eagles are expected to play slightly more zone under Jonathan Gannon, a system that seems better suited for Douglas’ style of play than the isolated man coverage they played under Jim Schwartz.
Jaylen Samuels, RB, Steelers: Samuel would be an interesting pick up for the Eagles. At 6-foot-, 225 pounds, Samuel is a bit of a hybrid player for the running back position. He hasn’t had much success running the ball (131 attempts for an average of 3.5 yards), but he is a good short-yardage back that can also catch the ball out of the backfield. The 82 catches for 6.7 yards-per-catch and four touchdowns in three seasons will definitely catch the Eagles attention, who plan on using their running backs a ton in the passing game.
Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Packers: St. Brown has a nice combination of upside while also having a decent track record of success in his two seasons. The 6-foot-5 receiver has averaged 15.9 yards-per-catch in his two seasons on 28 receptions. He seemed to be ready to takeoff as one of the primary weapons for the Packers after a strong 2018 season, but he missed all of 2019 with an ankle injury, and his 2020 season was a disappointment. The potential is there, however, to build on a strong rookie season.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!