The Eagles are off on Friday after a tough week of practice. They will return to the field on Saturday as they start to prepare for their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans next Thursday.
While we wait for practices to resume, here is a guess at what the Eagles' 53-man roster might look like right now after one week of camp:
Quarterback: Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld (2)
Analysis: The question that could decide how other positions are shaped on the roster is whether the team will keep Clayton Thorson on the roster. The answer to that depends on if they believe he will make it to the practice squad. Thorson has really struggled so far in training camp, which is to be somewhat expected with a rookie quarterback, but even simple passes at times have been a struggle. Still, as a fifth-round quarterback, the idea of Thorson being claimed on waivers, or signing with another team, is certainly something the team will have in mind. Ultimately, however, it is hard to see a team picking Thorson over a player that they spent the entire offseason and training camp with coaching up. The guess here is that Thorson will make it through waivers, allowing the Eagles to put him on the practice squad.
Running back: Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement (5):
Analysis: The top three at running back are all locks, but decisions at the backend of the position are not easy. Both Smallwood and Josh Adams have had impressive training camps so far, as both have done a nice job catching the ball out of the backfield and have looked good running it during the live-tackle sessions. It is clear how much the Eagles trust Smallwood and the coaches will likely want to keep him on the roster. That leaves the final running back spot between Clement and Adams. Clement has not practiced much in training camp, which could make this an interesting one. When it comes down to it, however, it is hard to see the Eagles cutting a player that one year ago was a huge part of their gameplan in Super Bowl LII — and a player that almost certainly won't make it through waivers.
Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, DeSean Jackson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Mack Hollins (5)
Analysis: Like running back, the wide receiver position is top heavy, with plenty of interesting decisions to make on the back end. The question here is whether the Eagles keep five-or-six receivers. Although there have been plenty of pleasant surprises at receiver so far in training camp, it is hard to see the team actually giving a roster spot to Greg Ward Jr., Charles Johnson or Carlton Agudosi. The one potential candidate is Marken Michel, who has shown he can stretch the field while also playing the slot if needed. With the need for depth at other positions, however, it is hard to see the Eagles keeping six receivers, meaning they will likely given Hollins one-more shot to prove he can stay healthy and contribute.
Tight Ends: Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers (3)
Analysis: The Eagles could keep four tight ends, especially with how many two-tight end sets they are going to run, but neither Joshua Perkins or Will Tye have stood out so far in training camp.
Offensive line: Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson, Stefen Wisniewski, Jordan Mailata, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Matt Pryor, Andre Dillard (10)
Analysis: There are at least seven locks at this position, but likely nine if you consider Wisniewski and Pryor locks, which they likely are considering they can both play multiple spots on the interior offensive line and have both been with the team for at least a year. The question is whether they keep Mailata. Mailata has had a very rough training camp, and is certainly not generating the buzz he was this time last season. They might feel slightly more comfortable putting Mailata in a game now than they would have last year, but it still seems like if he had to play, Wentz would be in serious trouble. When the Eagles drafted Mailata, however, they likely knew this was going to be a long-term project. There is also the very real chance that Mailata doesn't make it through waivers, especially with Joe Douglas now in New York with the Jets. The Eagles will likely keep Mailata around for at least one more year.
Defensive line: Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, Timmy Jernigan, Treyvon Hester, Hassan Ridgeway, Joe Ostman (10)
Analysis: What the Eagles do with their final defensive end spots will be interesting to see. Ostman, who they have talked up all offseason, has had a really strong training camp. They also seem to be putting some plays in the defensive for him, as he has played a "joker"-type linebacker position at times. He seems to be very far ahead of where rookie Shareef Miller is, the fifth-round pick out of Penn State. Miller likely won't play this season and seems to be a prime candidate for the injured reserve list with some kind of shady injury, allowing the Eagles to keep him from waivers and in their control for a full season.
Linebackers: Nigel Bradham, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nate Gerry, L.J. Fort, Zach Brown (5)
Analysis: After starting training camp with the third-string defense, Brown is slowly making his way up the depth chart, as he took some snaps with the first-team defense and none with the third-team the last two practices. The Eagles could release Fort to help them in the compensatory pick game, but Fort had an excellent last week of practice and was considered a priority free agent this past offseason by the team. This group is far deeper and more talented than many expected coming into training camp.
Cornerbacks: Ronald Darby, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, Cre'Von LeBlanc, Rasul Douglas, Orlando Scandrick (6)
Analysis: Injuries will play a huge role in deciding which cornerbacks make it and which don't. At this point it seems very unlikely that Jalen Mills (foot) is going to be ready for Week 1, and the team has likely already made the decision he will start the season on the PUP, considering they placed him there at the start of training camp. The strong play of Jones and Douglas on the outside will likely also factor into the team taking their time with Mills. Scandrick has played well so far since coming into camp, and the injury to LeBlanc (foot) could cause them to keep him on the roster to start the season, even if that will guarantee his contract for the full season. The good news for the Eagles is that despite injuries to three of their top six cornerbacks, this position still looks strong heading into the start of the preseason games.
Safeties: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Andrew Sendejo, Blake Countess (4)
Analysis: The Eagles could part ways with Sendejo and add a fourth-round pick in the process, but the coaches seem to really like the veteran, as he has been with the first-team defense during training camp so far with McLeod sidelined. The signing of Johnathan Cyprien, however, is an interesting one. Cyprien is coming off of a season that he missed entirely due to a torn ACL, but will likely be given a real shot to make the roster. The Eagles question is whether this is bad news for Sendejo or Countess, as it is hard to see the Eagles keeping five safeties. It is also possible that the Eagles feel Cyprien can play a hybrid linebacker/safety role, which could impact the amount of linebackers they keep. I'm not ready to put Cyprien on the 53-man roster just yet, but if he shows he is healthy, chances are he will be on my final 53-man roster prediction.
Special teams: Cam Johnston, Jake Elliott, Rick Lovato (3)
Analysis: As always, the special teams are the easiest part of the roster to project — which isn't something the Eagles should take for granted.
PUP: Jalen Mills
IR: Shareef Miller
Practice Squad: Greg Ward Jr., Carlton Agudosi, Alex Singleton, TJ Edwards, Clayton Thorson, Keegan Render, Sua Opeta, Jay Liggins, Boston Scott, Kevin Wilkins
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
