The Eagles once again have arguably the best backup quarterback in the NFL.
That much was clear on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens, as backup Josh McCown looked perfectly comfortable and efficient running Doug Pederson's offense despite only being with the team for less than a week.
What was also clear? Picking which players get the few final roster spots on this team won't be easy for the front office, especially after the performances of some bubble players against the Ravens.
Here is an updated 53-man roster prediction after Thursday night's preseason game against Baltimore:
Quarterback: Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, Josh McCown, Clayton Thorson (4)
Analysis: McCown cemented his place as the top backup on the Eagles with his strong showing against the Ravens. McCown would have had to really struggle to open the door for Sudfeld to get his job back once he is healthy, but needless to say, that didn't happen.
The toughest question at this position is whether Thorson will make it through waivers. The answer to that question seems to change weekly, but ultimately, the answer might be no. A fifth-round pick, there very well might be a team out there that decides they liked Thorson enough in the draft to claim him and cut a veteran they have on their roster.
One route the Eagles could take is this — keep Thorson, release cornerback Orlando Scandrick, then re-sign him once you place Sudfeld on injured reserve. Either way, for a team that values developmental players at the bottom of their roster, keeping Thorson will be a priority.
Running back: Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles, Corey Clement (4):
Analysis: The top three at running back were all locks heading into Thursday night and now the fourth spot is as well. Corey Clement looked awesome against the Ravens, playing much better than the 25 yards on seven carries that he finished with indicates. Clement looks ready to go and it would be shocking if the Eagles released him.
The question is who will be the backups.
At this point the answer might be nobody. Josh Adams has impressed at times in camps but had a bad drop on Thursday night. Wendell Smallwood not playing on Thursday night could be an indication he has a spot locked up, or an indication the team knows they aren't keeping him. Chances are Smallwood would be the fifth running back, but at this point, it is hard to see them squeezing a fifth on the roster.
Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, DeSean Jackson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Mack Hollins (5)
Analysis: Two things have become crystal clear about Mack Hollins. The first is that J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is considerably better. Arcega-Whiteside is the real deal, once again looking the part on Thursday night of a receiver who is ready to play during the regular season in the NFL right now. The second is that Greg Ward has earned a roster spot over Hollins. Ward has considerably outplayed Hollins during training camp, and did it again on Thursday night, finishing with four catches for 45 tough yards.
Chances are, however, that it won't matter. Hollins is a favorite of special-teams coach Dave Fipp and that will ultimately win him a roster spot. Head coach Doug Pederson mentioning him as a potential option in the red zone is also an indication that Hollins will be on this roster. It is possible they keep six, simply because of how well Ward has played, but that is going to be tough if they keep four quarterbacks.
Tight Ends: Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Joshua Perkins (3)
Analysis: The injury to Richard Rodgers, which will keep him out into the regular season, could be the final straw for the Eagles. Rodgers hasn't been able to stay healthy since the Eagles signed him and it is hard to see them trusting him to do so in the future. Perkins, on the other hand, has had a good training camp and was with the starters on Thursday night. Will Tye doesn't seem to be in serious consideration for the third tight-end spot.
Offensive line: Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson, Stefen Wisniewski, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Matt Pryor, Andre Dillard, Jordan Mailata (10)
Analysis: There are at least seven locks at this position, with the five starters and top two backups in Dillard and Vaitai. The question is how does the team feel about Wisniewski, who is having a very rough preseason snapping the ball. Wisniewski might have lost his job as backup center, as he was in at right guard on Thursday night against the Jets. In his place as backup center was Nate Herbig, a player who is quickly rising up the ranks of undrafted free agents with a shot to make the team.
Helping Wisniewski's chances of making it into Week 1 is how much experience he has in the league. If the Eagles cut Wisniewski they won't have a single backup guard on the roster who has played the position in the NFL. That is a risky decision to make considering how important it is to keep Wentz as clean as possible. Also helping Wisniewski's chances? It is very likely Herbig will make it through waivers and onto the practice squad.
The final spot could come down to Matt Pryor or Brett Toth. Of the two the Eagles likely have more invested in Toth's future, considering they just signed him and he decided to come to Philadelphia despite having other offers. At this point though the Eagles likely feel more confident putting Pryor in a game if they were forced to. Either player will likely be a healthy scratch all season.
Defensive line: Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, Timmy Jernigan, Treyvon Hester, Hassan Ridgeway, Daeshon Hall (10)
Analysis: The defensive end that made the most of Thursday's game, for what is now the third week in a row, was Hall. His roster spot has to be considered close to locked up at this point. Chances are if the Eagles cut Hall he wouldn't make it through waivers, and the way he is playing, they won't want to risk losing him to another team. It still feels like Miller's season will be spent on injured reserve with an "injury."
Linebackers: Nigel Bradham, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nate Gerry, L.J. Fort, Zach Brown (5)
Analysis: Two undrafted free agents — Alex Singleton and T.J. Edwards — both had strong weeks at practice against the Baltimore Ravens. Edwards had a strong night against the Ravens, leading the team with seven tackles. Hurting their chances of making the roster? Fort has also had a strong week and had a great game Thursday night against the Ravens. The Eagles are going to hope-and-pray they can get Singleton and Edwards on the practice squad.
Cornerbacks: Ronald Darby, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, Cre'Von LeBlanc, Rasul Douglas (5)
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.
As mentioned above, Scandrick seems like a prime candidate to get cut during final cuts, but then re-signed either right before or after Week 1. Scandrick has not played very well since being signed by the team, however, so it is possible he is simply cut outright.
Safeties: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Andrew Sendejo, Jonathan Cyprien (4)
Analysis: The Eagles brought in a new safety on Thursday in a deal with the Arizona Cardinals, acquiring Rudy Ford in exchange for Bruce Hector. Ford faces an uphill battle to make the team, but his reputation as a strong special teams player helps his chances. Cyprien is close to a lock at this point, so the Eagles would have to carry five safeties if they want to keep Ford. The front office had to feel good seeing McLeod play on Thursday night, his first action since tearing his ACL last season.
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 shouldn't take for granted.
PUP: Jalen Mills
IR: Shareef Miller
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
