Depth On Depth: Breaking Down The Eagles Roster
The team building portion of the offseason is nearly over, with only the final wave of free agency still remaining before the focus shifts completely to the practice field with OTAs, minicamps and eventually Training Camp.
It’s safe enough to assume that, barring any injuries (fingers crossed), no major changes will be made to the roster and most, if not all, players on the final group of 53 men representing the midnight green later in the year are already under contract with the Eagles.
That being said, let’s break down a projection of what could be the Week 1 depth chart unless any camp bodies ball out in practice and secure a roster spot…
Offense
Quarterback: Starter – Carson Wentz; Immediate Backup – Nate Sudfeld
This is the easiest of the roster besides the specialists. If Wentz is healthy, he should return as leader of the offense and MVP hopeful. Sudfeld gets promoted after Nick Foles’ departure to Jacksonville, and also after showing promise in limited game action.
Running Back: Starter – Jordan Howard; Immediate Backup – Miles Sanders
The Eagles operate with a committee at RB, so the starter tag merely represents who will see the field on the first snap more often, and that should be Howard due to his early-down prowess. Sanders, Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and Josh Adams should all see their fair share of touches depending on the matchup.
Outside Receiver: Starters – Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson; Immediate Backups – Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside
The team brought back fan favorite Jackson to be the speed element opposite Jeffery, who should lead the WR corps in red zone targets as usual. With Hollins healthy, he should be the backup field stretcher and rookie Arcega-Whiteside might be called upon more often in short yardage or red zone situations.
Slot Receiver: Starter – Nelson Agholor; Immediate Backup – None
Doug Pederson’s offense uses tight ends at the slot almost as much as actual WRs, so Agholor should be the only one seeing a significant amount of snaps from this alignment.
Offensive Tackle: Starters – Jason Peters and Lane Johnson; Immediate Backup – Andre Dillard and Halapoulivaati Vaitai
The dynamic duo of Peters and Johnson returns for what might be their last season together, with Peters’ retirement getting closer. Dillard is The Bodyguard’s intern for the year, and will only be called into action in his relief. Hal Vaitai will once again play the role of swing tackle, filling in whenever needed.
Guard: Starters – Isaac Seumalo and Brandon Brooks; Immediate Backups – Matt Pryor and Iosua Opeta
After winning the job midseason last year, Isaac Seumalo begins 2019 as the presumed starter at left guard opposite Brandon Brooks. The backup guard position is the most scarce on the roster, with the team counting on last year’s 6th rounder Matt Pryor to contribute. My bold prediction for the roster is that highly-paid UDFA Iosua Opeta makes the team as a backup and long-term project.
Center: Starter – Jason Kelce; Immediate Backup – Isaac Seumalo
After a minor retirement scare earlier in the offseason, it appears Kelce is returning for at least one more shot at a ring (and hopefully another parade). Kelce played through several injuries however, mainly because he did not have a capable backup, which is still the case. Seumalo stepped in at times last year, but he was not playing at his native position and did not perform very well. Simply put, the Eagles do not currently have a backup center on the roster. Consider this the likeliest position to receive veteran reinforcements before the start of the season.
Tight End: Starters – Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert; Immediate Backups – Richard Rodgers and Joshua Perkins
This offense employs two tight end sets more than almost any team in the league, and rightfully so, as Ertz and Goedert make for one of, if not the best TE tandem in the NFL. Rodgers provides experience at the backup position, while Perkins played a surprisingly substantial amount of snaps in 2018.
Defense
Defensive Tackle: Starters – Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson; Immediate Backups – Timmy Jernigan and Trayvon Hester
All-Pro Fletcher Cox receives another Pro Bowl caliber running mate in Jackson. Jernigan rejoins the team to make for a scary, scary rotation at the position. Last year playoffs’ unlikeliest hero Trayvon Hester will have to beat out recently acquired Hassan Ridgeway for a backup spot.
Defensive End: Starters – Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham; Immediate Backups – Chris Long and Vinny Curry
Barnett and Graham are penciled in as leaders of a rotation that’s not as fearsome as it once was and as it needs to be in order for Jim Schwartz’s scheme to succeed. The strength of the backup spot hinges on Chris Long’s decision to return or not. If he doesn’t, hopes are that last year’s 4th rounder (and former top high school recruit) Josh Sweat takes a big step forward.
Linebacker: Starters – Zach Brown, Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nigel Bradham; Immediate Backups – LJ Fort, Nate Gerry, Paul Worrilow
Arguably the worst position group remaining after the draft, the LB spot received a huge boost last Friday with the addition of former Redskin Zach Brown. Because Malcolm Jenkins lines up in the box a lot in nickel packages (which the team runs more and more) only two of the aforementioned starters will likely be on the field on most downs. Special teams ace Fort changes Pennsylvania teams to shore up the rotation. Look for UDFA TJ Edwards to push for a roster spot in Training Camp.
Outside Cornerback: Starters – Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby; Immediate Backups – Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas
This group is really a toss-up, as Mills and Darby are coming back from injury and both Maddox and Douglas played well down the stretch last year. Salary and starting experience give the edge to Jalen and Ronald, though.
Nickel Cornerback: Starter – Sidney Jones III; Immediate Backup – Cre’Von LeBlanc
LeBlanc played extremely well towards the end of last season, but former 2nd rounder Jones will probably be given every chance to earn the starting spot. Both Malcolm Jenkins and Avonte Maddox have the versatility to play over the slot as well, so look for a lot of different contributors at this position.
Safety: Starters – Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod; Immediate Backups – Tre Sullivan and Andrew Sendejo
McLeod comes back from injury to retake his starting spot, as none of the additions made by the Eagles indicate that he’s in any danger of demotion. Jenkins is Jim Schwartz’s Swiss Army Knife, lining up all over the formation and doing well everywhere he plays. Andrew Sendejo was brought in to fill the Corey Graham role, but his roster spot might be endangered due to the compensatory pick formula. If he stays, he’ll end up playing a large number of snaps, both on defense and on special teams.
Special Teams
Kicker: Jake Elliott
Although he was contested at times last year, Elliott continues to be one of the better kickers around and should be back for his 3rd season as an Eagle.
Punter: Cameron Johnston
A stellar rookie season credits Johnston to return as a possible mainstay on the Eagles roster for years to come.
Long Snapper: Rick Lovato
It’s not easy to be the successor of a player like a fan favorite Jon Dorenbos, but Lovato has proven to be as reliable as they come since earning the starting spot in 2017.
Overall, this roster is absolutely a top 5 group in the NFL. Strong in the trenches, although with some depth issues, with top quality players at every level and a very good, if not great quarterback at the helm, this is definitely a Super Bowl level team.
It’s now up to the players and Doug Pederson to reach their full potential and take the Eagles to the promised land once again.
Photo: Geoff Burke - USA Today Sports
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Eagles