Eagles 53 Man Roster Prediction
With training camp on the horizon, and the first pre-season game scheduled to be played in a little under 6 weeks, it’s time to start picturing what this team will be looking like on opening day.
Barring injury, here is the Eagles’ 53 man roster prediction.
Quarterbacks
(3) – Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, Cody Kessler
Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld are no-brainers, however the true battle will lie in the 3rd string spot. Cody Kessler and Clayton Thorson are the two candidates for the job, but only one can stay on. It has been consistently reported that Thorson has struggled during OTA’s and practices, and given Kessler’s experience in the NFL, which includes 12 career starts, he should edge out Thorson for the job. Although it may look foolish if the Eagles don’t proceed with their 5th round pick in Thorson, Kessler is the right man to go with.
Running Backs
(5) – Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, Corey Clement, Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood
With Sanders, Howard, and Clement all locks to make the roster, the Eagles have quite a few choices to chose from to fill out the rest of the depth chart. Darren Sproles’ availability is looming, but should he opt in for one last year, he will be the team’s 4th running back. In the event he does not return, Wendell Smallwood should make it in place of him. The 5th back will be a close call, but in the end, the Eagles would be wise to go with Josh Adams. Adams led the team in rushing yards last season after getting called up in week 3 and showed flashes of great downhill running. The argument for Boston Scott is valid, as even people within the organization have said he resembles much of how Sproles plays, but if Adams can improve on his patience and vision, he will be the better choice.
Wide Receivers
(5) – Alshon Jeffrey, Desean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Mack Hollins
The Eagles gave Wentz a huge boost to his arsenal this offseason when they added the likes of Desean Jackson and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. In addition to those two, as well as Jeffrey and Agholor, Mack Hollins would make a great 5th receiver based off of his rookie year where he saw limited action but still accrued 16 receptions for 226 yards, which included a 64-yard touchdown catch.
Tight Ends
(3) – Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers
This might be the position with the least questions asked. While Ertz is coming off of a historic 116-reception season, Goedert is looking to expand on his limited yet exceptional rookie season. Rodgers on the other hand, who missed the better part of the season last year, should add excellent depth to one of the stronger positions on the team.
Offensive Line
(10) – Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Andre Dillard, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Isaac Seumalo, Stefen Wisniewski, Jordan Mailata, Matt Pryor
The Eagles should and will retain just about the entire starting offensive line from last season, with the exception of Andre Dillard starting over Vaitai. Although Brooks is still recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in January’s divisional playoff game, there is growing optimism that he will be ready before the season starts, thus allowing him to avoid the PUP list. With Wisniewski being resigned this past offseason, remaining backups will hopefully include Isaac Seumalo, Jordan Mailata, and Matt Pryor.
Defensive Line
(9) – Derek Barnett, Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Malik Jackson, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, Treyvon Hester, Shareef Miller
One of the biggest strengths of the team has to be the D-line. Star-studded with players like Cox and Graham, as well as newly added Malik Jackson, opposing offenses are going to have nightmares facing this core. Both Josh Sweat and Shareef Miller have been standout stars in OTA’s thus far, which should secure their positions on the team, and Treyvon Hester performed strongly when given the chance last season, including the improbable fingertip on Cody Parkey’s kick in the wild-card game.
Linebackers
(5) – Nigel Bradham, Zach Brown, LJ Fort, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Paul Worrilow
One of the few weaknesses on the team is the linebacker core. However, it should be vastly improved from last year after the additions of Zach Brown and LJ Fort. Additionally, Grugier-Hill and Paul Worrilow will see some time on the field, while mainly operating on special teams.
Cornerbacks
(6) – Ronald Darby, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones, Cre’Von Leblanc
A young but determined squad, the cornerbacks on the team shows much promise. Stepping up for injured players late last season, both Avonte Maddox and Cre’Von Leblanc flashed much potential and will hopefully improve into better players this season. Darby, who was brought back on a 1-year deal, is the clear number one corner on the team, but the only concern remains his health, as he has missed a majority of the season for the past two seasons. Additionally, Rasul Douglas had a great year last season, which included a team-high 3 interceptions, and is now primed to breakout. As far as Jalen Mills and Sidney Jones go, both players desperately need to have a good season if they want to stay on the team for the foreseeable future, as neither one has lived up to expectation.
Safeties
(4) – Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Andrew Sendejo, Blake Countess
Rounding out the defense, the safeties are another strong core of the team. With Malcolm Jenkins ending his holdout and hopefully getting the raise he deserves, he will bring strong leadership and pure toughness to a young defensive team. Coming off of torn ACL, McLeod should be able to jump right back in with no beats skipped, as it is looking like he will be back for training camp. Sendejo and Countess should make great 3rd and 4th options, as well provide sparks on special teams.
Special Teams
(3) – Jake Elliot, Rick Lovato, Cameron Johnston
Not much to be said about these guys. Jake Elliot will be the kicker for the better part of the Eagles’ near future, with Rick Lovato snapping to him and Cameron Johnston. Elliot should look to improve on his short kicks, while Johnston needs to get better at directional punting.
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