The Eagles’ initial 53-man roster is in place, and there’s plenty to like about it. But even with all that depth, a few spots still look unfinished.
That’s nothing unusual this time of year. Around the NFL, the first roster is rarely the final version, and Philadelphia fits that mold. The Eagles have more strength than they might have expected, but they also have a few areas that could use a real upgrade before Week 1 or sometime during the season.
Quarterback is the first spot that jumps off the page. The Eagles do have four quarterbacks on the roster, but they still don’t really have a QB2 - or at least they aren’t saying so publicly.
Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton haven’t separated themselves, and the team hasn’t named a backup yet. Philadelphia could stick with those two, and that would be workable, but neither one looks like the kind of insurance that would keep the offense steady if Jalen Hurts missed multiple games.
If the Eagles want to improve there, there are trade and free-agent options to explore.
Tight end may be the shakiest area on the roster. The Eagles are carrying four players there, which makes sense given the lack of depth, but the picture behind Dallas Goedert is fuzzy.
Johnny Mundt is more of a blocker. Eli Stowers isn’t ready for Week 1.
E.J. Jenkins has appeared in 10 career games, and none of them came in the elevated role he’s about to take on.
The Eagles have talked with Zach Ertz, and he’d bring immediate help. They could also wait and hope Stowers develops into a useful piece by the second half of the season while Jenkins shows progress once the games start.
For now, though, this looks like the weakest position on the roster.
Wide receiver is different. The Eagles are deeper from WR1 through WR6 than they’ve been in recent years, even if that doesn’t automatically mean they’re better.
Trading A.J. Brown made sure of that.
Size at receiver could be useful, but that doesn’t appear to be the direction they’re taking. The way they built the room this offseason makes that pretty clear, along with how they plan to create targets.
Keeping Elijah Moore on the 53-man roster was a strong move. He earned it by outplaying Hollywood Brown and Darius Cooper in a lot of practices, and he can help as the fourth receiver. Moore and Brown can actually complement each other.
The biggest variable in the room is Lemon, who is already behind because of nagging hamstring injuries. Even so, the first-round pick is expected to be in the slot in Week 1, and the Eagles are counting on him to be a major part of the passing game.
DeVonta Smith is the WR1, and Dontayvion Wicks is listed as the WR2. The rest is unsettled, and Wicks still has to prove he can hold that role.
There are plenty of question marks at receiver, but Philadelphia can live with that for now. The real test may come later in the season, when the trade deadline arrives.
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