The Eagles are less than a week from reporting to training camp, and the real work is about to start. The 90-man roster has already been sorted into four buckets - roster locks, likely to make the roster, on the bubble, and little to no shot - and that leaves the important question: which players are fighting for the final 10 spots?
Right now, 43 places are already spoken for. Thirty players are roster locks, and 13 more are likely to make it. That leaves a handful of openings, and the battle for them is where camp gets interesting.
Quarterback is one of the first places where the picture gets messy. Dalton looks like the player most likely to make the roster after taking the majority of QB2 reps in minicamp, which gives him one of the two available spots.
The other spot depends on what happens with Tanner McKee. The Eagles could get a Day 3 pick for him if they decide to trade him, but there’s still the possibility that he wins the backup job outright.
If Payton keeps struggling, the question becomes whether he deserves a roster spot at all. Two spots are there for the taking, but the answer may hinge on McKee and what the front office wants to do.
Wide receiver has its own squeeze. Four receivers are expected to make the team, which leaves WR5 and WR6 in play if the Eagles keep six.
Johnny Wilson is a favorite of Jalen Hurts and had a strong minicamp, and the Eagles need a blocking receiver who can handle the dirty work even when the ball isn’t coming his way. That gives Wilson and Darius Cooper a real chance.
Cooper also fits because the Eagles like to develop young receivers. Elijah Moore could be the odd man out even though he’s good enough to make the team, since he doesn’t block well and doesn’t return punts at the rate Britain Covey does.
Covey, after all, was one of the best punt returners in the league a few years ago. At most, there are two spots here - and there might only be one.
The offensive line is another crowded room. The roster locks are the five starters and Markell Bell, and the assumption here is that the Eagles carry 10 linemen.
That would leave one tackle spot and three interior spots. The No. 3 guard job stands out because nobody in the group has taken a regular-season snap at guard.
Drew Kendall looks like a strong bet because he’s the backup center and can also play guard. Myles Hinton is another interesting name because of the cross-training at tackle and guard.
Michael Jordan brings veteran experience, but all of his starts have come at left guard. Cameron Williams, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin and Hollin Pierce are also in the mix, and this battle sounds like one that could go all the way to the final week of camp.
Defensive tackle may be the deepest group on the roster. Ty Robinson, Gabe Hall, Zion Wilson and Uar Bernard are the names in the mix, and Bernard could be protected with a roster spot because the Eagles spent all summer developing him.
Three spots are locks, and Byron Young is basically a lock if Ty Robinson continues to struggle. If Robinson plays well and takes a step in year two, the Eagles may view Young as a trade asset.
This is one position where the team could wind up keeping six players.
Cornerback is another spot where the numbers could get tight. Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams and Ambry Thomas are the names listed, with three cornerbacks already locked in and Jonathan Jones as close to a fourth as you can get.
The big question is whether the Eagles keep six corners. Ringo’s special teams value puts him in line for a spot, while Bennett has fallen out of favor with Vic Fangio.
Thomas and McWilliams are long shots. Depending on how safety shakes out, the Eagles may only carry five cornerbacks.
Safety is wide open enough that it could change the whole math. Michael Carter, Cole Wisniewski, J.T.
Gray, Andre Sam, Maximus Pulley and Kapena Gushiken are in the conversation, and there’s a starting job available. Marcus Epps is the overwhelming favorite for that role right now.
If Andrew Mukuba and Epps are the starters, then two more spots appear to be available. Carter may be in line for one of them, but this is as unsettled as it gets.
And that’s before considering whether the Eagles bring in another safety over the next few weeks.
By this count, there are 12 players competing for 10 spots. That gap can be explained by how the Eagles choose to build the roster at each position.
They could keep three quarterbacks, or carry two on the active roster and use a third as a practice squad elevation. They could go with six receivers or five.
The same kind of decision could play out at cornerback, defensive tackle, pass rusher or even tight end if they decide to keep four there.
That’s where the real intrigue sits from spots 44 through 53. Camp is about to sort out the rest, and the final roster will show just how many moving parts the Eagles are willing to juggle.
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Jalin Lemons arrival has made the No. 2 receiver conversation especially interesting, while Wicks, Brown and Moore give the Eagles a mix of experience, contract considerations and camp intrigue. Cooper, meanwhile, is trying to build on what he showed last season after making the roster as an undrafted free agent and playing through injury. For a team that has spent plenty of time leaning on its top two wideouts, this summer now feels like a real sorting exercise, with the depth chart behind Smith far less settled than it looked a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]