The Eagles have to make tough roster decisions over the next four days.
The Eagles wrapped up their preseason on Friday night with a 19-17 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Over the next four days, general manager Howie Roseman has to trim Philadelphia’s roster down to 53, and many of those decisions will be difficult.
Here are 10 Eagles players on the roster bubble who fall into that category:
Smith has made more plays in his second summer with the Eagles, but he still hasn’t been great.
After the catch and on punt returns, he has shown decent explosion. But the Eagles have had multiple players return punts during practice and could choose someone over Smith.
Cooper has been everybody’s camp crush.
Last month, the undrafted free agent from Tarleton State was a long shot to make the 53-man roster. But his status changed after he dominated Philadelphia’s backup cornerbacks in practice and tore apart the Cincinnati Bengals’ secondary (six catches for 82 yards) in the Eagles’ first preseason game.
On the last day of training camp, Cooper made a leaping catch over Quinyon Mitchell and linebacker Jihaad Campbell in the middle of the field. He also caught a touchdown against Adoree’ Jackson on an out route.
For no fault of his own, Cooper’s stat line against the Jets (one catch for eight yards) was not impressive. Kyle McCord’s-led offense was dysfunctional.
The small-school wideout has received praise from Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert, which is a good sign. His chances of making the 53 increased after Johnny Wilson was ruled out for the year, but he is not a roster lock.
If the Eagles know that Cooper will go unclaimed on waivers, they could bring him back on the practice squad to develop.
Granson has flashed as a pass catcher and outperformed his competition. Harrison Bryant was traded this past week to the Houston Texans for John Metchie. E.J. Jenkins has dropped too many passes. Cameron Latu and Nick Muse haven’t stood out.
However, Granson still could be released. The Eagles went into the 2024 season with two tight ends and could do the same thing this season.
Granson signed a one-year deal with the Eagles after the first wave of free agency. He won’t be a priority for other teams and could be added to the PS.
VanSumeren’s status depends on the Eagles’ plans for a fullback.
The Eagles could elevate VanSumeren off the PS for certain matchups or keep him on the 53 for a larger role.
Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay could make an argument that VanSumeren is too valuable on special teams to waive.
Joining the Eagles on the eve of training camp, Okoronkwo could develop into a solid rotational pass rusher with more time in Vic Fangio’s scheme.
Okoronkwo amassed two tackles and one quarterback hit against the Jets. Philadelphia’s No. 5 edge rusher spot is up for grabs, but Patrick Johnson brings more special teams value and could have the edge over Okoronkwo.
In consecutive summers, Johnson has made the most of his opportunities and demonstrated growth as a pass rusher. He intercepted Bengals quarterback Jake Browning by batting the pass to himself. Johnson was also disruptive against the Browns and Jets.
But the Eagles have never bought into Johnson as a pass rusher.
The Eagles have relegated Johnson to special-teams duties since his rookie season (2021). He was waived last season after Week 2 and got claimed by the New York Giants. After amassing four tackles in 12 games for New York, he re-joined the Eagles on a one-year deal this offseason.
Roseman could sign and/or trade for an edge rusher to fill out their five-man rotation, leaving Johnson as the odd man out. He would need the Eagles to keep six edge rushers in that scenario.
Ricks jumps routes for interceptions, which is a good and bad thing. His play style is feast or famine. The Eagles need him to cut out the negatives.
In his rookie season (2023), Ricks played 28% of the snaps and was solid in coverage from the nickel.
But the Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean last spring, and Ricks was pushed down the depth chart. Ricks no longer has a path to playing time and could be on the outs.
Before Week 1 of the 2024 season, the Eagles claimed Young off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders. He wasn’t active for a single game and got placed on injured reserve in October. He missed some time this summer with a groin injury.
The Eagles were intrigued with Young’s potential, but do they like him enough to keep him around for another year?
Young was a third-round pick in 2023 and could be worth developing. However, second-year defensive tackle Gabe Hall has been better and deserves to be on the 53 over Young. The Eagles could choose to keep six defensive tackles.
Toth could start at left guard against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, replacing an injured Landon Dickerson. But the Eagles don’t need to put Toth on their active roster. They could re-sign him to the PS and elevate him for one start. He has spent most of his career on the Eagles’ PS and wouldn’t draw much interest from other teams.
An 11-year veteran with starting experience, Lamm was once considered the favorite to be the Eagles’ swing tackle, but he has played poorly the last two weeks and cannot be trusted.
Outside of Lamm and Matt Pryor, the Eagles’ backup offensive line has no proven options. Potential injuries to starters could be detrimental.
Stoutland could overlook Lamm’s bad summer if he doesn’t trust rookie Myles Hinton to play this season. Lamm has played well in the past and could bounce back during the regular season.
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Category: General Sports
