The Philadelphia Eagles’ mandatory minicamps are officially in the books. With the team beginning their quest for a second championship, let’s take a look at who has the best chance to make it on the Week One roster in the first Eagles roster projection.
Philadelphia Eagles Roster Projection 1.0: Post-Minicamp Edition
Quarterback (2)
In: Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld
No big surprises here. Carson Wentz is obviously the guy and is the unquestioned quarterback of the present and future. Nate Sudfeld doesn’t have Nick Foles’ impressive resume, so he has big shoes to fill as the backup. That said, Philadelphia clearly likes the kid and Sudfeld has looked adequate in limited action. He’s a downgrade from Foles, but still good enough to serve as the backup.
Fifth-round rookie Clayton Thorson is one of the last cuts in this Eagles roster projection. While Thorson doesn’t have the highest ceiling, the quarterback position is so important that it’s worth stashing the position if you believe he can develop. If he impresses in training camp and the preseason, the Eagles will find a way to keep him around. At the very least, Thorson should spend the year on the practice squad.
Running Back (5)
In: Sanders, Howard, Clement, Adams, Scott
Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, and Corey Clement aren’t going anywhere. Each player offers a unique skill set and can function as the 2019 version of the LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Clement backfield. The final two spots is where things get interesting.
Josh Adams, Boston Scott, and Wendell Smallwood are fighting for a maximum of two spots. As of now, Smallwood is the odd-man out. Adams led the 2018 Eagles in rushing and showed flashes of potential in the process. Scott, meanwhile, is reportedly having a great camp and is the teams’ primary punt returner. Don’t be surprised to see him take on a bigger role as the season progresses.
Wide Receiver (5)
In: Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Marken Michel
Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor proved they can be an effective duo, and adding DeSean Jackson into the mix is just unfair. These three are locks and have the tools to perfectly complement each other in this offense. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, meanwhile, can serve as a red zone specialist and should end the year with a high touchdown count. Marken Michel earns the final spot, as he’s reportedly one of the standouts in minicamps. Of course, the former CFL star will need to transfer his success to the preseason before he is considered a roster lock.
Tight End (3)
In: Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers
Once again, this isn’t a big surprise. Philadelphia arguably has the best tight end depth chart in the league, and it all starts with Zach Ertz. Ertz is arguably the best tight end in the league and should remain one of the key pieces in the offense. Dallas Goedert has a chance to be one of the best TE2’s in the league while Richard Rodgers provides enviable depth in case of injury.
Offensive Line (9)
In: Jason Peters, Isaac Seumolu, Jason Kelce, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Lane Johnson, Andre Dilliard, Jordan Mailata, Stefen Wisniewski, Matt Pryor
PUP: Brandon Brooks
Call me a pessimist, but I cannot see Brandon Brooks being ready for Week One after rupturing his Achilles in the playoffs. In this projection, he starts the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai starts in his place. The rest of the starting offensive line is set with Jason Peters, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, and Lane Johnson.
Andre Dillard appears to have the upper hand for the swing tackle position while Jordan Mailata serves as emergency depth. Stefen Wisniewski serves as interior depth and could challenge Vaitai for a starting job if Brooks isn’t healthy. Matt Pryor won’t see the field unless something goes horrifically wrong, but he offers promising upside down the road.
Defensive Line (10)
In: Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Timmy Jernigan, Treyvon Hester, Hassan Ridgeway, Josh Sweat, Shareef Miller
The Eagles should have one of the most ferocious front fours in football with Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, and Derek Barnett. Vinny Curry is back in town to prove that his ill-fated season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an outlier performance, while Josh Sweat and Shareef Miller hold down the edge depth. Timmy Jernigan and Treyvon Hester might see a decent amount of early playing time given Cox is still recovering from off-season surgery and Jernigan is coming off of a gruesome back injury.
Linebacker (5)
In: Nigel Bradham, Zach Brown, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nathan Gerry, T.J. Edwards
Nigel Bradham missed minicamp but should be back once the games matter. Zach Brown is currently projected to start opposite Bradham, but his job could be in jeopardy with Kamu Grugier-Hill performing well in minicamps. Nathan Gerry holds down one of the depth spots while T.J. Edwards narrowly beats out L.J. Fort for the final spot.
Cornerback (6)
In: Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Cre’Von LeBlanc
Ronald Darby should be healthy enough to be the Week One starter, but Jalen Mills might not be ready for Week One. Since I put Brooks on the PUP earlier, let’s go for the optimistic tone in this Eagles roster projection and assume Mills is ready for the start of the season. If that’s the case, look for Avonte Maddox to be the first guy off the bench, with Rasul Douglas, Sidney Jones, and Cre’Von LeBlanc rounding out the depth chart.
Safety (5)
In: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Brandon Graham, Tre Sullivan, Blake Countess
Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are the starters, but the depth is where things get interesting. Andrew Sendejo is a better player than Corey Graham, but keeping Sendejo will cost Philadelphia a fourth-round compensatory pick. By my eye, the difference in talent does not outweigh the value of the draft pick. Tre Sullivan saw some first-team reps in minicamp, while Blake Countess will primarily play on special teams.
Special Teams (3)
In: Jake Elliott, Cameron Johnston, Rick Lovato
Nothing to talk about here.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
