Final cuts around the league happened Tuesday afternoon, and there’s always bound to be surprises for most teams around this time. The Philadelphia Eagles roster had many of the same stars and key contributors as expected, but there were also some new faces and surprises to make the team. Along with some surprise cuts, it was also intriguing to see how they structured the roster from position to position. The full roster and the final cuts are worth seeing for fans here, while we break down the biggest takeaways of the final days before the regular season.
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Biggest Takeaways from the 53-man Philadelphia Eagles Roster
The Eagles Roster is Built Around Power-Run Football
This year, the Eagles are leaning into even more of their previous identity. The Eagles have largely been built around power-run football, behind their superstar offensive line, and decided to keep nine offensive linemen on the roster. They kept their entire starting offensive line, as well as Tyler Steen, Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, and Fred Johnson. Not only that, but the Eagles also decided to only keep four wide receivers, Brown, Smith, Watkins, and Zaccheaus. They likely dropped a fifth man from their wide receiving corps in favor of the trade they were able to make to get tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Okwuegbunam was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 by the Denver Broncos. He is an uber-athletic tight end who just really has not been able to see the field much.
Not saying that Okwuegbunam will be a superstar in his first year with the Eagles, but the acquisition does say a lot. The decision to keep four tight ends in favor of five receivers is a declaration from the Eagles in their commitment to 12 personnel. They traded for him to ensure that one injury to Dallas Goedert or Jack Stoll wouldn’t prevent them from living in the two tight end system and honestly, it’s the right decision. With the Eagles offensive line and Jalen Hurts’ power-running style, being able to bring in two tight ends who are not only solid blockers, but dangerous receivers adds confusion for defenses. It’s not going to be sexy or incredibly innovative, but with the Eagles offensive line and two top-level wide receivers, it will be damn hard to stop.
Surprising Keeps and Cuts in the Eagles Secondary
The Eagles have unquestioned starters at the cornerback position with Slay, Bradberry, and Maddox making the roster. However, with Zech McPhearson tearing his Achilles and now being on Injured Reserve, the backups were always going to be interesting to see. The Eagles were definitely always going to keep their fourth-round pick in Kelee Ringo, and Josh Jobe’s performances in training camp and preseason essentially made him a lock as well. But the Eagles decided to keep two more corners in Mario Goodrich and undrafted rookie Eli Ricks. Goodrich will be the one to probably replace McPhearson as the backup slot corner, where he looked comfortable during the preseason. Ricks had some great performances in the preseason and showed enough promise for the Eagles to keep and develop him to possibly be a starter in the future.
As for a position with much more uncertainty around it, the Eagles decided to keep four safeties. Free agent signing Terell Edmunds, Reed Blankenship, Justin Evans, and third-round rookie Sydney Brown. No surprise that Edmunds and Blankenship made the roster, as they seem like the two safeties with the inside track to starting week one. Nor was it surprising to see the Eagles keep their third-round pick in Sydney Brown who is the most talented out of the group. But it was surprising to see K’Von Wallace cut in his fourth year with the team. Wallace never saw much playing time in his tenure, but he was great for the team in the preseason and seemingly took another step. Many thought that he was even a sleeper for the starting role occupied by Edmunds. However, the Eagles decided to go with experience by keeping Justin Evans as the fourth safety.
Eagles Roster Final Takeaways
Most fans, pundits, and anyone around the team knew many of the players who would make the roster for the Eagles. But for a team with championship aspirations, it was interesting to see them lean more into their identity of power-run football and dominance on the defensive line. The Eagles keeping seven defensive tackles shows that they want to make sure their strengths don’t evaporate due to a few injuries throughout the year. Additionally, it was cool to see the Eagles still take the chance on young talent with promise like corner Eli Ricks, and even defensive tackle Moro Ojomo both making the roster.
Two final concerns, however, Marcus Mariota made the roster and is likely still slated as the backup quarterback. With his performances in the preseason, that could be a problem if Jalen Hurts were to miss a few games. The Eagles also decided to only keep three linebackers on the roster Dean, Elliss, and Cunningham with Shaun Bradley still on IR. There has yet to be a track record of success for Dean and Elliss in the NFL and while they shouldn’t be written off, their play should be monitored throughout the season. Without much behind them, their level of play needs to be good to keep that position group afloat for the team. Overall, the Eagles roster still looks among the best in the NFL, and their strength in the trenches will overwhelm many teams around the league.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
