Eagles sign 3 more to finalize practice squad

The Eagles signed three more players today, including recently released DT Cedric Thornton, to finalize their initial 2011 practice squad.  Each team is allowed to have eight players on their practice squad:

WR Chad Hall
FB Stanley Havili
TE Anthony Hill
WR Ronald Johnson
LB Greg Lloyd
OL Dallas Reynolds
DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
DT Cedric Thornton

Hill and Johnson were also signed today.  Both were former draft picks that were recently cut loose by their teams, with Johnson being selected by the Niners in the 6th round in 2011 and Hill being selected in 4th round in 2009 by the Texans.

Hall and Thornton are probably the most likely to earn their way onto the main roster this season.

Eagles sign 5 to practice squad

The Eagles have signed five recently cut players to their practice squad:

WR Chad Hall
FB Stanley Havili
LB Greg Lloyd
OL Dallas Reynolds
DT Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

All five spent time with the Eagles in training camp.  The biggest name is Hall, who could still be signed back to the roster early in the season if Steve Smith or Jeremy Maclin aren't fully healthy.  Te'o-Nesheim is the other "big" name as the Eagles will keep the former third rounder around, at least for now.  Havili and Lloyd were both draft picks this year.

The Eagles can add three more to the practice squad.  One could be recently cut DT Cedric Thornton while the others will likely come from other teams.

Eagles cut 16, set initial 53 man roster

With the Eagles needing to get settle their 53 man roster today, they made a series of moves, including cutting the following 16 players:

S Jamar Adams
RB Eldra Buckley
WR Chad Hall
CB Joselio Hanson
DT Anthony Hargrove
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins
OT Austin Howard
S Marlin Jackson
DT Derek Landri
TE Donald Lee
LB Greg Lloyd
G Mike McGlynn
WR Sinorice Moss
DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
OL Fenuki Tupou
OL Reggie Wells

The Eagles also released linemen Jose Acuna and Ryan Harris, with Harris being waived/injured.  Brandon Graham also remains on the PUP list.

There were a few surprises amongst the list of cuts, most notably that both Landri and Hargrove are out of the mix at DT.  Landri was very impressive in the preseason and Hargrove quickly developed into a leader so it wouldn't be surprising for both to latch on with other teams in the coming days.  Losing Hanson for nothing was somewhat surprising as well.  Apparently other teams figure it is easier to sign him off the scrap heap.  Cutting Chad Hall was a also bit of a surprise considering the health of Jeremy Maclin and Steve Smith, who apparently must both be ready to go in Week 1.  There was a ton of turnover along the offensive line, with Howard, McGlynn, Tupou and Wells all being shown the door after being on the roster last season.  The end of the Te'o-Nesheim era is disappointing though hardly surprising.  The former third round pick simply got beat out by Philip Hunt.

As for surprises amongst players that made the team, DT Cedric Thornton and S Colt Anderson are the most notable.  Anderson's special teams ability makes him valuable so it's nice to see the Eagles hold on to him.

Over the last few weeks, I have been making my own projections of the Eagles roster. Here is the Eagles actual roster, with changes from my final version in bold.  Expect a change or two before the season starts.

Offense:
QB(3): Michael Vick, Vince Young, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, Dion Lewis

FB (1): Owen Schmitt

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper

TE(2): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor

LT(1): Jason Peters

LG(2): Evan Mathis, Julian Vandervelde

C(2): Jason Kelce, Jamaal Jackson

RG(1): Danny Watkins

RT(3): Todd Herremans, Winston Justice, King Dunlap

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Philip Hunt

DT(5): Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins, Antonio Dixon, Trevor Laws, Cedric Thornton

LB(6): Moise Fokou, Casey Matthews, Jamar Chaney, Keenan Clayton, Brian Rolle, Akeem Jordan

CB(6): Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Curtis Marsh, Brandon Hughes, Trevard Lindley

FS(2): Kurt Coleman, Jaiquawn Jarrett

SS(3): Nate Allen, Jarrad Page, Colt Anderson

Special Teams:
K(1): Alex Henery

P(1): Chas Henry

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

PUP: DE Brandon Graham

Eagles cut 9, reduce roster to 72

With final cuts coming tomorrow, the Eagles took their next step towards getting to a 53 man roster today, cutting the following 9 players:

RB Graig Cooper
WR Rod Harper
FB Stanley Havili
TE Cornelius Ingram
LB Rashad Jeanty
G Dallas Reynolds
C A.Q. Shipley
DB Jamar Wall
DE Chris Wilson

None of these cuts are really considered surprises.  Once Dion Lewis showed his explosiveness in the preseason, Cooper never had a chance.  Ingram once again just hasn't shown enough to stick around on the main roster.  Reynolds and Shipley didn't seem to fit into the Howard Mudd mold for offensive linemen.

With 19 more cuts to go, the Eagles still have plenty of work to do.

Eagles cut 4 more, trim roster down to 81

By tomorrow, the Eagles have to trim their roster down to 80 players. For today, they have cut down to 81 by dropping the following four players:

OT Spencer Johnson
WR Gerald Jones
DB Jamar Wall
TE Martell Webb

There are no surprises in this group, all were simply training camp bodies. After tomorrow, the next round of cuts has to happen by Sunday and that will be to get the Eagles to 53 players.

Projecting the 2011 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 2.0

With three preseason games in the books, it's time to take another look at who is going to make the Eagles 53 man roster. With more cuts coming in the next few days, many players have already done all they can to make a case for being on the team. This is my second attempt at predicting the Eagles Week One roster. Below my roster projection I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I gave reasons why they might not make the final roster. Changes from my previous projection are listed in bold.

Offense:
QB(3): Michael Vick, Vince Young, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, Dion Lewis

FB (1): Owen Schmitt

WR(6): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Chad Hall

TE(3): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor, Donald Lee

LT(1): Jason Peters

LG(1): Evan Mathis

C(2): Jason Kelce, Jamaal Jackson

RG(2): Danny Watkins, Mike McGlynn

RT(3): Todd Herremans, Winston Justice, King Dunlap

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

DT(5): Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins, Antonio Dixon, Trevor Laws, Anthony Hargrove

LB(5): Moise Fokou, Casey Matthews, Jamar Chaney, Keenan Clayton, Brian Rolle

CB(6): Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Joselio Hanson, Curtis Marsh, Brandon Hughes

FS(2): Kurt Coleman, Jaiquawn Jarrett

SS(2): Nate Allen, Jarrad Page

Special Teams:
K(1): Alex Henery

P(1): Chas Henry

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Could start season on injured reserve/PUP: Brandon Graham, Winston Justice, Victor Abiamiri, Marlin Jackson
We have seen very little of all of the above players so the chances are slim that they will be healthy at the start of the season. Abiamiri and Graham are a lock to be out.

Will start season on injured reserve: Ryan Harris
Back surgery for Harris.

Could be traded: Joselio Hanson, Juqua Parker
With all of the talent ahead of him, Hanson seems like obvious trade bait. It's probably time for Parker to get shipped out for a draft pick.

Players on the bubble:
RB: Eldra Buckley, Graig Cooper
Buckley is great on special teams but with kickoff coverage not as important, he loses his value. Cooper had a shot until Dion Lewis did some damage in the preseason games.

WR: Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sinorice Moss
With kickoffs being moved up, Higgins has lost almost all of his value. He isn't much of a receiver and the Eagles are already plenty deep at the position. Moss isn't valuable enough of a punt returner to keep around.

OL: Austin Howard, Reggie Wells, Fenuki Tupou, Julian Vandervelde, Dallas Reynolds, A.Q. Shipley
Time is up for Austin Howard and, with Todd Herremans moving to starting right tackle, Reggie Wells will need a miracle to make the team. The rest of the guys listed here are practice squad bait.

DE: Philip Hunt
The final defensive end spot comes down to Te'o-Nesheim vs. Hunt. Te'o-Nesheim has looked pretty good in the preseason and the Eagles have a lot invested in him. Should the Birds trade Parker, Hunt will stick around.

DT: Derek Landri, Cedric Thornton
Landri will be a tough player to cut given how strong he has looked. Barring an injury, I just don't see room on the roster for him.

LB: Akeem Jordan, Greg Lloyd
With Rolle seemingly finding a role in the nickel, Jordan appears to be lost in the shuffle. Lloyd's only shot of sticking around is on the injured list or the practice squad.

CB: Trevard Lindley
I still like the Eagles to keep 6 CB's but Hughes has out-shined Lindley and leapfrogged him for the final spot. The Eagles will try to find a place to stash him because they used a 4th round pick on him but I can't justify keeping Lindley on the main roster when Hughes has been so much better.

S: Colt Anderson
He is incredibly valuable on special teams so the Eagles might find a way to keep him around. If Bobby April has any pull in the roster decisions, Anderson is a lock.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Eagles cut 4, trim roster to 86

Needing to get their roster down to 80 by Tuesday, the Eagles have made their first set of roster cuts, dropping the following four players:

DT Marlon Favorite
RB Derrick Locke
LB Brandon Peguese
WR Terrance Turner

These four all had zero chance of making the team. Look for my next 53 man roster prediction in the coming days.

Projecting the 2011 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 1.0

With the Eagles first preseason game coming tomorrow, its time to take a closer look at how their roster will shape up. From the incredible number of free agent signings and all of the rookies brought into camp, there is quite a bit of turnover for a team that won their division last year.

This is my first attempt at predicting what the Eagles 53 man roster will look like for the first regular season game of the 2011 season. I'll update it every week or so as the Eagles give us a clearer picture of what they plan to do with the depth chart. Below the roster list I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I give reasons why they might not make the team. Feel free to help me out, and as this is my first pass at predicting the roster this season, let me know if I'm leaving anyone off or if you agree or disagree with my choices.

Offense:
QB(3): Michael Vick, Vince Young, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, Dion Lewis

FB (1): Owen Schmitt

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Johnnie Lee Higgins

TE(3): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor, Donald Lee

LT(2): Jason Peters, Austin Howard

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis

C(2): Jamaal Jackson, Jason Kelce

RG(2): Danny Watkins, Mike McGlynn

RT(2): Ryan Harris, Winston Justice

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Phillip Hunt

DT(5): Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins, Antonio Dixon, Trevor Laws, Anthony Hargrove

LB(5): Moise Fokou, Casey Matthews, Jamar Chaney, Keenan Clayton, Akeem Jordan

CB(6): Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley, Curtis Marsh

FS(2): Kurt Coleman, Jaiquawn Jarrett

SS(2): Nate Allen, Jarrad Page

Special Teams:
K(1): Alex Henery

P(1): Chas Henry

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Could start season on injured reserve/PUP: Mike Patterson, Brandon Graham, Winston Justice, Victor Abiamiri, Marlin Jackson, Steve Smith
Both Jackson and Abiamiri had surgery today so their seasons are certainly in jeopardy. It might be time for the Eagles to finally just dump Abiamiri and move on. Graham and Justice are both currently on the PUP list though Justice should be healthy in another week or two. Graham will almost certainly miss the first several weeks of the season so I didn't bother to include him with the rest of the DE's. Newly signed WR Steve Smith will need time to get healthy before the Eagles activate him.

Could be traded: Winston Justice, Juqua Parker
Ryan Harris looks ready to take the right tackle spot which makes Justice expendable. The Eagles won't simply cut him so look for a trade. With the Babin signing, Parker also seems pretty expendable though the Graham injury could allow him to stick around.

Players on the bubble:
RB: Graig Cooper, Eldra Buckley
The signing of Ronnie Brown tightens things up at running back and almost certainly squeezes Buckley out. The Eagles could still decide to keep Buckley because he is strong on special teams. The third running back spot will come down to Dion Lewis vs. Cooper with the loser going to the practice squad. Lewis has to be given the edge simply because he was drafted while Cooper is a rookie free agent.

WR: Chad Hall, Sinorice Moss
With the signing of Steve Smith and with Higgins penciled in to return kicks, Moss and Hall can only hope the Eagles decide to keep 6 receivers. Moss is a training camp wonder but it will take something special for him to be kept.

OL: King Dunlap, Fenuki Tupou, Julian Vandervelde, Dallas Reynolds, A.Q. Shipley
The biggest question for the offensive line is whether the Eagles keep Winston Justice, who appears to have lost his starting job to Ryan Harris. I would bet the Eagles trade Justice and then keep either Dunlap or Tupou.

DE: Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
The final defensive end spot comes down to Te'o-Nesheim vs. Hunt. I'll give Hunt the edge for now but I can see the Eagles keeping either one or perhaps figuring out a way to keep both.

DT: Cedric Thornton, Derek Landri
The Patterson situation could open things up for another DT though the Eagles already have plenty of depth without Landri or Thornton.

LB: Brian Rolle, Greg Lloyd
Expect these two draft picks to end up on the practice squad. I still think the Eagles grab a linebacker once other teams start cutting players, making it almost impossible for these two to make the team.

DB: Colt Anderson, Brandon Hughes, Jorrick Calvin
Barring an Asante Samuel trade, I like the Eagles to keep 6 CB's, meaning they have no need to keep Hughes or Calvin. The drafting of Jarrett and the return of Nate Allen make Anderson expendable, though he is valuable on special teams.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Eagles finalize practice squad with a safety

The Eagles have finalized their practice squad, signing safety Chip Vaughn. Vaughn, a former 4th round pick by the Saints, spent all of last season with New Orleans on their injured reserve before failing to make the team this year. With the Eagles very light at safety after cutting Quintin Demps and Macho Harris, Vaughn steps into a good opportunity to get a shot at some playing time.

The Eagles will start the season with the following 8 players on the practice squad:

WR Chad Hall
RB Martell Mallett
TE Garrett Mills
DT Jeff Owens
OL Dallas Reynolds
OL A.Q. Shipley
S Chip Vaughn
WR Jeremy Williams

Eagles add 2 more to practice squad

The Eagles are continuing to round out their practice squad today, adding TE Garrett Mills and WR Jeremy Williams. The signing of these two players leaves them with one remaining spot on the practice squad.

Unlike the other 5 players on the practice squad, neither Mills nor Williams spent any time with the Eagles in training camp. Mills, who has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Patriots and Vikings, immediately becomes the Eagles third tight end behind Brent Celek and Clay Harbor. While he is a bit small at 6 foot 1 and 235 pounds, Mills is known as a solid blocker and will be a nice compliment to Celek and Harbor should he join the active roster at some point. While Mills only has 9 career catches in 9 games, he is thought to have good hands.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the signing of Mills is the fact that the Eagles have clearly given up on Cornelius Ingram. It's highly unlikely that a team would keep two tight ends on the practice squad, so the Eagles are willing to let Ingram find a home elsewhere. Given all the talent that Ingram has, it's a shame he was never healthy enough to do anything with the Birds. Look for him to latch on to a practice squad somewhere else.

As for Williams, he is a rookie receiver from Tulane who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chargers. San Diego kept him around until the final cutdown day on Saturday, so clearly he has some talent. It's hard to get a read on his strengths but he did have a 93 yard punt return touchdown in the preseason which helped him make a strong push to make the Chargers roster.

Eagles sign 5 to practice squad

The Eagles have signed five recently cut players to the practice squad:

WR Chad Hall
RB Martell Mallett
DT Jeff Owens
OL Dallas Reynolds
OL A.Q. Shipley

All of the players spent time in the Eagles training camp. The player with the most potential to see time on the team is probably Jeff Owens, who just missed making the team behind Antonio Dixon at defensive tackle. Chad Hall could also be called upon at some point should a receiver go down to injury. It's also nice to see the Eagles bring back Mallett after a strong showing in the preseason.

Teams are allowed to keep 8 players on their practice squad so the Eagles still have three more players to sign. My guess is that they will add Pannel Egboh, Cornelius Ingram and a safety cut from another team.

In other Eagles news, as expected, the team re-signed Max-Jean Gilles after he was temporarily cut yesterday.

Eagles trade Andrews and White and cut 11 to finalize 2010 roster

The Eagles made their final cuts today, reducing their roster from 66 players down to the mandated 53. To get there, the Eagles cut 11 players and made a pair of trades, dealing guard Stacy Andrews to the Seahawks and linebacker Tracy White to the Patriots. Andrews, who was likely going to lose his starting spot to either Nick Cole or the newly acquired Reggie Wells, was dealt to Seattle for a late round pick in 2011. The Eagles were probably happy to get anything for Andrews, who has been a huge disappointment since being signed as a free agent before last season. As for White, the Eagles reportedly received a conditional 2012 draft pick from New England.

The Eagles also released the following 11 players:

S Quintin Demps
WR Chad Hall
S Macho Harris
TE Cornelius Ingram
DE Eric Moncur
WR Jordan Norwood
DT Jeff Owens
OL Dallas Reynolds
C A.Q. Shipley
OL Fenuki Tupou
WR Kelley Washington

Because the Stacy Andrews trade was not completed on time, the Eagles also cut Max-Jean Gilles but they expect to re-sign him again tomorrow.

The most surprising move was that the Eagles cut both Quintin Demps and Macho Harris, leaving them with only 3 safeties on the roster. I assumed that Demps was gone, given the move of Harris back to safety and the announcement that Ellis Hobbs was going to return kicks, but dropping Harris as well leaves them awfully thin. Perhaps the Eagles will scour the waiver wire for a safety that has been let go by another team.

None of the rest of the cuts are all that surprising, though WR Kelley Washington made a strong case to be kept around for his special teams play. Apparently the Eagles feel like Hank Baskett gives them enough on special teams to go with his strong knowledge of the offense.

The Eagles also cut the oft-injured Cornelius Ingram and chose to go with only 2 tight ends. Chances are the team will add a veteran blocking tight end sometime in the coming days to complement pass-catching tight ends Brent Celek and Clay Harbor. As for Ingram, look for the Eagles to stash him on the practice squad where he can try get healthy.

Rookie defensive tackle Jeff Owens was likely a tough cut for the Eagles to make. He played well all preseason but couldn't push Antonio Dixon off the roster. Owens is almost a lock to be added to the Eagles practice squad.

Also expected to be an option for the practice squad is Chad Hall, who both could be called upon should the Eagles return game need a spark at some point in the season.

The most surprising player to make the team was CB Jorrick Calvin, who was added in the last week in a trade from the Cardinals. Clearly, the Eagles see something they like in Calvin, who could be useful in the return game. Of course, he could also just be cut if the Eagles go out and sign a safety or a tight end.

Over the last few weeks, I have been making my own projections of the Eagles roster. Here is the Eagles actual roster, with changes from my final version in bold:

Offense:
QB(3): Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley

FB (1): Leonard Weaver

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Riley Cooper

TE(2): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor

LT(2): Jason Peters, Austin Howard

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Max Jean-Gilles

C(2): Jamaal Jackson, Mike McGlynn

RG(2): Nick Cole, Reggie Wells

RT(2): Winston Justice, King Dunlap

Defense:
DE(6): Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Antwan Barnes, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

DT(4): Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon

LB(7): Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Akeem Jordan, Omar Gaither, Keenan Clayton, Moise Fokou, Jamar Chaney

CB(6): Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley, Dimitri Patterson, Jorrick Calvin

FS(1): Nate Allen

SS(2): Quintin Mikell, Kurt Coleman

Special Teams:
K(1): David Akers

P(1): Sav Rocca

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Players on PUP list: DE Victor Abiamiri

Players on IR: DE Ricky Sapp, S Marlin Jackson, S Antoine Harris

Projecting the 2010 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 4.0

With the all-important 3rd preseason game now out of the way, it's time for the Eagles to start putting the final touches on their roster. Having already cut their roster down to 75, the Eagles must now get down to 53 by Saturday, so look for lots of players to get the axe over the next few days. The 3rd preseason game was a crucial one for all the bubble players on the roster; a good effort could ensure them a spot while a bad one could force them to start packing their bags. This is my fourth and final attempt at predicting the Eagles Week One roster. Below my roster projection I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I gave reasons why they might not make the final roster. Changes from my previous projection are listed in bold.


Offense:
QB(3): Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley

FB (1): Leonard Weaver

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Riley Cooper

TE(3): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor, FA Tight end

LT(2): Jason Peters, Austin Howard

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Max Jean-Gilles

C(2): Jamaal Jackson, Mike McGlynn

RG(2): Stacy Andrews, Nick Cole

RT(2): Winston Justice, King Dunlap

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

DT(4): Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon

LB(7): Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Akeem Jordan, Omar Gaither, Keenan Clayton, Moise Fokou, Jamar Chaney

CB(5): Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley, Dimitri Patterson

FS(2): Nate Allen, Macho Harris

SS(2): Quintin Mikell, Kurt Coleman

Special Teams:
K(1): David Akers

P(1): Sav Rocca

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Players on IR: Ricky Sapp
Sapp was shut down for the season and may require surgery. He's going to need to make tremendous improvements if he wants to make the team next year.

Could start season on injured reserve: Jamaal Jackson, Victor Abiamiri, Cornelius Ingram
It should be safe to take Jackson off this list now, it almost sounds like he is going to start for the Eagles in Week One. As for Abiamiri, I haven't heard much of anything about his health, likely meaning that he's nowhere close to returning. Ingram better hope he is put on IR, otherwise the Eagles will probably just cut him.

Players on the bubble:
RB: J.J. Arrington, Martell Mallett
Arrington didn't make any impression due to his injuries. I suppose there is a chance that the Eagles stash him on IR but it's more likely that they will just cut him. Mallett has looked impressive at times so expect him to be on the practice squad.

WR: Chad Hall, Kelley Washington
After not looking impressive in the return game this preseason, Chad Hall blew his chance. Perhaps he can be stashed on the practice squad. As for Washington, I still think he loses his battle with Hank Baskett. Unless Washington just amazes them with his special teams play in the last game, the Eagles will go with Baskett simply because they are more comfortable with his knowledge of the offense.

TE: Nate Lawrie
Instead of sticking with Lawrie, I'm betting the Eagles go with a free agent tight end that can block with their third tight end spot. With Celek and Harbor not exactly known as the best blockers, the Eagles would be smart to bring in a tight end that can help in short-yardage situations. Of course, the Eagles could always just go with two tight ends.

OL: Fenuki Tupou, Dallas Reynolds, A.Q, Shipley
Jackson's return makes it pointless for the Eagles to keep more than 10 offensive linemen at the start of the season. Tupou looks likely to spend another year on the practice squad.

DL: Jeff Owens, Pannel Egboh
Owens falls short in his bid to beat out Antonio Dixon for a roster spot. Look for him to spend the year on the practice squad. I don't know much about the recently acquired Egboh but his best case scenario would also be to spend the year on the practice squad.

LB: Tracy White
I've changed my thinking at linebacker and now think that the Eagles will go with a quality depth linebacker like Moise Fokou over a special teams "ace" like Tracy White. Although their coverage in the return game hasn't been great, I don't think the Eagles will just dump one of their starting linebackers from last year. Of course, the Eagles could always try to stash Jamar Chaney on the practice squad and keep both White and Fokou, but there is no guarantee that another team wouldn't try to swoop in and sign Chaney should the Eagles cut him initially.

CB: Geoff Pope, Jorrick Calvin
There isn't enough room for a 6th corner so Pope and the recently acquired Calvin have to go. The recently acquired Calvin has some potential in the return game so he is another solid practice squad candidate.

S: Quintin Demps
The move of Macho Harris to safety and the announcement that Ellis Hobbs will be the primary kick returner means that Demps should start packing his bags. While there is still an outside chance the Birds keep 5 safeties and decide they need a fallback option in the return game, the writing on the wall isn't good for Demps.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Eagles cut 5, trim roster down to 75

Needing to trim their roster from 80 players down to 75 by August 31st, the Eagles have cut 5 players:

G Zipp Duncan
S Ryan Hamilton
OL Greg Isander
LB Simoni Lawrence
WR Jared Perry

None of these players were expected to be anything other than training camp bodies. By September 4th, the Eagles must have their roster trimmed down to 53 players. Click here for my projection on who makes the final roster.

Projecting the 2010 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 3.0

With two games in the books, it's time to take another look at who is going to make the Eagles roster. Based on their play in the two preseason games, several players have made strong cases for being on the team. With cuts coming just around the corner, time is running out for players that just can't seem to make an impact or just can't get healthy. This is my third attempt at predicting the Eagles Week One roster. Below my roster projection I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I gave reasons why they might not make the final roster. Changes from my previous projection are listed in bold.

Offense:
QB(3): Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley

FB (1): Leonard Weaver

WR(6): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Riley Cooper, Chad Hall

TE(3): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor, Cornelius Ingram

LT(2): Jason Peters, Austin Howard

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Max Jean-Gilles

C(2): Jamaal Jackson, Mike McGlynn

RG(2): Stacy Andrews, Nick Cole

RT(1): Winston Justice

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

DT(4): Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon

LB(7): Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Akeem Jordan, Omar Gaither, Keenan Clayton, Tracy White, Jamar Chaney

CB(5): Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley, Dimitri Patterson

FS(2): Nate Allen, Quintin Demps

SS(2): Quintin Mikell, Kurt Coleman

Special Teams:
K(1): David Akers

P(1): Sav Rocca

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Could start season on injured list: Jamaal Jackson, Victor Abiamiri, Cornelius Ingram
The more we hear about Jackson, the more it seems he is going to be ready to go pretty early on. Abiamiri is always hurt so there is nothing new to report there. Ingram, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be making any progress and could force the Eagles to stash him away on the IR for another season. Or, perhaps the Eagles will just let him walk.

Players on the bubble:
RB: J.J. Arrington, Martell Mallett, Charles Scott
If J.J. Arrington doesn't get a carry in the preseason, was he ever really on the team? Mallett appears to be just a step behind Eldra Buckley for the last running back spot. Scott's move to fullback signals that his end is coming soon.

WR: Kelley Washington, Jordan Norwood
I was all set to put Washington on the roster ahead of Baskett this time around due to his strong special teams play. Then, after Jeremy Maclin hurt his shoulder against the Bengals, Baskett stepped in and played with the first team offense. Washington still has a shot but he's going to have to make a strong showing these next two games. I'm putting Chad Hall on the team, at least for now. I think the Eagles like the idea of having him return punts so DeSean Jackson can stay fresh.

TE: Nate Lawrie
Should the Eagles want to go with three tight ends and Ingram is too injured to go, I would bet the Eagles would sign a veteran tight before they went with Lawrie.

OL: Fenuki Tupou, King Dunlap, Dallas Reynolds, A.Q, Shipley
With Jackson poised to come back early there are going to be a few linemen on the outside looking in. Both Tupou and Dunlap didn't do anything noteworthy as the Bengals defense carved up the line all game long. It might be time to pull the plug on the Dunlap project, although his recent ankle sprain could earn him a trip to the IR.

DL: Jeff Owens, Ricky Sapp
Owens is putting up a good fight against Antonio Dixon but he's coming up just short. Given how well Dixon played against the Bengals, Owens appears on the outside looking in at this point. Has anyone been less impressive this preseason than Sapp?

LB: Moise Fokou
With Jamar Chaney seemingly locked into a roster spot, that's going to leave Fokou, who hasn't even been playing linebacker, out. Given that Fokou can barely get on the field in a preseason game playing as a defensive end, I don't think he's long for the team.

CB: Macho Harris, Geoff Pope
Harris hasn't done anything this preseason to earn a spot on the roster. With Patterson clearly passing him up, the only thing that might get Harris on the team is his ability to play safety.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Projecting the 2010 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 2.0

Now that Training Camp is under way and we have gotten some reports on how the players are doing, it's time to update my predictions of who will make the Eagles roster. With the first exhibition game coming on Friday, a lot can still change, but this is how things seem to be shaping up so far. Below my roster projection I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I gave reasons why they might not make the final roster. There aren't a lot, but changes from my previous projection are listed in bold.

Offense:
QB(3): Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley

FB (1): Leonard Weaver

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Riley Cooper

TE(3): Brent Celek, Cornelius Ingram, Clay Harbor

LT(2): Jason Peters, Austin Howard

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Max Jean-Gilles

C(2): Nick Cole, Mike McGlynn

RG(2): Stacy Andrews, Fenuki Tupou

RT(2): Winston Justice, King Dunlap

Defense:
DE(5): Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

DT(4): Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon

LB(7): Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Akeem Jordan, Moise Fokou, Omar Gaither, Keenan Clayton, Tracy White

CB(5): Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Macho Harris, Trevard Lindley

FS(2): Nate Allen, Quintin Demps

SS(2): Quintin Mikell, Kurt Coleman

Special Teams:
K(1): David Akers

P(1): Sav Rocca

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Likely to start season on injured list: Jamaal Jackson, Victor Abiamiri
Jackson will hopefully be back at starting center by midseason. Abiamiri hasn't practiced yet and seems destined for another stint on the IR.

Players on the bubble:
RB: J.J. Arrington, Charles Scott
Eldra Buckley's special teams abilities give him a big advantage at making the squad over Arrington and Scott. The fact that Arrington is already nicked up and that Scott is listed as a fullback on the latest depth chart aren't good signs for their chances.

WR: Kelley Washington, Jordan Norwood, Chad Hall
The Eagles always seem to have a lot of depth at wide receiver in training camp so some quality players always get the axe. I put Washington just slightly behind Hank Baskett in their battle for the last receiver spot. If the Eagles do choose to keep 6 receivers, Norwood is probably next in line. Chad Hall, while an exciting player, appears to be destined for the practice squad.

TE: Nate Lawrie
Lawrie was brought in after Martin Rucker was cut but will only make the team if Cornelius Ingram can't get himself healthy.

OL: Dallas Reynolds, A.Q, Shipley, Jeraill McCuller
Howard has been very impressive in camp so he looks poised to make the team over Reynolds. Shipley and McCuller will probably be practice squad players.

DL: Ricky Sapp, Jeff Owens
By all accounts, Sapp hasn't looked good in training camp. Perhaps they can stash him on the IR and see if he can live up to his potential next season.

LB: Jamar Chaney, Simoni Lawrence
After ridding themselves of Alex Hall and Joe Mays and the addition of Tracy White, the Eagles linebacker picture looks much clearer. With how good White is on special teams, he's going to make the team, meaning the Eagles will likely go with 7 linebackers.

CB: Dimitri Patterson, Geoff Pope
It looks like it's down to Patterson vs. Trevard Lindley for the final DB spot. Look for the rookie, who was a total steal in the 4th round, to get the nod.

S: Antoine Harris
Harris is a distant third in the strong safety battle between Nate Allen and Quintin Demps.

P: Ken Parrish
Still gotta give the edge to the incumbent.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Projecting the 2010 Eagles 53 man roster, Ver. 1.0

With Training Camp getting under way, it's time to start taking a look at how the Eagles roster will shape up. With all the turnover this offseason, there are going to be some interesting battles amongst a slew of young, hungry players working their tail off to make the team.

This post is my first attempt at predicting what the Eagles 53 man roster will look like for the first game of the season and I will update it every week or so right up until the Eagles make their final cuts. Below the roster list I have also listed several players who are on the bubble and I gave reasons why they might not make the team. Feel free to help me out, and as this is my first pass at predicting the roster this season, let me know if I'm leaving anyone off or if you agree or disagree with my choices.

Offense:
QB(3): Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Mike Kafka

RB(3): LeSean McCoy, Mike Bell, Charles Scott

FB (1): Leonard Weaver

WR(5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Riley Cooper

TE(3): Brent Celek, Cornelius Ingram, Clay Harbor

LT(2): Jason Peters, King Dunlap

LG(2): Todd Herremans, Max Jean-Gilles

C(2): Nick Cole, Dallas Reynolds

RG(2): Stacy Andrews, Mike McGlynn

RT(2): Winston Justice, Fenuki Tupou

Defense:
DE(6): Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Ricky Sapp

DT(4): Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon

LB(6): Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Moise Fokou, Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan, Keenan Clayton

CB(5): Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Macho Harris, Trevard Lindley

FS(2): Nate Allen, Quintin Demps

SS(2): Quintin Mikell, Kurt Coleman

Special Teams:
K(1): David Akers

P(1): Sav Rocca

LS(1): Jon Dorenbos

Likely to start season on injured list: Jamaal Jackson, Victor Abiamiri
Jackson will hopefully be back at starting center by midseason. As for Abiamiri, when is he not hurt?

Players on the bubble:
RB: Eldra Buckley
The drafting of Charles Scott has pushed Buckley off the roster. While Buckley is the better special teamer, Scott is a big, bruising runner who will be a nice compliment to LeSean McCoy.

WR: Jordan Norwood, Chad Hall
The Eagles went with 6 receivers last year but I don't see them going that route this time. Expect Chad Hall, who looks like he could be a great return guy, to get a close look, but I don't see him beating out Riley Cooper. Norwood looks like a lock to be a practice squad guy for another year.

TE: Martin Rucker
As long as Cornelius Ingram is healthy, the Eagles have to keep him as the backup over Rucker.

OL: A.Q, Shipley, Greg Isdaner, Austin Howard
There will be plenty of competition for the last offensive line spot between Dallas Reynolds and these three players. I gave the edge to Reynolds simply because he's been around the longest but look for Shipley to make a strong push to be the backup center.

DL: Jeff Owens
Not enough room for the rookie from Georgia.

LB: Joe Mays, Alex Hall, Jamar Chaney
Wow, the Eagles linebackers are incredibly deep. Or, maybe they are just all equally mediocre? In the coming weeks, the picture should get a lot clearer but the Eagles have 9 guys with a legitimate shot of making the team. Since I can't see them keeping more than 6, there are going to be three tough cuts. Despite being a great 7th round pick, Chaney is the most likely to go, followed by Joe Mays, who blew his chance to make an impact last season. As for Alex Hall, I see the Eagles finding a way to keep the hybrid DE/LB around but right now there aren't any open spots.

CB: Dimitri Patterson, Geoff Pope
No more room at CB but Pope could be a practice squad guy.

P: Ken Parrish
I'm very tempted to put Parrish on the roster and dump Rocca, but the incumbent has to be given the nod. For now.

That's the team as I see it. Did I leave anyone off? Who needs to be cut? Discuss in the comments section.

Eagles add 4 more to round out practice squad

The Eagles have added 4 more players to finalize their practice squad. CB Jack Ikegwuonu, S Reshard Langford, LB Jeremy Leman and FB Marcus Mailei were added today to give the Eagles a total of 8 on the squad. Three of those names should sound familiar as Ikegwuonu, Langford and Mailei all spent training camp with the Birds. Leman is the one newcomer, a castoff from the Panthers.

Ikegwuonu is probably the most well-known out of this group. He spent all of last season on IR and was expected to compete for a spot on the Eagles roster this season. After a lackluster preseason performance, he is relegated to practice squad duties. Ikegwuonu still has potential to develop into something, perhaps after a year of learning the system he can make an impact next season.

Leman went undrafted in the 2008 draft before spending training camp with the Vikings last season. After getting cut at the end of training camp, Leman was out of football for a year before latching on with the Panthers in January. The former Illinois star is known for being all over the field and makes lots of solid hits. We'll see if he develops into anything more.

The Eagles have now finalized their practice squad with the following 8 players:

WR Danny Amendola
CB Jack Ikegwunonu
G Paul Fanaika
G Mike Gibson
S Reshard Langford
LB Jeremy Leman
FB Marcus Mailei
TE Rob Myers

Eagles sign 4 to practice squad

The Eagles have signed four recently cut players to their practice squad:

WR Danny Amendola
G Paul Fanaika
G Mike Gibson
TE Rob Myers

All of the players spent some or all of training camp with the Eagles. Bringing back Amendola is a great move after the promise he showed late in the preseason. After spending a year learning the Eagles system, Amendola could make an impact next year. Rob Myers was also a solid signing considering how well he played in the preseason games and the fact that the Eagles only go two deep at tight end. Gibson and Fanaika will stick around for depth along the line.

Teams are allowed to keep 8 on their practice squad, so the Eagles still have four more players to sign. Word is that will happen tomorrow.

Eagles claim DT Dixon, waive Feeley

After the Eagles released their 53 man roster yesterday, it became apparent that it was a work in progress. The Birds chose to keep only two tight ends and three defensive tackles while they had extra receivers and quarterbacks stashed away. It didn't last for long, as the Eagles made their first moves today to clean up the roster a bit, claiming defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, who was recently cut by the Redskins, and releasing A.J. Feeley.

Dixon is a bit of a curious pickup for the Eagles, considering he was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Miami. The Eagles must have had Dixon on their radar since he will be replacing Dan Klecko, a competent DT, who was released yesterday. Dixon had three total tackles in his preseason action with the Redskins. I guess we just give the Eagles the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume this kid has some potential. Of course, the Eagles may just have brought Dixon in for a few days before releasing him again and activating Michael Vick from the exempt list.

To make room for Dixon on the roster, the Eagles waived 4th QB A.J Feeley. The Eagles probably made attempts to trade Feeley but found no takers so they were forced to just let him go. Feeley is a competent third quarterback but was expendable with the addition of Michael Vick. I wouldn't expect Feeley, who is now a free agent, to be without a team for long. He could get snatched up right away or after a quarterback or two goes down with an injury early in the season. The Patriots seem to be the likely destination since they don't have a real backup for Tom Brady and they were attempting to trade for Feeley just a few days ago.

This is just the first of a few moves I expect the Eagles to make before the season starts next Sunday. They still are missing another tight end and have a logjam at wideout, so something should happen on that front. Stay tuned.