Defensive tackle
Anthony Rush
The trading for Hassan Ridgeway all but guaranteed a 4-man rotation at DT as the seventh round of the Draft came to a close, but making matters worse is the fact that the team are high on local product Kevin Wilkins.
Rush may be a physical behemoth, standing at 6’5, 350 lbs, but the UAB product has a very tall Mountain to climb, with Treyvon Hester and Bruce Hector standing in his way.
Defensive end
Hall is in a similar spot to Rush, only the DE depth is that much more dangerous. The man directly above him in a presumed depth chart would be Joe Ostman, the man who emulated Khalil Mack and J.J Watt, impressing the Eagles coaching staff with his scout team efforts last year. Hall may have the makeup of an NFL DE, but is it enough in such a strong group?
Linebacker
Alex Singleton
The latest in a line of former CFL standouts attempting to crack the Eagles roster is Alex Singleton, who not only dominated during his time at Calgary but set records.
Voted the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player after setting a new league record in tackles (among others) in 2017, Singleton rapidly grew into a starter and was named an all-star in both of his CFL seasons as a Stampeder. The zippiness to his game is outstanding and as an off-ball linebacker, there are buckets of potential.
Singleton had a great rookie minicamp and benefitted greatly from the first-team exposure. If he can ride that wave deep into a training camp where prized UDFA’s Joey Alfieri and T.J Edwards await, there is a chance he can spring the upset and maybe unseat them, pushing for a special teams role and climbing the rungs of the ladder in the same way that Kamu Grugier-Hill once did.
Cornerback
Josh Hawkins
If it comes down to cutting a CB, the Eagles just have too much upside at the position. Even UDFA Jay Liggins and his rangy frame present a very unique type of player for Schwartz to mold as a developmental talent. Hawkins is an NFL journeyman who received praise during the Spring, but it’s hard to envision him sticking onto the 53-man roster. He’s appeared in 32 regular season games since going undrafted in 2016 and spent time on the Eagles practice squad last year, which may prevent him from doing so again.
It depends how the Summer pans out. Do the Eagles want to keep a player who can step in during a pinch should an injury occur, or instead help develop the younger talent like Liggins or even Jeremiah McKinnon.
Safety
Andrew Sendejo
Known as a hard-hitter, Sendejo is a true tone-setter in the secondary and while he may not carry the same reputation as some of the more notable free agents, he will be among the more ‘bang for your buck’ available. Prior to his injury, he was coming off of a career-high 80 tackles in 2017, along with a career-best 7 passes defensed.
He’s definitely an upgrade over Corey Graham, although the two are very different in their playing style. Sendejo almost matches up with Rodney McLeod perfectly, which is probably a breath of fresh air, all things considered. So, why is he on this list?
Compensatory picks. If the Eagles were to cut Sendejo, they would receive a 4th-round compensatory pick for next year’s NFL Draft. The question is, can someone step up and convince Roseman that the defense would survive without Sendejo’s thunderous collisions?
