The Eagles have a little under 24-hours to complete their roster cutdown and there are plenty of tough calls to make. Instead of focusing on the players who will make the final-53, here’s a look at those who should absolutely be brought back if they clear waivers.
C/G: Ross Pierschbacher
A former fifth-round pick, Pierschbacher Is one of only three centers on the team and has experience snapping for QB Jalen Hurts. While he won’t be the front runner to become Jason Kelce’s long-term replacement, he clearly has some familiarity and developmental upside worth noting.
CB: Josiah Scott
A strong preseason certainly boosted Scott’s stock, but the Eagles already have two nickel corners on their roster. His pick against the Steelers and some impressive camp plays should give the team enough confidence to bring him back on the practice squad.
DB: Grayland Arnold
The team are still high on last year’s UDFA out of Baylor, who has had a quiet summer. He did make a couple of flash plays in preseason and he seems like a good fit for Gannon’s defense. He’s worth keeping around.
OL: Kayode Awosika
A versatile UDFA with a high athletic upside? Sounds like another player ready to take the Jeff Stoutland masterclass to me…
RB: Jason Huntley
Had it not been for a minor injury setback, Huntley may have actually been a candidate to snatch one of those final RB spots. Instead, he’s likely going to home on the practice squad for the time being.
S: Elijah Riley
The Army graduate has been having a stellar summer and Rodney McLeod’s return likely means that his chances of making the 53 have vanished. However, there’s clearly some potential to be harnessed here and Jonathan Gannon could well be the DB whisperer to do just that.
TE: Jack Stoll
One of this year’s biggest UDFA’s, Stoll had a bit of a disappointing preseason finale and prior to that found himself stuck behind a surging Tyree Jackson. As a result, he’ll likely be stashed on the practice squad for a year to develop under the radar.
LB: Shaun Bradley
Unfortunately, Bradley could be a victim of a linebacker logjam. The Temple product has flashed his potential on numerous occasions, but a change of scheme has probably worked to his detriment as depth is now plentiful. If the team can stash him, it will benefit them greatly in the long run.
G: Matt Pryor
Pryor has a ton of starting experience but has really struggled to find a consistent base at the NFL level. He was drafted by the team so they may wish to keep him around and afford him every opportunity to develop under one of the best positional coaches in the league.
LB: T.J Edwards
Edwards is in a similar position to Bradley, only his chances of clearing waivers are much thinner. The Eagles will be crossing their fingers on this one…
WR: Travis Fulgham
It’s going to come down to Fulgham or JJAW. One of these two is likely going to be cut, if not both, and it’s likely that they would clear waivers after a very quiet summer.
He’s back with the team for another rodeo and he hit the ground running in preseason, but with an abundance of depth at Safety, he’ll be stashed away here until such a time as his prowess is needed on special teams.
OL: Le’Raven Clark
An offseason acquisition, Clark has had a very quiet Summer, which was perhaps a little disappointing. However, the Eagles crave versatility along the offensive line and Clark has it in bunches.
DT: Raequan Williams
I’m a little surprised the Michigan State product didn’t throw his hat in the ring for a run at the DT4 spot. he’s proven to be extremely dominant in short spurts but will need to find a little more consistency if he is to get beyond the practice squad.
WR: Marken Michel
Everyone’s favorite preseason hero joined so late on in the proceedings that it was tricky for him to make his mark, yet he still found a way. Providing he doesn’t decide to leap back to the CFL or get poached by another team, he’s a fun gadget player to retain.
WR: Andre Patton
Patton worked under Sirianni during his time with the Chargers and put together plenty of big moments during the Summer. With some special teams value and schematic experience with the first-time head coach, keeping him around makes perfect sense.
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
