The Eagles have rounded out their initial roster to the best 53 players that they feel can compete and help them win their second Lombardi. Throughout that process, several cuts may have not made sense at the time but will make sense once the team shuffles their players around.
Today they have announced that they’ve signed 13 players to their initial practice squad. The practice squad still goes by the rules that have applied since the days of COVID.
Here is an outlook on their initial practice squad:
Wide Receivers
Devon Allen, Britain Covey, Greg Ward Jr, Joseph Ngata
The Eagles went with the group of receivers that they just cut. Britain Covey and Devon Allen are two players that you should keep an eye on for the special teams group. Allen showed great speed during preseason while Covey struggled to make a direct impact last season.
Greg Ward is back again and is a player that deserves to be on the active roster. He has a great knack for getting open and is a good pass catcher. The team was also able to bring in the rookie, Joseph Ngata. He impressed a bit this offseason but now this will give the Eagles some needed backup in case of an injury to two.
Cornerback
Mekhi Garner
Garner may be a rookie but he impressed enough for the Eagles to bring him back. The former LSU product was battling for a spot with the likes of Mario Goodrich and Eli Ricks, both of whom made the initial 53.
Offensive Line
Julian Good-Jones, Brett Toth
You can never have too many offensive linemen. The Eagles specialize in their ability to develop young players and turn them into essential franchise pieces. Jordan Mailata spent several years on the practice squad before becoming the franchise LT.
Defensive End
Tarron Jackson
I would not be surprised if the Eagles choose to elevate Jackson on game days. They’re fond of him and his development has been going well with the team over the last couple of off-seasons. At 25 years old, the Eagles could make something out of Jackson once his number is called.
Linebacker
Kyron Johnson, Ben VanSumeren
I’m curious to see just how much time Kyron Johnson has with the Eagles. He was supposed to be Nolan Smith before the Eagles drafted Nolan. While Kyron has plenty of time to find his ground, I wonder what the plan is for him.
Ben VanSumeren is another project that reminds me a lot of Alex Singleton. He has a nose for the football and was everywhere he needed to be. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made it onto the active roster at some point soon in the future.
Safety
Tristin McCollum
McCollum has a year under his belt but could be in the same position as Kyron Johnson. The practice squad is the perfect place for a player like McCollum to develop. The Sam Houston State has caught the eye of the Eagles staff enough to be brought back.
Tight End
Brady Russell
Brady Russell had an impressive preseason and training camp. At 6”3’, the Eagles are valuing skill and availability at the TE position which could be why they moved on from Tyree Jackson.
Punter
Arryn Siposs
After a disappointing season, it feels like bringing Siposs back via the practice squad could be a “just in case” move. It was reported that the team would try out several punters and I doubt that they have given up already. Especially with the amount of talent that just hit the market.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
