Zangaro's Pre-training Camp Eagles 53-man Roster Projection

As training camp draws near, it won't be long before the 2017 Eagles take the field for the opener on Sept. 10 in Washington. 

We just don't know what the team will look like yet. 

Over the next few weeks, the team will begin to crystallize leading up to when the roster must be cut down to 53 players. 

Thanks to the owners passing a resolution that eliminated the first cut, there's just one cut from 90 players to 53 this year. There used to be a cut down from 90 to 75 first, which never made any sense because those extra bodies are pretty handy for that last preseason game. 

Anyway, here's a first crack at what we think the Eagles' 53-man roster will look like this season:

QBs (2): Carson Wentz, Nick Foles
The Eagles still have Matt McGloin as their third-string quarterback, but will they value him enough to use a roster spot on him? Maybe. But I have him gone. Last year, the Eagles were prepared to carry three quarterbacks before the Sam Bradford trade, but keeping three in that situation is much different than keeping three this year. 

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Maybe if Dane Evans from Tulsa performs well enough this training camp and preseason, he can be stashed on the practice squad as a developmental quarterback. That might be more palatable than keeping a third QB on the 53. 

RBs (4): LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, Donnel Pumphrey
Corey Clement and Byron Marshall are the odd men out. For a while, it seemed like Clement would have a decent shot to make the team as an undrafted free agent. After all, at 230 pounds, he was the big back the Eagles were missing. Then they went out and signed Blount. 

TEs (3): Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton
This group seems pretty well cemented. Billy Brown and Anthony Denham don't have great odds to supplant one of these guys. 

WRs (5): Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, Mack Hollins, Nelson Agholor
The Eagles made this even easier when they released Dorial Green-Beckham this offseason, although it seemed unlikely DGB had a real chance. The biggest omission on this list is Gibson, a fifth-round pick. While Gibson finished his spring strong, it wasn't a good showing before that. He has a little bit of an uphill battle to make the team. 

OL (10): Jason Peters, Isaac Seumalo, Allen Barbre, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Stefen Wisniewski, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Chance Warmack, Dillon Gordon
I left Josh Andrews off this list, but then again, I left him off my list last year and he somehow made the team again. This time, I left him off because the Eagles have pretty good depth without him. Taylor Hart doesn't make the cut after switching from defensive tackle. 

DE (5): Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, Derek Barnett, Steven Means
Marcus Smith and Alex McCalister are the two most noteworthy names left off the list. It seems like Smith's time with the Eagles might be coming to a close; and he was close to getting beaten out for a job by Means last summer. And McCalister has put on some weight but still just doesn't look the part. He'll really need to flash to make the squad. 

DT (5): Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Beau Allen, Destiny Vaeao, Elijah Qualls
There's a chance Allen won't be ready for Week 1, in which case, he would be a candidate for the NFI. But for now, we'll leave him on the roster. 

LB (5): Jordan Hicks, Nigel Bradham, Mychal Kendricks, Joe Walker, Nate Gerry
Gerry might not end up making the team, but I saw enough from him in the spring to think he has a chance as he transitions from college safety to NFL linebacker. Joe Walker is another question mark, but the team really liked him before he went down with an ACL injury last year. Najee Goode and Kamu Grugier-Hill are the odd men out right now; both are very good special teams players. 

CB (6): Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Rasul Douglas, Ron Brooks, Aaron Grymes, C.J. Smith
Sidney Jones will likely start the season on the PUP list. Ron Brooks is still recovering from a significant leg injury, so he's worth watching in camp. Aaron Grymes and C.J. Smith snag the last two spots. 

S (5): Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Jaylen Watkins, Terrence Brooks, Chris Maragos
The depth here isn't great. Watkins vs. Brooks for the third safety job might be a worthwhile competition to watch during camp.

Specialists (3) LS: Jon Dorenbos; P: Donnie Jones; K: Caleb Sturgis
No surprises. 

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