May 25, 2024
While the Philadelphia Eagles could still add a veteran here or there to their roster before the start of the season, it is still probably somewhere around 90-to-95 percent set. Here we'll take a look at each of their positions, and determine where they are strong, and where they still need help, starting with the offense.
53-man roster projection: Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee.
Others: Will Grier
Pickett has his flaws, but he also has a 14-10 career record. The Eagles can stay afloat with him should Hurts go down for a few games. McKee had an impressive showing in the preseason games and training camp as a rookie in 2023, and could even push Pickett for the primary backup job.
Are the Eagles in good shape here relative to the rest of the league? Yes.
53-man roster projection: Saquon Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, Will Shipley.
Others: Kendall Milton, Tyrion Davis-Price, Lew Nichols.
The Eagles have overused Gainwell at times, designing plays for him in high leverage situations instead of keeping it simple and feeding guys like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. As a result, some fans have soured on Gainwell, perhaps through no fault of Gainwell's, but he's a perfectly competent backup running back.
Shipley is a fourth-round rookie, and thus unproven. Since Howie Roseman reassumed GM duties in 2016, he has drafted five Day 3 running backs:
| Year | Player | Overall pick | Rookie season carries |
| 2016 | Wendell Smallwood | 153 | 77 |
| 2017 | Donnell Pumphrey | 132 | 0 |
| 2021 | Kenny Gainwell | 150 | 68 |
| 2024 | Will Shipley | 127 | TBD |
Smallwood, Pumphrey, and Gainwell combined for 145 carries their rookie seasons, or an average of 48 carries per back. To be determined what kind of usage Shipley will get.
Are the Eagles in good shape here relative to the rest of the league? Given that Barkley has a well-documented history of injuries, the Eagles are probably a little thin here, compared to the rest of the NFL.
53-man roster projection: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith, DeVante Parker.
Others: Parris Campbell, Joseph Ngata, Jacob Harris, Austin Watkins, Shaquan Davis.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are very comfortably a top 5 NFL WR duo. Thereafter... 😬.
To begin, I had Parker on my "way-too-early" 53-man roster, and then he retired a few hours later. Oops. Please let this serve as my public shaming. I suppose I'd replace him with Campbell?
The Eagles' WR3 job is wide open, and not because they have a bunch of guys qualified for that spot and the best man will win. In this case it's more like a collection of players who are not ideally suited for that role at the present time, and the hope is that someone steps up.
Are the Eagles in good shape here relative to the rest of the league? No, clearly. It is worth noting that no matter who the WR3 is — even if a good player — they're not going to get many looks from Hurts with Brown and Smith dominating targets. As long as Brown and Smith stay healthy, the WR3 job isn't as important to the Eagles as it is to other teams. However, if Brown or Smith go down, the Eagles' offense could be in real trouble.
53-man roster projection: Dallas Goedert, C.J. Uzomah, McCallan Castles.
Others: Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam.
The Eagles drafted Goedert after Zach Ertz's fifth season when Ertz was only 27 years old. They drafted Ertz after Brent Celek's sixth season when Celek was 28. Goedert has played six seasons and is now 29. He's a good player and is certainly capable of having a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2023, but leading up to the draft I was curious if the Eagles would consider using a Day 2 pick to eventually replace him while serving as the TE2 in the short-term.
That didn't happen, as they instead signed Uzomah, who is one of the biggest tight ends in the league at 6'5, 271, and is a good run blocker. He should actually be an upgrade over Jack Stoll, who signed with the Giants this offseason.
Are the Eagles in good shape here relative to the rest of the league? Eh. It's a big downgrade from Goedert to Uzomah (or whoever wins the TE2 job), and Goedert has missed 15 games over the last four seasons.
53-man roster projection: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Trevor Keegan, Dylan McMahon, Matt Hennessey, Mekhi Becton.
Others: Fred Johnson, Brett Toth, Anim Dankwah, Gottlieb Ayedze, Jason Poe, Darian Kinnard, Le'Raven Clark.
I like the Eagles' depth on the interior, with the veteran Hennesey and a pair of rookies in Keegan and McMahon, but it would be concerning if Becton had to play a meaningful role in 2024. He committed 18 penalties in 2023, and PFF had him as the league leader in sacks allowed, with 12.
Are the Eagles in good shape here relative to the rest of the league? The Eagles might still have the best starting five along their offensive line in the NFL even after losing Jason Kelce to retirement, but there have been been plenty of seasons that I've liked their depth more than I like this group.
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