Tonight will be the last opportunity for a lot of guys on the Eagles 75-man roster to give Andy Reid a good reason he’s need to put them on his 53-man regular season roster. Most of those decisions have already been made, but a number of them will be decided tonight.
On Friday night by 9pm, Reid and his staff will send that roster of 53 to the league office. Here’s what I think it will look like:
Quarterback (3): Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Mike Kafka
Andy Reid showed how he felt about this one, when he said he didn’t need to see Kafka play this week to be comfortable making a decision about him. It was a done deal for Trent Edwards, who will be given three quarters to earn himself a job for another team in the league.
Running back (3): LeSean McCoy, Dion Lewis, Bryce Brown
Chris Polk will play for somebody in the NFL this year, because he’s a complete football player, who could help a team as s running back or fullback.
Fullback (1): Stanley Havili
Havili will get the chance to make some big plays in the red zone on the ground and as a pass receiver.
Tight end (2): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor
Brett Brackett could wind up playing for somebody else this year. He needs to play well tonight, but his game versus the Browns may have turned heads around the league.
Offensive line (8): OT King Dunlap, G Evan Mathis, C Jason Kelce, G Danny Watkins, OT Todd Herremans, OT Demetress Bell, C/G Steve Vallos, G/ OT Dennis Kelly
Offensive line coach isn’t in love with any of the backups at the interior offensive line positions. Vallos will backup Kelce at center and Kelly has shown that he can play both the guard and tackle position.
Wide receivers (6): Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Damaris Johnson, Chad Hall
I think Chad Hall’s consistency and versatility have made a place for him on this team.
Defensive line (10): DE Jason Babin, DE Trent Cole, DT Fletcher Cox, DE/DT Cullen Jenkins, DE Phillip Hunt, DE Vinny Curry, DT Cedric Thornton, DT Antonio Dixon, DT Derek Landri, DE Brandon Graham
I see them trading Darryl Tapp for a future draft pick. Antonio Dixon will be kept around to help the run defense.
Linebackers (7): DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, Akeem Jordan, Brian Rolle, Jamar Chaney, Casey Matthews, Keenan Clayton
Clayton needs another good performance tonight, but the blocked punt and deflection to set up the interception against the Browns will get him on this football team.
Corners (6): RC Nnamdi Asomugha, LC Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Brandon Boykin, Joselio Hanson, Curtis Marsh, Brandon Hughes
Hughes is on the bubble and needs to play well tonight.
Safeties (4): Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, Phillip Thomas, O.J. Atogwe,
I think Phillip Thomas has played well enough to make this football team. His tackling and pass coverage have been impressive. Can O.J. Atogwe stay healthy? Can Jaiquawn Jarrett play better? These are both troubling questions for the Birds, but I think they will go with the veteran because Jarrett hasn’t proven he can play on this level.
Specialists (3): Chas Henry, Alex Henery, Jon Dorenbos
Chas Henry got a challenge from veteran Mat McBriar but he held on to his job.
G, I pretty much agree with your 53 except Dixon and Tapp. I think Tapp stays and Dixon will go. If you are keeping Dixon for run defense, wouldn’t it make sense that he would have had to show his ability to stop the run in preseason? I havent seen it. In fact he has been a virtual non-factor this preseason and therefore I do not understand why you would want to keep someone because he is supposed to be a good run defender when he hasn’t proven to be that in this scheme. Using a valuable roster spot for someone like that does not make sense to me.
I agree with you 100% about Dixon. People like to focus in on the fact that he’s big but when you look at his play it doesn’t translate to stopping the run. I keep looking for what I saw before he went down with the injury when he was eating up double teams, pushing lineman into the backfield and getting penetration, he was probably playing the best out of all the d-tackles on the team. Now he’s either getting stoned at the line or getting washed out of the play altogether. I’m not seeing that fire from him I saw 2 years ago, to me he looks out of shape still. I think in this scheme we are missing the big man in the middle but I think it’s got to be a triple threat in the mode of a Haloti Ngata type of player who has size, speed and power, but those guys are rare and hard to find. Remember Wasburn had Haynesworth in Tennessee and even though he’s overrated he did have all of those attributes. (I’m not suggesting we get Haynesworth, I know he’s done.) I would love to keep Tapp but I think he goes especially when you add the fact that Cullen Jenkins can play end as well.
Think the eagles are making a mistake with Chris Polk. He ran faster that mccoy and dion lewis 4.46 .. blocks better and runs tougher than bryce brown and catches better. he would have been the most complete back on our team.
Please…no more Chad Hall! Let Polk have his spot!
I disagree G-Man
ONly 8 OL is awful lite and especially for Coach AR who loves Depth and Versatility.. They will carry 9 OL which means only 5 WR’s .. I don’t see Chad Hall making the 53 Man Roster.. How is he going to contribute with the Punt Return duties handled by Danrius Johnson and the Kick-Off Duties handled by Boykin and Brown.. You just kep keep players because they are good guys.. They have to contribute..
The Other Area I think your off is LB (carrying 7 is 1 too many) I don’t think Keenan Clayton has shown enough in his body of work to deserve a SPot.. I have stated for 2 years that he should have been converted to Safety last Off-season where I think he would have made a decent back-up player. HE has big play abilitiy in Blitzing (But the Eagles don’t Blitz often enough and he is good in pass-coverage but I think his inconsistently and his struggles focusing on practice and meetings have not been very good since the Eagles Drafted him.. If Clayton were to make the Team. another LB would have to go.. and I disagree at Safety, I think Veteran O Atogwe is washed up and have stated so since they signed him in the off-season. .H’s too slow and has struggled picking up the scheme like he did in Washington last year, being a 8 Year Vet with many recent injuries and since he doesn’t play SPecial Teams, there is no reason to have a 3rd/4th Safety on your Roster who again , does not contribute elsewher on the squad.. I could see him land on the 53 Man Roster until COlt Anderson becomes activated after week #5 to replace him would be my only thought of keeping him if I knew that Anderson was a couple more weeks away from returning, if not, I pick-up a Safety off the Waive Wire which I have been scouring.. There are some decent ones who will be released by the Steelers,Seahawks,Bears and the Texans who would be updgrades over who the Eagles have back-ups at Safety
Looks about right but I believe Clayton does not make the team and that spot goes to Brett Brackett who makes the squad as a hybrid TE/WR (big Red Zone target). In that role his blocking will not be as much of a liability but his size could give us that “fade route” receiver we were hoping for from Cooper.
As far as Chad Hall (not a big fan), Andy Reid always has a “fallback” player on his roster a la Reno Mahe.
Paulman’s 53 Man Roster (which hasn’t changed much over the last few weeks)
Offense (24)
QB (3) Vick,Foles & Edwards
RB (3) McCoy,Lewis,Brown
FB (1) Havilli
WR (6) D-Jax,Maclin, Avant, Cooper, D Johnson & McNutt
TE (2) Celek & Harbor
OL (9) Dunlap,Mathis,Kelce,Watkins,Herremans then back-ups Bell,Kelly,Vandervelde and Vallos
Defense (26 Players)
DE (5) Cole,Babin,Hunt,Graham & Curry
DT (5) Jenkins,Cox,Landri,Thornton & Dixon
LB (6) Ryans,Kendricks,Jordan,Chaney,Rolle & Matthews (I still think they pick-up a LB from Waiver Wire or get in a trade to replace either Rolle or Matthews)
CB (6) Asmo,DRC, Hanson,Marsh,Boykin and Hughes
Safety (4) Allen,Colmen, Thomas (and a player off the Waiver Wire or in Trade)
Special Teams (3) K- Henerey, P- McBriar, L/S- Donebros
I see D Tapp Traded for a 5th Round Pick to the Vikings,Panthers,TB Bucs,Pats,Titans or Jags and most likely a “4-3 Defensive Alignment”. There are many teams that can use a quality pass-rushing DE
I see RB Polk, TE Brackett, LB Rau, DB Bonner, OL Washington WR Hamler to the Practice Squad
Whats up Paulman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i cant see non of the comments but 1
I think at the end of the day you get more production out of Chris Polk than Chad Hall. It’s time to cut ties and part wayswith Hall, he’s Just a guy, you can shake a tree and a bunch of Chad Hall’s will fall out. Damaris Johnson is his replacement. Chris Polk is that RB thatcan grind it out in the 4th quarter and,push the pile for that short yardage on the goal line. HasChad Hall ever scored a TD?
Vontaze Brfict didn’t have a tackle in te lat PS game, and oly 2 total over the last 2 games.
Who knows….maybe he’ll be released soon and could immediately step in atthe sarting MLB.
Good one Vinnie..
I stated this a few time.. When does a #3 or #4 RB on the Eagles ever get Touches.. Why is everyone so enamored with Polk.. I like the guy b/cmon.. Does the 3rd RB or 4th RB on any Eagles Team ever get more than 10 Touches a Season (minus injury) .Does Polk even play Special Teams.. To be honest he was signed, as a back-up plan, in case Bryce Brown didn’t work-out since Brown hasn’t played much ball the last 3 years.. Once it was obvious that Brown was in shape,focused and committed on Football, Polk was just a good Summer Camp Back (they are a dime a dozen and on every team…
Once to you get to back-ups and the last 10 Spots on a Roster, That players better contibute on Special Teams.. (Outside the QB, and Starting Skill Players, the remainder of the Roster Players have to be able to play Special Teams
Paulman….Polk is a better back than Lewis in my opinion, in fact I like him better than every single running back on the team other than 25….Polk just a good summer camp back…Also I’d take Polk over Havili, he blocks better and runs better
polk is an inshape jerome bettis and ran faster than mccoy and dion lewis on his proday 4.46 40.. i like bryce brown but hes gonna hurt .. polk is a grown man finished product
Im with Paul on a lot of points.In my honest opinion, Chad Hall, Antonio Dixon, Demetrius Bell, Trevard Lindley, Mike Kafka, Casey Matthews, Jaiqwan Jarrett, Atogwe, and Stanley Havili should be cut.
Phillip Thomas, Bryce Brown, Chris Polk (as a fullback), Keenan Clayton (and Yes, I agree Pau,l he should be a safety), Marvin McNutt (He needs more time), and Trent Edwards(he has earned it), should make the cut.
I dont care what anyone thinks of my comments Im gonna tell you this right now. After watching the last 4 preseason games # 47 Rau is the best LB on this whole team. I dont give a damn what string he was playing against. Just watching him all over the field and how physial he was it was amazing. Yes better than Kendricks and definetly better than any other LB that as played.
I agree with you DAG, I like this Rau fella and have been impressed with him over the last 3 Pre-Season game.. He should definitely make the 53 Man Roster over Matthews,Chaney & Clayton and Rolle in my opinion who all have taken steps back this Summer