Eagles Analysis: Breaking down the final 53-man roster

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Aug 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin (98) loses his helmet as he and defensive end Fletcher Cox (91) and defensive end Vinny Curry (75) tackles Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (34) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Linemen: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Beau Allen, Brandon Bair, Taylor Hart (7)

“The Nobodies” are back and set to yet again be a top-flight unit. Fletcher Cox is on the precipice of greatness, while bookend Cedric Thornton should continue his reign as one of the game’s premiere run stuffers. Bennie Logan is a bit of a wildcard heading into his third year, as his game is still developing at this point. Early returns are extremely reassuring, however, as Logan absolutely dominated this preseason, flashing elite athleticism and movement skills at the nose tackle position. The reserves, meanwhile, should provide meaningful contributions throughout the season, and will bolster what is sure to be a heavy rotation to accommodate the Eagles’ play-style. Curry is set to be a top reserve and pass rush specialist, even seeing time at OLB to maximize his pass-rushing opportunities. Beau Allen will serve as a direct backup to Bennie Logan, and spell him at times, while Taylor Hart hopes to work his way into the rotation after what was essentially a redshirt rookie season. Brandon Bair, on the other hand, will make his mark predominantly on special teams, where he was able to get his hands on several FG tries in 2014.

The only somewhat prominent player let go at final-cuts was Brian Mihalik, who I would tentatively expect back on the practice squad. Mihalik all-in-all had a pretty solid showing this preseason, however, the barrier of what is perhaps the team’s deepest and most talented position group proved too difficult to permeate for the rookie. It’d have been nice to stash Mihalik, but he should clear waivers and make it to the practice squad, although his size and movement skills might be enough for a team to put in a claim.

Inside Linebacker: Mychal Kendricks, Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans, Jordan Hicks, Brad Jones (5)

The Eagles staff had their fair share of problems at inside linebacker during the 2014 season, starting their 2 top players –Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans– for only 1 complete game. ILB became a clear focal point in the offseason, bringing much needed stability to the position. DeMeco Ryans was extended and will mix into the rotation, while running mate Mychal Kendricks got an extension of his own, and will start. The team added likely starter Kiko Alonso in a blockbuster deal, and picked up Texas product Jordan Hicks to serve as a primary backup and special teams contributor. Brad Jones rounds out the unit and will serve as a versatile reserve who will also contribute on specials.

As a result of the turnover at the position, the staff was forced to part ways with a number of talented reserves such as Emmanuel Acho, and Najee Goode (who Kelly said would’ve made the team had it not been for the influx of talent). The roster should be set at ILB for the immediate future.

Outside Linebacker: Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Marcus Smith, Bryan Braman (4)

The OLB unit is set to take the field as Brandon Graham is passed the torch from the stalwart Trent Cole. Connor Barwin looks to pick up where he left off after accumulating 14.5 sacks one year ago. Meanwhile 2014 first round pick Marcus Smith looks to prove that he can step into Graham’s old role, and become an effective sub package player. Bryan Braman will contribute primarily on special teams, as one of the league’s most prolific special teams weapons.

OLB is particularly lacking in depth and could prove dangerously thin if Barwin or Graham suffer an injury. The team lost Travis Long who would’ve been a key backup, so expect Brad Jones to swing over from ILB and rotate in in some capacity. No significant players were cut at OLB, but Deontae Skinner will reportedly be added to the practice squad.

Safety: Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond, Chris Maragos, Jerome Couplin (4)

Safety is yet another position that the organization identified as a problem area heading into the offseason, targeting All-Pro DB Devin McCourty to no avail. The team did add Walter Thurmond, however, who made the transition from CB to safety, impressing in the preseason and making several interceptions. If Thurmond can become a stabilizing force at safety it’ll go a long way in elevating the Eagles secondary.

The returning starter, Malcolm Jenkins, proved to be a very good started down the stretch, and will continue to be the vocal leader of the secondary. Chris Maragos will return as a special teams ace, though his role and spot in the pecking order on defense is ambiguous at best. Plucked from the Detroit Lions practice squad last season, Jerome Couplin might very well be the top backup to Jenkins and Thurmond after beating out Ed Reynolds and Chris Prosinski for the job.

Ed Reynolds and Chris Prosinksi ultimately lost out in the battle for the 4th safety spot, but Reynolds may very we’ll be brought back to compete on the practice squad. Prosinksi, on the other hand, is likely gone for good as he was let go during the first series of cut-downs.

Cornerback: Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Eric Rowe, EJ Biggers, Denzel Rice (5)

The big free agent acquisition, Byron Maxwell, headlines a group of players who are largely a question mark heading into the regular season. Nolan Caroll is the sole survivor from last year’s corner group, and should be a solid contributor across from Maxwell. After that, however, things get a lot more murky. Eric Rowe is a talented rookie but proved as green as can be during the preseason, and can’t be counted on to contribute meaningfully outside of special teams. Ditto, for Denzel Rice who surprised after coming on as an UDFA and making the squad. Biggers, meanwhile, is a career journeyman who hasn’t had a banner career by any stretch, but showed fairly well during the preseason and could contribute at nickel.

The nickel position will likely be a collaborative effort –as the coaching staff has eluded to– with Rice, Biggers, and Rowe potentially all competing inside. Beyond that, Byron Maxwell will likely kick inside at times to cover the more dynamic slot opponents, and Nolan Carroll even has experience playing inside. Jaylen Watkins was a surprise cut, and could be brought back to compete on the practice squad if he’s not scooped up.

Special Teams: Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos (3)

People often brush off special teams and don’t really pay attention to that aspect of the game. That isn’t the case for the Eagles and Chip Kelly, special teams is a key part of their team and they’ve signed multiple players strictly because of their special teams ability such as Bryan Braman, Chris Maragos and Seyi Ajirotutu. Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones and Jon Dorenbos are the actual “special teamers” but they each excel at their respective jobs as well to form one of, if not the best, special teams unit in the NFL.

That’s all for our final roster breakdown, check back here for more Eagles’ news, analysis and more!

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