3 Eagles who will make the initial 53-man roster that don't deserve the opportunity

1. Britain Covey, wide receiver/returner

Second-year man Britain Covey has had his opportunity to show he can be the long-term return man for the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, with the exception of his Week 13 showing last season versus the Tennessee Titans, he has yet to impress. Sure, he is solid at catching the ball and that is not something to dismiss (see Jalen Reagor). Turnovers from the fumbled attempts to field the ball can be a gut punch and the bane of any fan's existence, so strength in that area should be commended.

Are we really going to celebrate the fact that a returner can haul in a punt without dropping it though? Is that really the standard we are going to set here?

The fact remains that the Birds have not had an explosive returner in years. Flipping field position and scoring points with your special teams unit can stem tides, push leads, and win games (see the Dave Fipp era). Devon Allen showed vision and speed in the Eagles' third preseason game. He needs to continue to work on securing the catch, but Allen isn't a punt retuner and shouldn't be viewed as one.

Allen would excel as a kick returner. That job is more about straight-line speed and maybe breaking a tackle and/or making one guy miss before taking off. Punt returners need to be more shifty, and currently, the Birds don't have anyone on the roster suited to do the job consistently because what they can't do is ask a starter like DeVonta Smith to perform that role.

Covey simply doesn't do enough to warrant a roster spot. The argument can be made that Allen doesn't either Britain posted a 40 time of 4.43 at his pro day, but his lack of burst and his small size remove any viability at the wide receiver position. The Eagles would be wise to move on. They have better receivers in-house now.