Predicting every Eagles players who will find a home on Philly's practice squad

Once you call home from your freshman dorm room and tell Mom and Dad you've figured out what you're going to do with your life (and, that you decide to become an NFL journalist and write about the Philadelphia Eagles for a living), you learn something quickly. The job will come with certain responsibilities.

Double-check your sources. Be honest and true to yourself. Stay plugged in during those landmark days on pro football's schedule.

The deadline for every NFL team to make roster cuts is one of those days. This time around, it is scheduled for August 27 at 4 pm EST. Everyone had better pack a lunch. That's typically a long day. We expect that won't change on Tuesday.

Don't forget that the Eagles will need to piece a practice squad together after roster cuts.

It wasn't going to be easy for some long-shot roster hopeful to catapult himself to the top half of the Eagles' depth chart. Here we sit. The roster-building process continues, and with 47 or so locks, only about six jobs probably need to be decided.

Once the Eagles are done making final cuts and introducing their 53-man roster, everyone they move on from will pass through waivers. Players who are claimed will be announced at noon EST on August 12. Anyone who hasn't been can be reacquired and added to the Eagles' practice squad.

Here are the guys we'd add if we had an opinion the Eagles would consider listening to (which we don't). That's cool. Let's offer a few ideas anyway.

Also read: Eagles roster projection 4.0: One final guess before final roster cuts

International exemption: Laekin Vakalahi

Each NFL team can house 16 additional players as scout team members. The Birds will be allowed to keep 17 because they have an international player, Laekin Vakalahi, on the roster. International stars aren't counted against the 16-player allotment and are given a special exemption status.

Vakalahi never played football before joining the Eagles as an undrafted rookie> He did so as part of the NFL's International Player Pathways Program. He stands at six-foot-five and tips the scales at 318 pounds.

Philly is already home to one of the program's greatest success stories, fellow Australian Jordan Mailata. Keep an eye on the new guy, but remember to be patient.

Here are the other 16 Eagles who would be valuable additions to the practice squad.

Some will fall victim to the numbers game. Others are good players who, unfortunately for them, joined a team that has better players at their position. Roster cuts can be an emotional part of the offseason process, but they are a part of the process.

The following 16 players would serve as a quality scout team for the Eagles after the 53-man roster is introduced. We'll have to wait and see if Philly's list resembles ours.

• Will Grier, quarterback
• Josh Jobe, cornerback
• Eli Ricks, cornerback
• PJ Mustipher, defensive tackle
• Thomas Booker, defensive tackle
• Julian Okwara, EDGE
• Brandon Smith, linebacker
• Anim Dankwah, offensive lineman
• Gottlieb Ayedze, offensive lineman
• Tyrion Davis-Price, running back
• Andre Sam, safety
• Caden Sterns, safety
• Armani Rodgers, tight end
• Ainias Smith, wide receiver
• Joseph Ngata, wide receiver
• John Ross, wide receiver

Worth noting: Some of you have Ainias Smith making your 53-man roster simply because he was acquired through the NFL Draft, and that's fine. Again, we'll see if Philly's leadership structure agrees.

We added Ben VanSuemeren to the 53-man roster in our final projection. The Eagles could elect to keep Oren Burks instead. If so, we'd place VanSumeren on the PS and remove Ngata.

Keep watch. Bookmark our roster cuts tracker. We'll keep you posted on the comings and doings as they happen.

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