Who'll make Eagles' roster, position by position

It's that time of year again. While sportswriters and fans make a game of predicting the Eagles' 53-man roster, some players will have their lifelong dreams of playing in the NFL spoiled by the time the cutdown deadline rolls around Saturday at 4 p.m.

Chip Kelly, given complete control of personnel this offseason, assembled a roster that is deep at running back, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line and inside linebacker. But there are still areas of concern like the offensive line, outside linebacker and the secondary, and that is where the Eagles coach may have to make some of his most difficult 53-man decisions.

Kelly is expected to save players on the bubble an extra day of grief and will make cuts by Friday. First there's Thursday night's preseason finale against the New York Jets, which could influence the final roster.

But here's one man's early roster projection a day early (with the understanding that it could change several times over the next 24-36 hours):

Quarterbacks (3): Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow. The third spot is up for grabs and features disparate quarterbacks. Will Kelly stay with the more accomplished thrower (Matt Barkley) or will he opt for the running back (Tebow)? A lot of ink has been wasted on a player who won't likely play this season. But Tebow has a skill set that could make him a game day factor in Kelly's eyes. Keeping just two quarterbacks can't be ruled out, either.

Running backs (4): DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner. Kelly kept only three running backs in the two previous years, but Murray and Mathews have extensive injury histories and Barner has likely earned his way onto the team with two punt-return touchdowns in the preseason.

Wide receivers (6): Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Riley Cooper, Josh Huff, Miles Austin, Seyi Ajirotutu. The Eagles went with six receivers last year, so they're definitely staying at that number after Kelly's offseason emphasis on adding depth. There will be a five-man rotation on offense and Ajirotutu's special-teams ability should help him beat out Jeff Maehl.

Tight ends (3): Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton. The Eagles are able to keep an extra running back because they'll likely subtract a tight end from last season's four. Undrafted rookie Eric Tomlinson looks like a prime practice squad candidate.

Offensive linemen (9): Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner, Matt Tobin, David Molk, Dennis Kelly, Malcolm Bunche. The starting five is set, with Barbre and Gardner filling the openings at left and right guard, respectively. Molk, as the backup center, and Tobin, as the swing tackle/guard, will likely be the reserves who dress on game day. Kelly's strong camp gets him in. That leaves possibly one spot between John Moffitt and undrafted rookie Malcolm Bunche. If the Eagles think they can sneak Bunche onto the practice squad, they may keep the veteran. If not, the talented UCLA product should get the nod.

Defensive linemen (7): Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Brandon Bair, Beau Allen, Taylor Hart. Not much to debate here. The same seven should return, with Hart likely to see more playing time. Rookie Brian Mihalik, a seventh-round pick, could benefit from a year on the practice squad.

Outside linebackers (4): Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Marcus Smith, Bryan Braman. Smith seemed to be making strides until a hamstring injury. Despite speculation that his roster spot is in jeopardy, it's difficult to imagine the Eagles parting with their 2014 first-round pick already. Diaheem Watkins could make a push, but Curry will likely help supplement depth issues at outside linebacker.

Inside linebackers (5): DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, Kiko Alonso, Brad Jones, Jordan Hicks. The first three have had various injuries during the preseason, but they form a solid core inside. Jones is versatile and could give defensive coordinator Bill Davis snaps on the outside. Hicks is already a contributor on special teams.

Cornerbacks (5): Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Eric Rowe, E.J. Biggers, Jaylen Watkins. Maxwell, Carroll and Rowe are locks. Biggers is probably on the team, too, and may even end up being the slot corner. The Eagles could keep just four here and release both Watkins and Denzel Rice. But Watkins' experience at safety aids his cause - for now.

Safeties (4): Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond, Chris Maragos, Chris Prosinski. Jerome Couplin, Ed Reynolds and Prosinski are vying for the fourth and - if the Eagles decide to go light at corner - fifth safety spots. Maragos and Prosinski are strong special-teams performers but aren't ideal first-man-off-the-bench safeties. The best guess here is that the Eagles gamble and keep just four.

Specialists (3): Cody Parkey, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos. Write it in ink.

@Jeff_McLane