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Breaking down the Eagles' roster cuts

Here's my take on several of the Eagles' roster cuts.

Not included among the writeups are: Eldra Buckley, Jamar Adams, Marlin Jackson and Fenuki Tupou.

Note that Brandon Graham was placed on the PUP list, and Ryan Harris was released with an injury settlement.

Joselio Hanson - I didn't think he'd make the roster, but I thought the Eagles might be able to deal him. Did teams hold off from giving anything up, knowing he'd be released? Maybe. But I expect multiple teams to be interested. If one really wanted Hanson, you'd think it would have offered up a late-round pick. Hanson allowed 4.4 yards per attempt last season, which ranked second in the NFL among cornerbacks with at least 40 targets, per Football Outsiders. He also only allowed 1.5 YAC, which ranked first. So why'd the Eagles get rid of him? Hanson carries a cap hit of over $2.4M for 2011. That's too high for someone they project as just the fourth cornerback. We'll see if the Giants, who have been hurt by injuries in their secondary, make a run at Hanson. There were previous reports that the Rams could take a shot at him too. That'd be interesting, considering the Eagles play St. Louis in Week 1.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim - Gotta give Howie Roseman credit here. Te'o-Nesheim was the third player Roseman drafted as GM of the Eagles, but he realized he made a mistake and moved on. Philip Hunt outplayed Te'o-Nesheim in training camp and the preseason, earning the roster spot.

Reggie Wells - His fate seemed to be directly connected to Winston Justice. When the Eagles brought Wells back a couple weeks ago, it was a head-scratcher, but he actually played well in the preseason at right tackle. If Justice had not been activated from the PUP list, I think Wells would have had a good shot to make it. But Justice is back, and Wells lost the roster spot.

Mike McGlynn - He played horribly in the first preseason game against the Ravens and never really got much of a shot after that. McGlynn was OK at center last season, but apparently never showed Howard Mudd much at guard. He played center and tackle in the final preseason game, perhaps trying to show on tape that he can be versatile.

Anthony Hargrove - I thought he'd make the cut because of his versatility (Hargrove played defensive tackle and defensive end in the preseason), but he didn't survive.

Derek Landri - After the Hargrove release was announced, I thought Landri was safe, but that was not the case. He was a 16-game starter in Carolina and played well in the preseason. But in the end, the Eagles instead decided to go with undrafted free agent Cedric Thornton. I'm not sure how often we'll see Thornton on the field this year, but I assume the Eagles saw more upside with him down the road. The regular defensive tackles will be Cullen Jenkins, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws and Antonio Dixon.

Austin Howard - We forget now, but he was taking first-team reps at one point in training camp. Howard soon fell out of favor and never looked like someone the Eagles could count on this season. If Mudd sees potential in him, Howard could land on the practice squad.

Donald Lee - Only two teams played with two tight ends less often than the Eagles last year, according to Football Outsiders. That's why I never thought keeping a third tight end made sense, especially considering they added Steve Smith and could play with four wide receivers more often. Lee had a nice game Thursday night and looks like someone who can hold up as a receiver and a blocker. We'll see if he catches on somewhere. I know some of you on Twitter have mentioned the Giants as a possible landing spot.

Chad Hall - He looked more comfortable as a receiver this preseason, but Hall was unlikely to get on the field with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Steve Smith and Riley Cooper at wide receiver. Even if Smith can't go early in the season, four guys would be ahead of him. As a return man, Hall never really showed much, and he looked shaky on Thursday night.

Sinorice Moss - He played well Thursday night, but that performance wasn't enough to earn Moss a roster spot. If the Eagles were going to keep a return specialist, Moss might have been the guy. With the roster constructed the way it is right now, Dion Lewis looks like the favorite to be the kick returner. As for a punt returner? The Eagles still have to figure that one out.

Johnnie Lee Higgins - He had a shot to win a roster spot at the beginning of training camp as the fifth receiver/return man, but Higgins' chances probably faded when the Eagles signed Steve Smith. He didn't really stand out on special teams.

Greg Lloyd - He is one of only two drafted rookies to get cut, along with fullback Stanley Havili. If the Eagles think he has potential, Lloyd could land on the practice squad.

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