Eagles commence cutting; Knott biggest name
The Eagles have begun the process of cutting from 90 to 75 before Tuesday's deadline. Chip Kelly said Matt Barkley will start at QB against the Jets and get extended time.
Chip Kelly said he didn't want to have guys practicing Saturday who were going to be released later in the day, with the team making a number of cuts ahead of the Tuesday deadline to go from 90 to 75. So the axe fell for 14 Eagles before the team took the field, under brooding South Philly skies.
The biggest surprise was linebacker Jake Knott, a significant special teams presence last season as an undrafted free agent. Knott incurred a 4-game banned substance suspension this spring, then sat out much of training camp with a hamstring problem.
Also gone: defensive end Alejandro Villanueva, the longshot former Army Ranger, along with another DE, 2013 seventh-round pick Joe Kruger, wideout B.J. Cunningham, who spent part of last season on the active roster; 2013 practice squad offensive lineman Michael Bamiro; kicker Carey Spear; safeties Daytawion Lowe and Davon Margan; OL Donald Hawkins and Karim Barton; TEs Emil Igwenagu, who spent some time on the roster in 2013, and Blake Annen; DE Frances Mays; and WR Kadron Boone.
The Birds still have one move to make to get to 75, assuming they don't pick anyone else up.
Kelly said as usual, the starters and some key reserves won't play Thursday in the preseason finale against the Jets. He said QB Matt Barkley will start and get extended action, but along with starter Nick Foles, backup Mark Sanchez will sit, against the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2009.
Kelly confirmed WR Arrelious Benn suffered a concussion in the preseason win over the Steelers.
LeSean McCoy, who played with a sore toe Thursday and then suffered a thumb injury that required X-rays, practiced Saturday.