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Early Birds: State of the Roster: Safety

The Eagles' roster is at the maximum of 90 players after the draft. We'll spend the next two weeks resetting the table and taking a position-by-position look at the Birds as Chip Kelly begins the process of assessing his 2015 squad.

The schedule: May 18: Quarterbacks/specialists; May 19: Running backs; May 20: Wide receivers/Tight ends; May 21: Offensive line; May 22: Defensive line; May 25: Inside linebackers; May 26: Outside linebackers; May 27: Safeties; May 28: Cornerbacks.

SAFETIES

What's new: No one

Technically, there are no new safeties on the Eagles' roster if viewed by listed positions. However, the Eagles target cornerback-safety hybrids for their defense, so there are new cornerbacks with experience at safety. Second-round pick Eric Rowe, sixth-round pick Randall Evans, and free-agent acquisition E.J. Biggers could all be used at safety.

Rowe is the player to watch. The question about where he should play could linger throughout the summer – and perhaps even during the season.

The Eagles have a big hole at safety after Nate Allen departed and the team did not add a replacement in free agency. When they traded up in the second round to acquire Rowe, it seemed Rowe could be plugged in next to Malcolm Jenkins considering he was a three-year starter at safety before moving to cornerback last season at Utah. But Chip Kelly said the Eagles will begin by working Rowe at cornerback, and that was where Rowe played during rookie camp.

Keeping Rowe at cornerback makes long-term sense, because the position is traditionally more valuable and it's difficult to find cornerbacks at his size with his skill set. It's also easier to move from cornerback to safety in the NFL than the other way around. But the short-term need at safety is significant, and he fits exactly what the Eagles want at the position.

Biggers has starting experience in the NFL, including five games at safety with Washington in 2013. Evans, who was mostly a slot cornerback at Kansas State, has lined up at safety.

What's old: Malcolm Jenkins, Earl Wolff, Chris Maragos, Chris Prosinski, Ed Reynolds, Jerome Couplin

Jenkins was the Eagles' top free-agent target in 2014, and he responded with a strong first season. He started all 16 games and had career highs in tackles (113) and interceptions (3). Jenkins was the most consistent member of the Eagles' inconsistent secondary, and you can write him down as one of the two starters this season.

The question is who lines up next to him. It seems the Eagles will give Wolff a chance to win the job. Wolff started six games as a rookie in 2013, but last year was a lost season. Wolff never seemed healthy while returning from a knee injury, and he eventually went on injured reserve. The next few weeks will show whether Wolff can return to the 2013 form that intrigued the Eagles. The best-case scenario for the Eagles would be if Wolff could become a starter. If he's not able to fill that role, the Eagles must get creative.

Maragos and Prosinski are both veterans who present special teams value. Prosinski started nine games with Jacksonville from 2011 to 2013, so he could try to make a push. Maragos was behind two of the best safeties in the NFL with Seattle so he never had a chance to start, but the Eagles targeted him for special teams.

Reynolds was a fifth-round pick last season who didn't make the team. He spent the year on practice squad after a disappointing summer. He was set back by missing part of the offseason program because of class requirements at Stanford. Reynolds arrived as an intriguing prospect from Stanford, but he'll need to perform better than he did last year to enter consideration for a roster spot.

Keep an eye on Couplin. The Eagles signed him off of the Lions' practice squad last December, and he spent the final three weeks on the active roster. At 6-2 and 215 pounds with good athleticism, Couplin fits the size-speed requirements for the position. He will have a full offseason to learn the defense and compete for a job.

Then there's Jaylen Watkins, a 2014 fourth-round pick who played cornerback last year but can also play safety. If Watkins can learn the position, he could be a potential starting option.

Projected lineup: Malcolm Jenkins, Earl Wolff, Chris Maragos, Chris Prosinski

This is a tough one to predict because of the cornerbacks who could play safety. If the Eagles keep 10 defensive backs, six could be cornerbacks, but that number could include Rowe, Watkins – and even Biggers or Evans – to swing over to safety.

You can count on Jenkins making the roster, and Maragos is also a strong candidate because of his special teams ability. Wolff must prove he's healthy – he could start, or he could be cut. Prosinski found a role last year after coming midseason, but this a different defensive backfield and the additions at cornerback could complicate how the Eagles allocate roster spots by position.

When the roster is trimmed to 53 after the preseason, don't get as caught up in the number of safeties as much as the number of defensive backs. In fact, the Eagles already are starting to list players as just "DB" -- not "CB" or "S."