Who Makes The Cut: Wide receiver / Tight end
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Who Makes The Cut: Wide receiver / Tight end
Jeff McLane
The Eagles will encounter tough decisions when determining their 53-man roster. During the next two weeks, The Inquirer's Eagles beat writers will try our best to predict who stays and who goes. The NFL deadline for teams to trim rosters from 90 to 80 is Aug. 27. Final cuts are due by Aug. 31. Here’s the lineup:
Wed, Aug. 15: Offensive line
Thur., Aug. 16: Defensive tackles
Fri., Aug. 17: Cornerbacks
Mon., Aug. 20: Running backs
Tues., Aug. 21: Wide receivers / tight ends
Wed., Aug. 22: Linebackers
Thur., Aug. 23: Safeties
Fri., Aug. 24: Quarterbacks / Specialists
Mon., Aug. 27: Defensive ends
WIDE RECEIVER
LIKELY TO KEEP: 5-6.
WHO STAYS: Jason Avant, Chad Hall, DeSean Jackson, Damaris Johnson, Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper.
WHO GOES: Elvis Akpla, Mardy Gilyard, Jamel Hamler, Brian Hernandez, McKay Jacobson, Tiger Jones, Marvin McNutt.
INJURED RESERVE: Ron Johnson.
The bygone days of the Eagles lacking in quality starting receivers let alone ones deep on the roster is now all but a distant memory. The team has two of the better young ball-catchers in the league, although Jackson and Maclin aren’t really pups any more. Jackson is entering his fifth season in the NFL; Maclin his fourth. If they want to be mentioned among the top duos in the league Jackson has to rebound from last season’s contract-distracting performance and Maclin has to deliver upon the promise he showed in his first two seasons.
Avant remains the Eagles’ slot receiver, and while he was mistake-prone last season, he did manage to better most of his receiving numbers for the sixth straight season. The next three or four on the depth chart should make Andy Reid and Howie Rosman’s decision on cut-down day very interesting. Riley Cooper has been out for more than three weeks with a broken collarbone and still has about three more to go before he’s back. There’s a contingent of fans out there that have little love for the 6-foot-3 receiver, but Cooper is a viable option to back up either Jackson or Maclin on the outside and did fine work when he filled in for both last season. He’s also a more-than-competent special teams player and will make the squad even without a preseason. He could miss the opener.
Johnson was a training camp wonder. You could see how much the Eagles grew to trust him with each additional repetition they gave the undrafted rookie with the first team. Johnson looks to have the punt return job locked up, although Jackson will surely be used in case of emergency. He shined in the preseason opener against the Steelers, but came back to earth Monday night against the Patriots. He’s small (a generously-listed 5-8) and has a bit of checkered past, but Reid likes his tinker toys.
Hall is one of those toys. Keeping Johnson would seem to make Hall expendable. He really doesn’t have a place on the roster now. But Reid and Mornhinweg love the receiver. He does everything he’s asked, catches nearly everything thrown in his direction and you can’t have enough of those guys on your roster. I think he’s a surprise survivor. I’m sure most disagree. He’s certainly a better receiver right now than McNutt, who can’t get separation. That’s a problem in the NFL. McNutt was targeted three times in the preseason opener and had zero catches. He did not have a pass thrown in his direction on Monday night. He’s been playing some special teams but hasn’t stood out. He’s a draft pick, has size (6-3) and could be kept on the roster as a developmental receiver. But I think the Eagles can stow him away on the practice squad.
TIGHT END
LIKELY TO KEEP: 2-3.
WHO STAYS: Brent Celek, Clay Harbor.
WHO GOES: Brett Brackett, Chase Ford.
The Eagles are unlikely to keep three tight ends even though they are expected to run more two-tight end sets than they have in the past. So it’ll be two that stay and those two are no-brainers. It didn’t appear that way at the beginning of the camp. The Eagles were flirting with bringing in a veteran to push Harbor, who had a sloppy spring. But their public pursuit of another tight end looks as if it did the job just fine. Harbor had a strong camp. I didn’t watch every pass thrown to the third-year player, but of the throws I did see, he didn’t drop one. He was targeted six times on Monday night and caught all six passes for 30 yards including two for touchdowns. Consider the message got.
Celek has been quiet this preseason, but that’s OK. He doesn’t have to prove anything. His health, because he is such a physical player, remains a concern, though. Brackett shot out of the gate at the start of camp, but he’s faded. He’s a decent pass catcher, but his blocking is a work in progress. He still has practice squad eligibility. The Eagles like Ford, an undrafted rookie out of Miami. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him land on the practice squad ahead of Brackett.
Seriously?? You keep Chad hall?? Dear god I hope not. Please keep Gilyard or Mcnutt instead. Hall is NOT worth a roster spot. I'd rather his spot go to another d lineman instead. Or an extra RB.— thomaspfoolery- There's always some guy on the roster who is supposed to be a jack of all trades. The Reno Mahes and Chad Halls of the world are there for the coach's benefit, they are hard working though not athletically talented guys who learn a lot of roles on the team and help keep things glued together for everyone else, filling in gaps as needed. Fans generally consider them wastes of roster space, but guys like that have always been around. Even back to Dick Vermeil who had his nephew on the roster for a similar purpose.
If not Hall, someone like Polk would probably be retained for such a role.— ICDogg - Chad Hall is done. Very surprised Marvin "my left" McNutt was left off your list. They must have seen somehing in him.— dragoon6
- WE have the betrecxeiving corp in the NFL. All we ever needed was a quarterback who could throw to them. Thankfully, we now have Nick Foles.— mario1239
- Come on man…what is with the love and support for Hall and Copper? Neither are NFL roster worthy (at least not on any team with playoff ambition). Can not understand how the writters get behind guys like Hall and Copper. Copper has no separation either and he's been given a few years here. Time for a change.
Keep: DJAX, Maclin, Avant, Damaris Johnson, Gilyard, and McNutt— connorjr - Agree that McNutt is practice squad fodder...Chad Hall actually has time left there as well....I would love to see more of both Gilyard and Hamler in these last two pre-season games...Hamler did some things (evasive RAC,attacked the ball with his hands) in the first game that CAN'T be ignored...Although his flatline speed is not as good, I'm not so sure Gilyard's not a better player than Johnson.— bearsfriend
- I'm happy as long as they keep Damaris Johnson— blueye7
- I am not a hater, but I have not seen a lot from Hall or Cooper. The coaches have seen them a lot more than I have, but from the little I have seen I would rather have Gilyard and McNutt.— JohnFC
- Bring back Pinkston— StewieLavin27
- nOT5HING WORSE FPOR A WR THAN CANNOT GET SEPrT5ION SO BYE mCNutt. Like Danaris but dropped two balls lAST NIGHT did like his trajectory fielding punts— JIM IAQUINTO
- Hall? Cooper? Well,the view from these two bird's eyes should make for an interesting season of reporting.— mlaw
- Hall is your typical Andy Reid "iam smarter then everyone else" player. He is a poormans Wes Welker, but not 1/10th as good. He is too small but not shifty enough to play at this level. He needs to go, Cooper can go with him, hopefully Mcnutt can learn how to create separation by the time Cooper comes off the Pup list otherwise he willbe a huge disappointment .
- Those that were on the McNutt bandwagon early have not been heard from lately. As I said before, McNutt will be joining McNabb on the couch watching the NFL Network.— watsonmr
- Gentlemen, It's difficult to cut Chad Hall. Hall is a doer, he gets the job done. How many passes did he catch against the Patriots? Just on his efforts during this camp, there's no way to cut Hall. That kid deserves a spot on the Phila Eagles. I used to think Hall was not worth the roster spot, but this kid catches everything and works hard in Camp. However, Hall and D Johnson fills the same purpose. McNutt I agree will resurface on the practice squad, if McNutt could run routes like Hall and get some degree of separation, McNutt would be a easy pick to make the team. Cooper, I don't see the urgency of keeping Cooper.— Dexter
- McNutt can't light a match to Riley Cooper...When he's back healthy, he's dressing, and playing...Early odds had Damaris Johnson as the leader in the clubhouse as a punt returner/smurf field stretcher, but if he plays Friday like the Patriots game, Gilyard can make up ground, given he gets the opportunity...Like the idea of Boykins getting used as a weapon, which might give added roster flexibility down the line. (but it might not bode well for Johnson)— bearsfriend
