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Eagles face tough roster choices

Fifty-three is an odd number, but it's the number Eagles coach Andy Reid must get his roster to by Saturday.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid must cut his roster down to 53 players by Saturday. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Eagles head coach Andy Reid must cut his roster down to 53 players by Saturday. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

Fifty-three is an odd number, but it's the number Eagles coach Andy Reid must get his roster to by Saturday.

Usually, at this point, maybe two or three jobs are on the line, and the final preseason game would help in separating one candidate from the other.

But for various reasons, as listed below, the Eagles' 53-man roster this year is far harder to predict than in recent memory.

The Birds have five extra bodies heading into Thursday night's game at the New York Jets. Because of the NFL lockout, teams are allowed to have 80 players following Tuesday's deadline for first cuts as opposed to the normal 75.

The work stoppage that eliminated offseason workouts and the new collective bargaining agreement that has softened practices have made it more difficult to evaluate players.

The return of the salary cap has put several veterans who would be assured spots on the bubble.

Plenty of decisions remain to be made, not all of them on whether to keep or cut a player. Several trades are likely to occur. Last year, the Eagles dealt offensive lineman Stacy Andrews to Seattle and linebacker Tracy White to New England, and acquired defensive end Antwan Barnes from Baltimore in the hours just before the 6 p.m. deadline.

So, here is one reporter's stab at who makes the team:

Offensive linemen (10). The toughest position to predict because of injuries to tackles Winston Justice and Ryan Harris, the line has undergone a mass transformation under new coach Howard Mudd. Jason Peters and Todd Herremans are the starting tackles, Evan Mathis and Danny Watkins the guards, and Jason Kelce the center. Justice says he'll be ready for the start of the season, so we'll take his word for it and pull him off the physically unable to perform list. Harris, who had back surgery, appears pegged for injured reserve. King Dunlap can back up both tackle spots. Center Jamaal Jackson could be cut, but the Eagles need the veteran in case the rookie ahead of him slips. Reggie Wells, who can play both tackle and guard, somehow finds his way on the roster. Rookie Julian Vandervelde provides some interior depth. Mike McGlynn, a 16-game starter at center year ago, has a relatively high cap figure ($1.1 million) and has looked out of sync all camp.

Running backs (3). The Eldra Buckley experience has come to an end after two seasons. Rookie Dion Lewis, who has dazzled in the preseason, made sure of that. LeSean McCoy and Ronnie Brown are the top two tailbacks.

Fullbacks (1). Owen Schmitt has been solid since replacing the injured and subsequently released Leonard Weaver. Rookie Stanley Havili has practice squad written all over him.

Wide receivers (6). Two weeks ago, Jeremy Maclin and Steve Smith weren't anywhere near sure bets to avoid the PUP list, but both have since been activated and thus make Johnnie Lee Higgins and Sinorice Moss unnecessary. With DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant, and Riley Cooper the other locks, Chad Hall is battling numbers. The Eagles carried only five receivers a year ago, but Andy Reid likes Hall, and they need a return man.

Tight ends (2). Brent Celek and Clay Harbor clearly top the depth chart and are on the roster. The Eagles have carried only two tight ends for the last two seasons and will likely stay that way. That means veteran Donald Lee, who has had a rather pedestrian preseason, is the odd man out. Cornelius Ingram has another year of practice-squad eligibility.

Quarterbacks (3). No-brainers here: Michael Vick, Vince Young, and Mike Kafka are the signal-callers.

Defensive ends (5). Juqua Parker has a number of strikes against him. He hasn't played for weeks because of a calf strain; is 33 years old; and, perhaps most important, will cost the Eagles $4.3 million against the cap. He's a goner. Trent Cole, Jason Babin, and Darryl Tapp are not. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and Phillip Hunt survive for now but could be expendable if and when Brandon Graham gets off the PUP list.

Defensive tackles (4). Trevor Laws' future with the Eagles could come down to how he plays against the Jets. He has been out almost all camp with a hip flexor injury, and newbies Derek Landri and Anthony Hargrove have shined. But Laws showed enough promise a year ago to earn another season. Cullen Jenkins, Mike Patterson, and Antonio Dixon are the top three.

Linebackers (6). Jamar Chaney, Casey Matthews, and Moise Fokou form the starting threesome. Brian Rolle replaces Matthews in the nickel and is a budding special-teamer. Keenan Clayton still has value. Akeem Jordan helps out on special teams and is insurance in case the rookies struggle. Rookie Greg Lloyd could either land on the practice squad or suffer a phantom injury and head to IR.

Cornerbacks (5). The Eagles may initially need to keep Joselio Hanson on the 53-man roster, but he likely will be dealt at some point. So he's not on this list. Asante Samuel, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie form the nickel triangle, and camp surprise Brandon Hughes is the dime corner. Rookie Curtis Marsh has potential. Trevard Lindley could sneak onto the squad as a sixth cornerback because he's only in his second season. But he gets cut here.

Safeties (5). Five safeties is a heck of a lot to keep on a roster, but coordinator Bobby April needs one special teams ace, and he gets it in Colt Anderson. Kurt Coleman and Jarrad Page are the starters, and Nate Allen and rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett the backups.

Specialists (3). Alex Henery is the kicker, Chas. Henry the punter, and Jon Dorenbos the long snapper. Book it.