Who Makes The Cut: Defensive end
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Who Makes The Cut: Defensive end
Jeff McLane
The Eagles will encounter tough decisions when determining their 53-man roster. They already have the number down to 79 and must get to 75 before today’s 4 p.m. deadline. During the last two weeks, The Inquirer's Eagles beat writers have tried their best to predict who stays and who goes. 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
DEFENSIVE ENDS
LIKELY TO KEEP: 5-6.
WHO STAYS: Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham, Phillip Hunt, Darryl Tapp.
WHO GOES: , Frank Trotter, Monte Taylor.
ALREADY CUT: Xavier Brown.
One of Andy Reid and Howie Roseman’s toughest decisions before Friday’s deadline will come at defensive end. Or will it? They could just keep all six, as I’ve predicted they will. Reid stresses the importance of line play, and we know everything starts up front as he is wont to say.
The problem with keeping all six is you have to go a little light somewhere else. But as I was recently told, “Once you get to 50 you start taking the best players.” So if it came down to keeping Tapp as a sixth defensive end or Dallas Reynolds as a ninth offensive linemen, based on that premise, it’s fairly easy to decipher who the Eagles would keep.
There is no doubt Roseman has fielded calls about Hunt and Tapp. Hunt would be easier to move because of his salary (approximately $600,000). But the Eagles aren’t going to trade him for that reason and because, well, he’s been their best end during the preseason. Tapp, who is entering the last year of his contract, is set to make around $2.6 million. The Eagles probably wouldn’t mind unloading that salary if they really decided to keep five ends.
They really only need to activate four ends on game days, and with defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and possibly Fletcher Cox likely to play more downs on the outside, what good would there be in keeping six? They have dressed five on game days before, however.
Some have suggested that the Eagles could come up with a phantom injury for Vinny Curry and place him on Injured Reserve for the season. But there are several reasons why that is very unlikely to happen – 1. You don’t IR second-round draft picks. You want them to play as soon as possible. 2. Curry has already shown that he can compete at this level. Is he behind the others? Sure. But not by much. 3. Teams can’t get away with stowing developmental-type players on IR as they used to. Plus, the punishment if you get caught – lost draft picks – is too severe.
As for the roster shoo-ins, Graham would probably be the odd man out if he wasn’t a top draft pick – Roseman’s first as GM. He’s had his moments during training camp and the preseason, but Hunt and Tapp have simply been better. Graham didn’t play as much with the first team rotation against the Browns on Friday, but the Eagles may have been trying to show teams more tape of Tapp and Hunt against a starting offensive line.
Cole and Babin will be the first two ends out on the field. Cole will turn 30 in October, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Babin missed most of the camp and will miss all of the preseason with a calf injury. Reid said Sunday that Babin is scheduled to return in time for the opener. The number of snaps he plays this season could decrease some if the Eagles plan on using Jenkins more on the outside on first down.
Trade Babin for a safety or a draft pick.— bongo dave- Going back through, you have only selected 52!— jdrush23
- I don't understand how Graham would be the odd man out, but Babin has hardly played at all plus he's a liability in run defense. Maybe I've watched the wrong games, but Graham sure seems to be having just as good a preseason as Hunt & Tapp.— Joyner80
- If they trade or cut Hunt, they are even more clueless than I thought! How can you even think about trading the DE, who was clearly the most talented rusher in camp and all the pre-season games? Dear God, please don't let $$$ decide who goes and who stays! This was the way the Eagles did business when they stunk every year!— cooperhawk
- Why would you trade the team's best pass rusher, a guy who had 18 sacks, for a safety or a draft pick?— kingsolomonsmind
- I have to give credit to Babin for this, he has to have recorded the 18 most unimpressive sacks ever. At this point I say you flip him. Is it me or did Howie hit a home run this draft and last year fishing in the CFL for Hunt. Flip Babin + Chad Hall + JJ + whomever to get a solid player/draft pick and roll the dice. If the front four can just be more active against the run it will cover up the LB play another year. Curry, Hunt, Cox, Jenkins, Boykins, Kendricks are just straight ball players.
Seriously though, doesn't it seem like Howie either nailed a starter or a redshirt starter, next years draft would be telling if they could retool completely. A VERY YOUNG CORE at the skill positions with the right mix of veterans with a 6'6 QB?— xlGmanlx 
I agree about Tapp and also proposed that he is the most likely guy they trade due to his salary. To the people that say they will just wait for him to be released and there's no possibility of a trade, a team may want to make sure they aren't bidding for him when he's released against other teams to sign him. I'm not proposing you will get any more than a low pick or back up LB for him, but i is a nice problem to have.- They have to keep JPP uh I mean the guy that should have been JPP. They cannot and are afraid to admitt their mistakes...see Jarett. I like Tapp and have followed him since HS in Virginia but Hunt has been relentless and will be a nice guy to line up when babin or cole need a break. I think Tapp is the odd man out but there are plenty of teams in the league where he could be a 3/4th DE. $$$ won't decide this one other than the fact that we are stuck with under-achieving and under-sized Graham for another year or two.— tsump
- Dump graham he's going to amount to nothing.— sewell guy
- trade Tapp for picks— connorjr
- ...a subject about which you are an expert.— tpizza
- No matter how you look at it, a lot of NFL teams would like to have the Eagle's cut down problems. We're talking about having an abundance of talent. Many teams right now are wondering how they're going to be competitive with what they have. Chances are most of the guys we cut on August 31 will land a job somewhere else. Let's hope nobody comes back to haunt us.— 1republican
- So lets give credit where credit is due. Not to many misses in this years draft. Not to mention he locked up DJAX AND Shady in the same summer.
Cox - starter
Kendricks - Starter
Curry - solid rotation
Foles - Nuff said
Boykins - KR/Slot potential
Dennis Kelly - Redshirt LT/RT?
Bryce Brown - Starter/draft pick potential
Chris Polk - Trade material
— xlGmanlx - That is not even counting all the other UDFA that Howie did his homework on like ::cough:: your new PR ::cough:: — xlGmanlx
- The eagles have an abundance of hope at this point. last year's team looked pretty good up front so did the year before that. Then, the season starts. Then Babs gets the late hit on 3rd down. Then Parker jumps on 4th. Then Mathews is 10 yards behind the wheel route. — cwcommish
