The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best rosters in football, but that doesn’t mean at every spot on their depth chart. As the Eagles formulate their initial 53-man squad during training camp, they’ll have several questions to answer, including the identity of their QB3 and who will fill in the gaps at linebacker and safety.
Let’s run through Philadelphia’s 90-man roster and determine how general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni will pare down to 53 players by the start of the NFL regular season.
Projecting the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 Roster and Depth Chart
Quarterback
- In: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee
- Out: Ian Book
After rostering Gardner Minshew as Hurts’ backup for the past two seasons, the Eagles have found a No. 2 signal-caller that more closely matches the play style of their starter. After inking a one-year, $5 million deal, Mariota will be second on the depth chart, leaving McKee and Book to battle for No. 3 duties. The early edge goes to McKee, whom Philadelphia drafted in the sixth round earlier this year, but this will be a battle to watch during training camp.
Running Back
- In: D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott
- Out: Kennedy Brooks, Trey Sermon
Philadelphia’s top four running backs — which include new additions Swift and Penny — appear set. Gainwell came alive during the Eagles’ playoff run and could be more involved than it might seem at first glance.
Both Swift and Penny are incredibly injury prone, and there’s a chance at least one member of that duo doesn’t make it through camp. In that case, Sermon — a healthy scratch for most of 2022 — would probably be in line to make the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster.
Wide Receiver
- In: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins, Britain Covey
- Out: Devon Allen, Tyrie Cleveland, Jadon Haselwood, Joseph Ngata, Charleston Rambo, Greg Ward
Philadelphia isn’t afraid to enter a season light on receiving depth. They spent the first two months of the 2022 campaign with just four WRs on their roster. This year, the Eagles’ top five pass catchers appear to be nearly locked in. Zaccheaus and Watkins will battle for the WR3 job behind Brown and Smith, while Covey should make the squad thanks to his skills as a returner.
Tight End
- In: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra
- Out: Dan Arnold, Tyree Jackson, Dalton Keene, Brady Russell
Stoll will never be much of a receiver (just 19 targets and 15 receptions over two NFL seasons), but he’ll do the necessary blocking work behind Goedert. With Zach Pascal no longer on the roster as a blocking-specific wide receiver, could the Eagles use more 12 personnel and allow Stoll to see even more snaps?
With a pair of 400-yard campaigns to his résumé, Arnold is an interesting addition and could theoretically make Philadelphia’s roster as a third tight end. However, he offers enough overlap with Calcaterra that the Eagles will probably stick with the younger option that has three years remaining on his rookie contract.
Offensive Line
- In: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Cam Jurgens, Lane Johnson, Jack Driscoll, Brett Toth, Tyler Steen, Sua Opeta
- Out: Julian Good-Jones, Fred Johnson, Roderick Johnson, Chim Okorafor, Trevor Reid, Tyrese Robinson, Cameron Tom
Four of five spots along the Eagles’ offensive line are already spoken for. But Philadelphia will stage a right guard training camp battle between Jurgens and Steen as they attempt to replace Isaac Seumalo. Jurgens was a center in college while Steen was a tackle, so neither has an edge in guard experience.
Driscoll and the loser of the Jurgens/Steen battle will be roster locks, which leaves two spots open if Philadelphia keeps nine offensive linemen. Toth can play anywhere up front, and the Eagles have kept him around for three years even though he barely played due to injuries. Opeta has made four starts over three seasons and should make the team as a reserve guard.
Defensive Line
- In: Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, Marlon Tuipulotu
- Out: Noah Elliss, Kentavius Street
After losing Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh in free agency, the Eagles spent two draft picks on defensive tackles. Davis, the 10th overall pick, should have an immediate role and could lead the unit in snaps.
As a seventh-round pick, Ojomo’s status in Philadelphia is less secure. He’ll compete with Tuipulotu (coming off a torn meniscus) and Street for the final two spots along the Eagles’ defensive line. We’re going with the younger options here, but there’s a chance Philadelphia rolls with the more experienced Street, who’s appeared in 52 games over four NFL seasons.
EDGE
- In: Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Derek Barnett, Patrick Johnson
- Out: Tarron Jackson, Kyron Johnson, Matt Leo, Janarius Robinson
Reddick, Sweat, Graham, and Smith are all locks to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. If the Eagles keep six edge rushers, Barnett, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson, and Janarius Robinson will likely compete for the final two slots.
Barnett is the most interesting case. After a down 2021 season in which he managed just two sacks and 11 quarterback hits, he missed most of last year after tearing his ACL. The Eagles would only save roughly $60,000 by releasing the former first-rounder, so his contract may save him.
Linebacker
- In: Nakobe Dean, Nicholas Morrow, Shaun Bradley, Christian Elliss
- Out: Davion Taylor, Ben VanSumeren
Philadelphia rarely invests assets at linebacker, and they allowed both TJ Edwards and Kyzir White — each of whom played at least three-quarters of the Eagles’ snaps a season ago — to walk in free agency. Dean and Morrow are the clear starters, while Bradley and Elliss could make the roster by default. Roseman could choose to add another option at LB before the season begins.
Cornerback
- In: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Kelee Ringo, Josh Jobe
- Out: Mehki Garner, Mario Goodrich, Eli Ricks, Josiah Scott, Greedy Williams
The Eagles managed to retain both Slay and Bradberry this offseason, giving them one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Maddox will start at nickel and also offers safety versatility, while McPhearson looks like his backup in the slot.
With Ringo likely to make the team thanks to his fourth-round draft status, Jobe and Williams expect to battle for Philadelphia’s final CB spot. The Eagles gave Williams $600,000 guaranteed this offseason, but Jobe was a standout on special teams last year, and his production at Alabama means he could be an option at outside corner if Slay or Bradberry gets hurt.
Safety
- In: Terrell Edmunds, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, K’Von Wallace
- Out: Justin Evans, Tristin McCollum
As is the case at linebacker, the Eagles don’t prioritize safety. After seeing both C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps depart in free agency, Philadelphia is relying on a new cast of characters in the back end.
Edmunds, Blankenship, and Brown will all compete for starting jobs, and it’s possible all three see ample playing time in a rotation. Evans is a versatile role player, but Wallace will have the early edge in training camp after playing more than 300 special-teams snaps for the Eagles in 2022.
Specialists
- In: Jake Elliott (K), Arryn Siposs (P), Rick Lovato (LS)
- Out: Ty Zentner (P)
Eagles fans’ most recent memory of Siposs includes his shanked fourth-quarter punt in the Super Bowl that Chiefs wideout Kadarius Toney returned for 65 yards. Nevertheless, he’s likely to return as Philadelphia’s punter next season. Zentner, an undrafted rookie free agent, would have to dominate during training camp to usurp Siposs on special teams.