September 05, 2020
The Philadelphia Eagles got a little bit of a head start with their final cuts on Thursday, when they waived 12 players and placed starting LT Andre Dillard on injured reserve.
Here we'll track each of the Eagles moves leading up to final cutdowns. (Some of these guys were announced by the team. Some were reports on Twitter.)
• CB Craig James: According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, James signed a one-year contract extension.
The #Eagles signed CB Craig James to a one-year extension worth up to $1.52 million, including $300K guaranteed, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 4, 2020
The takeaway here? He made the team, which means that if the Eagles don't keep seven corners, then Sidney Jones and/or Rasul Douglas will no longer be on the roster, barring some other surprise cut at corner.
James is one of the best special teams players on the roster.
• LT Andre Dillard: Because Dillard was placed on injured reserve prior to final cutdowns, his season is definitively over, as there is no possibility for return. Had the Eagles placed Dillard on IR after cutdowns, they would have been allowed to bring him back at any time after three weeks, but obviously, he would have counted toward one of the 53 roster spots at cutdowns, meaning the Eagles would have had to cut an extra player. No surprise there, but Dillard is officially done until 2021.
• S Grayland Arnold: Arnold felt like a solid bet to make the roster as an undrafted free agent when the Eagles signed him after the draft. He's not the biggest or fastest defensive back, but he made a lot of plays in college and was physical in camp. The Eagles will very likely want to bring Arnold back to the practice squad.
• WR Manasseh Bailey: Bailey had a long TD reception to close out the Eagles' scrimmage at the Linc, but he was way behind the Eagles' other rookie receivers. He does have speed, so he should be on somebody's practice squad, if not the Eagles'.
• WR Deontay Burnett: Burnett had a standout camp, and on performance, deserved to make the roster. However, with six locks to make the team at wide receiver, plus Alshon Jeffery, there was a numbers crunch there. Burnett is probably the most likely of the Eagles' cuts to be claimed on waivers. Should he make it through unclaimed, the Eagles will almost certainly try to bring him back to the practice squad.
• CB Rasul Douglas: Douglas has some skills and he was a tough player for the Eagles, but a lack of speed was his ultimate downfall, as he simply couldn't stick with fast receivers.
• WR Travis Fulgham: Fulgham was a late addition to the training camp roster, and actually made his share of plays in limited opportunities. He's a bigger guy, at 6'2, 215, and the guess here is that the Eagles will have interest in bringing him back to the practice squad.
• OG Julian Good-Jones: Good-Jones was your typical UDFA camp body.
• WR Marcus Green: Green showed a little shake-and-bake from the slot, and he has return ability.
• RB Elijah Holyfield: Holyfield had a golden opportunity to crack the roster as the fourth running back, and while he was a solid runner in camp, he didn't show any one trait that stood out. Those kinds of guys are a dime a dozen in NFL camps, and if the Eagles want to add a fourth RB after cutdowns, they can find a more appealing and/or game-ready player than Holyfield, Adrian Killins, and Michael Warren.
• CB Michael Jacquet: Jacquet has some good size, and had his moments in camp. He's a clear practice squad candidate.
• C Luke Juriga: Juriga got $116,000 in guaranteed money to join the Eagles' roster as a priority undrafted free agent, so he is almost assured a spot on the practice squad if he isn't claimed elsewhere.
• RB Adrian Killins: Killins has speed, but he's just so little. He maybe has a future in the NFL as a returner / gadget guy, but his game needs refinement, and he must prove to be trustworthy fielding punts. He should be catching as many punts from the JUGS machine as possible over the next year to make himself into a more reliable returner.
• DE Matt Leo: Waiving Leo was a procedural move. He'll have to pass through waivers before the Eagles can add him to the practice squad, but when he does, he won't count toward the Eagles' 16 practice squad spots.
• DE Shareef Miller: Miller was a fourth-round pick of the team a year ago. He was nearly invisible in two training camps.
• S Elijah Riley: Riley was the less heralded of the UDFA safeties, but he made some plays in camp, and probably did enough to be asked back to the practice squad.
• DT Anthony Rush: Huge, 350-pound run stopper who serves a purpose on an NFL roster, but the Eagles are flush with DT talent.
• CB Sidney Jones: When the Eagles selected an injured Jones in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, they did so hoping he could live up to his "top 15" potential in 2018 and beyond. Didn't happen. Jones was hampered by further injuries, and simply couldn't be available when the Eagles needed him. In 2020 camp, Jim Schwartz made it pretty clear (in coach vernacular) that Jones no longer had a role in the defense. This will be a lesson in drafting "the injury guy" with a premium pick.
• DE Joe Ostman: Ostman had a roster-worthy training camp performance, but the team perhaps figures that they can safely get him to the practice squad.
• TE Tyrone Swoopes: Late addition camp body.
• RB Michael Warren: A number of folks were smitten with Warren heading into camp, but he didn't stand out in any way. In my view, he would be the third choice among himself, Holyfield, and Killins to return to the practice squad.
• DT Raequan Williams: Williams had a draftable grade by the Eagles, but again, the Eagles are loaded at DT, and Williams didn't stand out in camp.
• TE Caleb Wilson: The Eagles claimed Wilson after the Washington team released him. Wilson's release bodes well for UDFA TE Noah Togiai.
• DT T.Y. McGill: McGill has been on and off the the Eagles' roster before.
• CB Trevor Williams: Williams was released prior to camp, and was added to the roster about a week ago.
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