Eagles go Light on Offense, Keep Alshon Jeffery in Play, Maybe Cordy Glenn, too
The Eagles roster on Saturday will have a slightly different look once Labor Day arrives and the Eagles shift into full preparation mode for the season-opener against Washington.
For instance, veteran receiver Alshon Jeffery is on the 53-man roster for now, but he will likely shift to the three-week Injured Reserve list.
“We feel like if you kept him on PUP, that would mean basically he wouldn't be ready till the seventh game,” said Roseman on Saturday after setting the roster at 53 players. “We think he's going to be ready before that. He thinks he's going to be ready before that, and we think he's a good player. So, we want to get him back as quick as possible to help this football team.”
The short-term IR could be in play for rookie Jalen Reagor and safety Will Parks as well. Roseman wouldn’t confirm any of the candidates.
The GM talked about the change in rules, though, with a team allowed to add 16 players to its practice squad, with six of those allowed to be vested veterans. Each week, two players from the practice squad can be added to the active roster.
“Obviously with these new rules, there are some ways you can get guys up off the practice squad for game day, which is new for us, so (Jeffery) will be inactive until then working towards it.
“Alshon has come back with incredible energy. He's in great shape. He's motivated to win and be part of it. We are not actively shopping him, as reported. But I think for us, you know, let's get the good player back as soon as possible. I'm not telling you that he's ready for week one, but we definitely anticipate him being ready before that PUP period.”
So, for now, the Eagles have chosen to go light on offense, with just 23 players on the roster. For now.
There are just eight offensive linemen. Rookie sixth-round pick Prince Tega Wanogho is not one of them. Wanogho was the lone rookie from the 2020 draft class’s 10 members to not make the initial roster.
There is a chance that left tackle Cordy Glenn could boost the OL count to nine.
The veteran Glenn was in for a visit Friday, but Roseman said the process is still ongoing.
“When you bring a guy in for a visit, it's kind of a three-day total process,” he said. “They have got to take two days of tests, and so we haven't had the opportunity to sit down with him or give him a physical or work him out.”
There are just three running backs and two tight ends for the moment as well.
“We've never been this low on the offensive line,” said Roseman. “Just in terms of the active roster. By the same token, when we look at the offensive line and running back, in particular, that's why we made some of those cuts on Thursday to kind of get a head start and to know those guys were either claimed or not and that they would be available for us.”
That means the Eagles will likely add at least one, if not all three, of the running backs, let loose on Thursday to the practice squad on Sunday afternoon – Elijah Holyfield, Adrian Killins, and Michael Warren.
The Eagles will also likely try to add to the practice squad tight Noah Togiai and maybe fellow tight ends Caleb Wilson and/or Tyrone Swoopes.
“Having these two extra moves each week, it does give us different flexibility than we've had in the past,” said Roseman, “but I would say that the roster as it is (Saturday), there definitely will be changes in the next 24 to 36 hours just based on the IR rules, to begin with, and I don't know that we're necessarily exactly where we want to be even on the 53.
“But knowing that we have these extra practice squad spots and we have the ability to bring guys up gives us a little bit different flexibility. But by the same token, I think we are not done yet and where we are at this moment, probably looks a little bit different as we get going here and probably for our game next Sunday.”
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