Biggest Snubs From Initial Eagles' 53-Man Roster: Waiver Claims Prove Point

The Eagles had a few roster snubs on the initial 53 -- including players that were claimed by other teams.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have their initial 53-man roster in place. Changes could be coming to the 53 at some point, but the Eagles appear set with what they settled on with their initial roster.

They added depth at certain positions and kept four quarterbacks. This roster was interesting, and there were some very tough decisions the franchise had to make to shore up the bottom of the depth chart.

While there's a lot to like about this roster, there were some snubs from the initial 53. The Eagles paid the price for letting some of these guys go.

These were the biggest snubs from the initial 53.

Kapena Gushiken (DB)

Gushiken wasn't a long shot to make the 53 man roster, as the Eagles did keep six cornerbacks. The Eagles didn't need a fourth safety since Cooper DeJean would be the safety in base, even though Gushiken could play that position too.

An undrafted free agent, Gushiken was also a good special teams player. The Indianapolis Colts clearly saw the versatility Gushiken provides in their secondary, so they claimed him off waivers.

Were the Eagles right in letting Gushiken go in favor of Mac McWilliams? The Eagles wanted to develop McWilliams as a former fifth-round pick and protected him, and general manager Howie Roseman admitted he "didn't feel good" about losing Gushiken.

The Eagles thought they could get Gushiken on the practice squad. Other teams saw an opportunity.

Cameron Latu (TE)

The Eagles went with four tight ends and took E.J. Jenkins over Latu. Jenkins was a better blocker than Latu this summer, and caught the football better -- at least more consistently.

This still was a toss up, and it's unclear if Jenkins would have been claimed off waivers. He's been on the practice squad for the past three years. Any team could have signed Jenkins last year and didn't -- same with the year prior.

Latu got claimed by the New England Patriots. The Eagles didn't want to lose him either.

Jenkins deserves a lot, but Latu being claimed showcased what a team thought about his talent. The Patriots must have seen something they liked in those joint practices.

Carson Steele (RB)

The Eagles were never keeping four running backs, so Steele didn't even have a chance. Steele may not even had earned as many touches as he did this preseason if Dameon Pierce didn't get hurt.

Credit Steele for taking advantage of the opportunity and playing his way into roster consideration. The Eagles saw something in Steele, and perhaps he can be a practice squad elevation as a fullback now that Latu is in New England.

The Eagles tinkered with the fullback idea this summer, and ended up cutting both Steele and Latu. They were fortunate to get one back, even though Steele was likely to end up on the practice squad.

Gabe Hall (DT)

Defensive tackle was the hardest position to make on this roster, especially after Ty Robinson locked up his roster spot. Hall still was good enough to make this team, as he made the initial 53 last year.

One of the biggest surprises on waivers was Hall not being claimed, and four Eagles were claimed. The Eagles were fortunate to get Hall back on the practice squad, as he can be a significent asset in case any defensive tackles get injured.

If the Eagles weren't deep at defensive tackle, Hall would have made the roster. They didn't even keep six defensive tackles because the five they have may be the best defensive tackle unit in the league.

Jake Majors (G/C)

Majors had a good summer and was one of the final roster cuts for the initial 53. The Eagles went with Micah Morris -- and he had a good finish to training camp. Didn't hurt Morris was a sixth-round pick either.

There was an excellent chance Majors was going to clear waivers, and he did. Majors can further develop on the practice squad, and perhaps even become a backup on the 53 over time.

Morris was the right pick for that final offensive lineman spot, but Majors made it a tough call.

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