Eagles' Initial 53 Is Set -- But There Are Three Positions That Desperately Need Help

Looking at the Philadelphia Eagles' initial 53-man roster, there's a lot to like. There's also some areas that could be better.

This is the case of many rosters around the NFL. The initial roster is far from a finished product, and that's the situation with the Eagles.

This team is deeper than initially thought, yet there are areas that need to be tinkered. Why settle for good when there's a chance to be great?

Would the Eagles like to see some of thse positions through? Absolutely, and they could let some of their weaknesses drag out into the season. They did the same with the backup offensive linemen entering training camp and it turned into a strength.

What areas could the Eagles improve upon prior to Week 1? There are three positions on this roster that could use an upgrade, and the Eagles may be looking to improve those areas at some point this season.

Quarterback

Why do the Eagles need a quarterback? They have four already on the roster!

Here's the problem. The Eagles don't have a QB2, or they won't publicaly admit they don't have one. The Eagles won't name a QB2 yet (and they don't have to), but neither Tanner McKee nor Andy Dalton have won the job. There are options out there in the trade market and free agency should the Eagles seek an upgrade.

The Eagles could stick with McKee and Dalton, and they do value the position. McKee didn't have a good training camp, and Dalton couldn't separate himself from McKee. If the Eagles rode with McKee and Dalton as the backup quarterbacks, they would be okay.

Neither of them are going to keep this team afloat for multiple games if Jalen Hurts goes down, so that may be where the Eagles are looking to improve the position. This is what the Eagles will try to find -- if they can.

Tight end

The Eagles have four tight ends on the roster, a necessity because the depth at the position isn't very good.

Outside of Dallas Goedert, things get very murky. Johnny Mundt is a blocking tight end, and should be relied upon to get a heavy dose of targets. Eli Stowers just isn't ready to contribute to this offense come Week 1 and E.J. Jenkins has logged 10 games in his career -- none in the elevated role he's about to have.

The Eagles could use some help at TE2, and they have spoken with Zach Ertz. Would Ertz be immediate help? Absolutely, but there are different routes they could go to improve the position.

They may play this out and hope Stowers develops enough where he's an asset by the second half of the year, giving Jenkins a chance to show his improvements on Sundays. Tight end may be the weakest position on the roster.

Wide receiver

The Eagles are deeper at wide receiver 1-though-6 than they have bene in years past, but that doesn't mean they're better. They were never going to be better once they traded A.J. Brown anyway.

Could the Eagles use some size at wide receiver? Absolutely, but this isn't the route they're going to take. That was evident with the way they built the room this offseason, and how they are going to manufacture targets.

If the Eagles kept five wide receivers, this position would have been in need of an upgrade. While there are still improvements to be made, the Eagles can let wide receiver play out as the season begins.

The decision to keep Elijah Moore on the 53-man roster was a smart move by the front office. Moore earned a spot as he outplayed Hollywood Brown and Darius Cooper in many practices and can contribute to his offense as a fourth receiver. Moore and Brown can actually benefit off each other.

The key to this whole thing is Lemon, who is behind the 8-ball thanks to nagging hamstring injuries. Whether Lemon is ready or not, the first-round pick will be in the slot come Week 1. The Eagles are counting on Lemon to be a big part of the pass game.

The Eagles have their WR1 in DeVonta Smith and WR2 in Dontayvion Wicks. The rest is up in the air, and Wicks still needs to show he can replace Smith as the WR2.

While there are a lot of question marks at wide receiver, the Eagles can afford to let this play out. Let's revisit this position around the trade deadline.

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