Eagles announce 53-man roster for 2021, go light on WRs, RBs

The Eagles have their initial 53-man roster set, but it’s important to note that this roster might not be complete just yet.

Remember, all players who aren’t vested veterans are subject to the NFL’s waiver system, which means they can be claimed by other teams. The Eagles have the sixth spot in the waiver claim order. If the Eagles claim a player, they’ll need to create space on the roster for him.

The last time the Eagles had a new coaching staff, in 2016, they claimed three players after final cuts.

Here’s a look at the Eagles initial 53-man roster:

Quarterback (3): Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, Gardner Minshew

After the trade for Minshew on Saturday, these three were pretty easy to predict. Perhaps Flacco could be traded at some point this season, but he’s the backup for now.

Running back (3): Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenny Gainwell

This position came into focus a little more once Kerryon Johnson was out of the picture and then when Jason Huntley suffered a ribs injury. Huntley was cut after making a strong push early in camp. The surprise cut was Jordan Howard.

Tight end (4): Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Tyree Jackson, Jack Stoll

The Eagles have four tight ends for now but expect Jackson to be placed on IR soon. He has a fracture in his back and won’t be ready to play for a while. The Eagles kept Stoll, the UDFA from Nebraska, over Richard Rodgers.

Receiver (5): DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside

The Eagles went a little lighter at receiver this year with a couple of notable cuts. They waived 2020 star Travis Fulgham and former fifth-round pick John Hightower. Those are two players who played big roles for the team just last season. This is a group with plenty of potential but it’s very inexperienced. Former second-round pick Arcega-Whiteside makes the initial roster. This could be a position where the Eagles add another player from the waiver wire.

Offensive line (10): Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Jack Driscoll, Landon Dickerson, Nate Herbig, Brett Toth

One of the at least moderate surprises was that second-round pick Dickerson is off the NFI list to start the season. So even as he ramps up, he’ll be taking up a roster spot. The Eagles kept Toth over players like Sua Opeta, Le’Raven Clark and Kayode Awosika.

Defensive end (5): Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, Ryan Kerrigan, Tarron Jackson

Those top four were written in stone but the Eagles also kept sixth-round pick Jackson out of Coastal Carolina. While Jackson might need some more time to develop, he did show flashes of his ability during the summer, especially in that final preseason game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Defensive tackle (4): Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu

The Eagles released veteran Hassan Ridgeway and put T.Y. McGill on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. This is a little light on depth. Tuipulotu didn’t have a strong camp, but apparently the Eagles see something in the sixth-rounder, enough to keep him around for now.

Linebacker (7): Eric Wilson, Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor, Genard Avery, Shaun Bradley, Patrick Johnson

The Eagles went heavy on linebackers but waived rookie JaCoby Stevens, who was likely to play a hybrid safety role. They did keep Avery and Johnson, two players who fill that SAM position in Jonathan Gannon’s defense.

Cornerback (5): Darius Slay, Steve Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josiah Scott

Craig James was cut, but the Eagles still went with five. They kept Scott, whom they traded for this offseason.

Safety (4): Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, K’Von Wallace, Marcus Epps

The Eagles kept just four safeties, perhaps a sign that McLeod will be ready for the season opener. It’s also worth noting that Wallace has been banged up recently. Andrew Adams and Elijah Riley were the notable cuts here.

Specialists (3): Jake Elliott, Arryn Siposs, Rick Lovato

These three ran unopposed all summer. Elliott has been dealing with a minor ankle injury but should be good to go for the start of the season.

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