10 options for the Eagles on waiver wire

The Eagles announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday but it’s important to not call it their final 53-man roster. Because it’s not.

In fact, with the No. 6 spot in the waiver wire order, it’s very possible some changes are coming very soon.

Very notably, the Eagles kept just five wide receivers and three running backs, so some additions at those positions could be looming.

“We'll get back upstairs,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said Tuesday. “Our front office is doing a great job, our scouting staff, of putting together a list as guys get cut. We're going to watch a lot of those guys. We're going to have a lot of discussions here in the next 24 hours.”

Players with fewer than four years of service have to clear through waivers before they become free agents. That’s who we’re talking about right now.

Teams must submit waiver claims by noon on Wednesday. So by the afternoon, there might be some new members of the team. But it’s always tricky because in order to claim players, the Eagles would have to cut others who made their initial roster.

Here are 10 players whose names caught my attention:

S Shawn Davis: The fifth-round pick out of Florida reportedly had a shaky preseason for the Colts. But maybe the Eagles see something in him. While Sirianni and Jonathan Gannon were gone by the time the Colts drafted Davis, they were there all last season so it would make sense if they like something about Davis’ ability. And Howie is never shy about his Florida guys.

WR Dez Fitzpatrick: The Titans drafted Fitzpatrick out of Louisville in the fourth round and then cut him. So that tells you that he didn’t do much to impress them this summer, but the Titans are also pretty stacked at receiver.

WR KhaDarel Hodge: The Browns released Hodge (6-2, 205), who has been in the NFL the last three seasons with the Rams and Browns. While has just 17 career catches, Hodge has been a big special teams player. In 2019, he played 260 special teams snaps (60%) and when you’re looking at bottom-of-the-roster receivers, special teams isn’t something to overlook.

WR Collin Johnson: A fifth-round pick out of Texas last year, Johnson (6-6, 222) had an OK rookie season, catching 18 passes for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also played 169 special teams snaps. And he was drafted by Dave Caldwell, who now has a role in the Eagles’ front office.

WR Tyron Johnson: The Chargers’ decision to cut Johnson (6-1,193) was a bit of a surprise and head coach Brandon Staley said it was one of the tougher cuts they made. Johnson had a good 2020 season with the Chargers, catching 20 passes for 398 yards and 3 touchdowns. His OC last year was Eagles OC Shane Steichen.

OL Michael Jordan: No, the Eagles aren’t lacking for offensive line depth but Jordan is an intriguing name and not just for obvious reasons. Jordan is a 6-6, 315-pound interior lineman from Ohio State. He was a fourth-round pick a few years ago and has 27 games with 19 starts under his belt. Jordan was the No. 60 ranked guard in the league last year, according to PFF, but when I see an OL with natural skills I’m at the point where I think Jeff Stoutland can get something out of him.

CB Jimmy Moreland: This was a bit of a surprise cut from Washington. Moreland (5-11, 182) is a former 7th-round pick who has played quite a bit in his first two NFL seasons. He has played in 30 games with 10 starts and could be a decent depth piece for the Eagles.

RB Jaylen Samuels: The crop of running backs on the waiver wire isn’t as deep as the group of receivers but Samuels is an interesting name. The former fifth-round pick spent three years in Pittsburgh but hasn’t gotten much of a chance recently. In his first two years, Samuels had 122 carries for 431 yards (4.4) and also caught 73 passes. We know how much Nick Sirianni values his backs being able to catch out of the backfield. If Samuels isn’t the guy, it seems like it might be a better idea for the Eagles to sign a veteran to fill out their running back room.

DT Marvin Wilson: Wilson was a UDFA out of Florida State and the Browns gave him a $30,000 signing bonus and $162,000 in guaranteed money. That shows there was a bidding war of sorts for his services. The Eagles could use some more depth at DT.

TE Kenny Yeboah: The Eagles kept UDFA TE Jack Stoll on their roster but I wonder if Yeboah wouldn’t be a better option. He’s certainly a more polished receiver. And the Eagles got a closer look at him when they faced the Jets last week. Yeboah caught the Hail Mary at the end of the game.

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