9 winners, losers from Eagles 53-man roster. Start with QB factory
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA − The Eagles' initial 53-man roster set on Aug. 30 might not be the roster that takes the field when they begin practicing this week.
So for players who got one of the final roster spots, it was likely an uneasy night of sleep before waiver claims are processed at 1 p.m. on Aug. 31. Still, we were able to learn a few things from the Eagles' initial roster.
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One of them is the top half of the roster is talented and set, led on offense by Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and a talented offensive line. The starting defense is loaded, too.
The other thing is that at some of those positions, there isn't much depth behind the starters.
That's the reality in the NFL with a limited number of players and a salary cap. If the Eagles can stay healthy, they should be a contender in a stacked NFC. If they can't stay healthy, the roster will look very different by the end of the season.
Here, then, are our winners and losers after the Eagles set their initial 53-man roster:
WINNER: Eagles' QB factory
The quarterback factory is operating at full capacity now that the Eagles kept four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. But really, it's Jalen Hurts and three other guys. Neither Andy Dalton nor Tanner McKee inspired much confidence should Hurts suffer an injury that keeps him out for more than a few games. And rookie Cole Payton, while promising, is more of a runner than he is a passer. The Eagles kept him because they didn't want to expose him to waivers.
LOSER: Eagles' 'foreign exchange students'
It was clear that defensive tackle Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru, both alums of the International Players Pathway program, are not ready to contribute. Bernard, the Eagles' seventh-round pick, is from Nigeria, and Weru, signed as an undrafted free agent, is from Kenya. But the Eagles are taking a chance that another team won't claim them to their 53-man roster based on their potential, which is immense. If one or both make it back to the practice squad, the Eagles can continue to develop them.
LOSER: Eagles' dwindling 2025 draft picks
Two more 2025 draft picks were put on waivers as offensive linemen Cam Williams and Myles Hinton were kept off the 53-man roster. That makes four of the 10 picks from 2025 who are no longer on the roster. They joined QB Kyle McCord and edge Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who were waived last year. You can make the case that CB Mac McWilliams barely made it this year.
In fairness, seven of the Eagles' 10 picks in 2025 were in the fifth and sixth rounds, so the success rate isn't expected to be great. And the Eagles do have two potentially decent players in LB Smael Mondon and OL Drew Kendall. The Eagles also got starters in first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell and second-round safety Drew Mukuba. Fourth-round DT Ty Robinson was on "life support" early in training camp, according to DC Vic Fangio.
WINNER (for now): Eagles TE E.J. Jenkins
It was long assumed that Cameron Latu would be the third tight end after Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt. It's safe to assume that rookie Eli Stowers is the fourth TE. But Latu was waived, and Jenkins, who spent the last two seasons bouncing between the Eagles' practice squad and the active roster, stayed.
But Jenkins, a good blocking tight end, shouldn't rest easy for a few days, especially if the Eagles decide to bring back Zach Ertz.
WINNER: Eagles WR Elijah Moore
Credit to Moore for having a good summer and forcing his way onto the roster. It certainly seemed like he and Hollywood Brown were redundant, and Brown had a $5 million guarantee. Still, it'll be interesting to see how the Eagles use the depth at WR. In the past, it was A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as clear Nos. 1 and 1A. Now, with A.J. Brown in New England, it's Smith and whoever else can step up among Dontayvion Wicks, first-round pick Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Darius Cooper and Moore.
LOSER: Eagles' 2026 7th-round draft picks
When the 2026 draft began, the Eagles didn't have a seventh-round pick. But Eagles GM Howie Roseman made a flurry of trades to end up with three seventh-rounders. None of them made the roster. Safety Cole Wisniewski missed most of camp with a hamstring injury, then a concussion. Bernard was mentioned above. And edge Keyshawn James-Newby also dealt with an ankle injury for a good part of camp. He returned for the preseason finale and had a sack.
They all have potential. But that will have to begin from the practice squad, unless they get claimed
LOSER: Eagles' safety Andre Sam
It was a heartbreaking situation. After two seasons on the practice squad, it sure seemed like Sam was on his way to a roster spot. Against the Bengals on Aug. 28, Sam had 3 tackles, a pass defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. As head coach Nick Sirianni put it, Sam "played his butt off." But Sam suffered a serious leg injury late in the third quarter and was carted off the field. He was waived/injured on Aug. 30. Hopefully, he can make it back this season.
WINNER: Eagles' backup cornerbacks
Let's just say that the Eagles have to hope that Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen and Cooper DeJean stay healthy. That's because the three backups who made the roster don't necessarily inspire confidence. Jones, who's 32 years old, missed most of camp with a shoulder injury. McWilliams was beaten in coverage often against the Ravens in the first preseason game. And Ringo, who has had several chances to earn a role in the past, stayed because he's a Pro Bowl special teams player.
WINNER: Eagles O-lineman Willie Lampkin
As heartbreaking as Sam's injury was, is how heart-warming a story it was when Lampkin made the roster. Lampkin, who's 5-foot-10, 290 pounds, is undersized for an offensive lineman. Yet Lampkin, who spent all of last season on injured reserve, won over his teammates and coaches and got a roster spot.
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the "Eye On The Eagles" newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 9 winners, losers from Eagles 53-man roster. Start with QB factory
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