The Eagles now officially have their initial 53-man roster.
The means the Eagles made a total of 28 moves. There were some tough decisions.
Here are all the Eagles’ moves:
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• Blake Countess was placed on IR. T.Y. McGill was placed on Reserve/COVID-19.
• The Eagles traded OL Matt Pryor to the Colts for a 2022 late-round pick swap. Pryor was likely going to be released.
• The Eagles activated Rodney McLeod off Active/PUP and Landon Dickerson off Active/NFI, which means both players will take up roster spots at final cuts.
The following players were released as vested veterans:
NFL
RB Jordan Howard: A surprise cut! Howard had a decent training camp but the Eagles elected to keep just three running backs on their initial roster.
S Andrew Adams: The Eagles signed the veteran safety to a one-year veteran salary benefit deal this offseason but he still didn’t make the cut. Adams, 28, has considerable NFL experience with 73 games played and 32 starts for the Giants and Bucs. Since he's a vested veteran, he's not subject to the waiver process.
DT Hassan Ridgeway: Expectations were higher for Ridgeway coming into this summer and he was beat out for a job. Maybe injuries have taken a toll on the 26-year-old. He has played in just 19 games over the last three seasons.
TE Richard Rodgers: Rodgers will be a candidate to return in a couple weeks if the Eagles need him. He had a quiet summer.
OT Le’Raven Clark: After starting camp on the PUP list, Clark was activated in time to practice and even play in the preseason. He looked good too. But the Eagles have other options at tackle and released the veteran.
CB Kevon Seymour: After joining the Eagles late last season after injuries decimated the secondary, Seymour came into this year deep on the depth chart. His experience (33 games, 5 starts) wasn’t enough to keep him around.
The following players were waived:
LB JaCoby Stevens: The Eagles used a sixth-round pick on the LSU safety and converted him into an undersize hybrid linebacker. But Stevens missed significant time in training camp with an injury that hurt his roster chances.
OL Kayode Awosika: It seemed like the UDFA from Buffalo was an under-the-radar candidate to make the roster. The Eagles gave him over $112,000 in guaranteed money and he impressed in camp. If he doesn’t get claimed, he’s a safe bet for the practice squad.
S Elijah Riley: The former UDFA out of Army made a strong roster push largely because of his ability on special teams. He already has five games under his belt from last season. Could be headed for the practice squad for now.
OG Sua Opeta: The UDFA from Weber State has been with the Eagles since 2019. Last year, he played in eight games and started two. Opeta is a physically gifted guard but Jeff Stoutland has been working on developing him.
WR John Hightower: The 2020 fifth-round pick played a ton early in his rookie season but then was basically a healthy scratch by the end of it. In a competitive wide receiver room, Hightower failed to stand out this summer. Still, he could be worth a practice squad spot if the Eagles want to continue to develop him.
WR Travis Fulgham: He was a star in the 2020 season but has fallen off very quickly. Fulgham put together a magical month last year under Doug Pederson and was even given a chance to earn a starting gig this summer. But now he won’t even be on the roster.
DT Raequan Williams: Williams went undrafted out of Michigan State last year but ended up playing in six games with the Eagles as a rookie. He’s a big interior linemen and the Eagles don’t have a lot of those guys, so it’s possible he sticks around if he clears waivers.
RB Jason Huntley: This was likely one of the harder cuts for the Eagles. Huntley suffered a ribs injury during camp but there was a period where he was shining daily with big runs. He has pure speed and also capability as a kick returner. If he clears waivers, a practice squad spot could be waiting for him.
CB Craig James: James is known as a special teams standout but he’s struggled to stay healthy. After playing in just four games last season, James had been dealing with a foot injury lately. He's an obvious practice squad candidate.
DE Matt Leo: Leo is part of the NFL's International Pathway Program and had a roster exemption. Kaye reports the Eagles will keep Leo as an extra 17th member of their practice squad.
WR Andre Patton: After arriving late, Patton was seen as a camp body but had an impressive summer. His familiarity with head coach Nick Sirianni might have helped. He didn’t make the roster but he made a serious push over the last month.
OL Ross Pierschbacher: Once a fifth-round pick to Washington, Pierschbacher joined the Eagles late last season. He had an underwhelming camp and was buried on the depth chart.
CB Michael Jacquet: The Eagles released Jacquet on Monday night, a league source told NBC Sports Philadelphia. Jacquet came into this summer with an outside chance to earn a roster spot and had an up-and-down summer. The Eagles have invested a year in Jacquet and they really liked him as a UDFA last year so perhaps he sticks around on the practice squad. He is far from a finished product.
TE Cary Angeline: The Downingtown East product was just signed by the Eagles last week to take some reps at tight end after a serious injury to Jason Croom. He got to face the Jets in two joint practices and played in the preseason game.
DE JaQuan Bailey: An undrafted rookie out of Iowa State, Bailey was buried on the Eagles’ depth chart at the position.
RB Elijah Holyfield: Holyfield first joined the Eagles late in the 2019 season and then spent time in 2020 on the Eagles’ practice squad. Perhaps he’ll end up on the 16-man practice squad again.
WR Marken Michel: The Eagles claimed Michel off waivers back on Aug. 10 for his second stint with the Eagles. The brother of running back Sony Michel, Marken Michel is a crisp route runner but has failed to carve out an NFL career after a three-year stint in the CFL from 2016-2018.
LB Rashad Smith: After going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic in 2020, Smith was with the Bears and Cowboys last season before joining the Eagles. He was on the practice squad last year but was elevated for one game.
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