PHILADELPHIA − If we go by the premise that the Eagles consider their roster a 70-man operation, then the 53-man initial roster is what general manager Howie Roseman called a balancing act.
The other 17 spots are for the practice squad (an extra player is allowed as an international player).
And here is where Roseman is taking his biggest chance. He waived a drafted quarterback in Kyle McCord in addition to some veterans who could easily get snatched up by other teams during waiver claims.
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But Roseman also took some chances on some young and unproven players who have virtually no chance of playing in any game this season.
We’re talking about sixth-round tackle Cameron Williams and quite possibly wide receiver Darius Cooper, an undrafted player out of FCS Tarleton State.
“The hardest part for us is trying to balance the development of young players who we like, and doing whatever we can to go out and defend our title,” Roseman said. “So everything we’re doing is for those parallel paths and trying to figure out where we can get away with developing some guys that we think can help us in the future, and where we can help the team in the short term and make sure that we’re covered.”
All of this was done, of course, to make sure the Eagles still remained a Super Bowl-caliber team. In that regard, it’s hard to argue that. And it’s also hard to argue that on the surface, the players who need to shine the most will have every opportunity to do so.
That begins with a certain running back, who had a season for the ages in 2024, and could have an even better supporting cast around him this season.
Here, then, are the winners and losers from the roster reveal:
WINNER: RB Saquon Barkley
No, Barkley doesn’t go about picking the roster, but no doubt, he has to be happy with the players behind him.
Barkley might not repeat his 2,000-yard season from 2024, but he also won’t have to. That’s because the Eagles have two depth players behind him in Will Shipley and A.J. Dillon. Plus, they kept a fullback(!) in Ben VanSumeren.
And when opponents clamp down on Barkley, well, QB Jalen Hurts does have some pretty good receivers to throw to. The goal is to have Barkley productive − and fresh − for the postseason. What that looks like in terms of yards and touches doesn’t matter as much as that it happens.
WINNER: WR Darius Cooper
You always love an underdog story, and Cooper is about as underdog as you get. He came in undrafted out of FCS Tarleton State. Yet there he was, beating out 2024 fifth-round pick Ainias Smith and veterans Terrace Marshall and Elijah Cooks for the final wide receiver job.
“Obviously, he’s not playing in the SEC, but you can see that he’s got talent,” Roseman said. “When he came in here, just seeing how big and strong he was … This guy has so much developmental qualities for us, and what a great kid. Obviously, it starts now. We tell all of these guys, there are no scholarships in the NFL. They gotta keep earning it. But he’s done everything up to this point to earn the opportunity.”
You root for guys like that.
LOSER: Special teamers Avery Williams, Charley Hughlett
The Eagles signed Avery Williams as a free agent to serve as both a kick and punt returner, and long snapper Charley Hughlett to serve as the long snapper.
Both were waived.
But don’t be fooled. Hughlett will be the long snapper Week 1 assuming he gets to the practice squad, and there’s a good chance that Williams ends up as the kick and punt returner Week 1 as well.
That’s because the Eagles could use their two game-day elevations on them. And if they have to promote one of them to the 53-man roster, they can do it after Week 1 when their salaries are no longer guaranteed.
But the real reason for waiving both veterans was to preserve a roster spot for a young player whom the Eagles didn’t want to risk losing to the waiver wire. Such as …
WINNER: Tackle Cameron Williams
Williams, one of the Eagles’ sixth-round draft picks last spring, rarely got more than third-team reps during training camp. Yet here he is on the 53-man roster. The reason is simple: Williams is still 21 years old, with plenty of room to grow.
“You’ve got to look at it like, ‘If this guy went back into school, where would he be a year from now?'” Roseman said. “Where can we get this guy two years from now? What would that look like?
“Not trying to hurt the team in the short term, but also understand if these guys can help us down the road and save us a high draft pick, that’s incredible value. He’s got a long way to go to do that.”
But at least he’s getting the chance.
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LOSER: Kyle McCord
McCord’s fate was officially sealed when the Eagles traded for Sam Howell on Aug. 24. But really, it was sealed long before that. Once McCord passed Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the depth chart, there was no way the Eagles could risk having him as the No. 3 QB.
And especially not when Tanner McKee broke his thumb, leaving no true backup to Hurts. For a non-Super Bowl team, that’s probably a risk worth taking. But not for the Eagles. So while McCord would have made for a great story as a local kid playing for his hometown team, the reality was the Eagles needed a veteran upgrade.
It was telling that Roseman admitted he would have made the trade for Howell even if McKee didn’t hurt his finger.
“We just thought it was an opportunity to improve in the short-term quarterback position, which is obviously a hugely important position,” Roseman said. “For us, the opportunity to have those guys with the experience that they have in that room, just we felt like it was in the best interest of the team for this season.”
LOSER: Nakobe Dean
Dean had a career season in 2024 until he tore his patellar tendon in the playoffs. The Eagles then drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round, and Campbell has basically Wally Pipp’d Dean, who’s staying on the PUP list. That means Dean has to miss at least the first four games.
By the time Dean is eligible to return, Campbell should be developed enough to keep the starting job next to Zack Baun. Dean will likely be a part-time player when he is cleared to play. He’s eligible for free agency after the season, so he’ll probably be on a new team in 2026.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles’ biggest winners and losers from initial 53-man roster