The Philadelphia Eagles' initial 53-man roster is here , though it may change before the Birds play their Week 1 Brazil matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Much of the roster was already intact ahead of NFL training camp but there were still some interesting key takeaways looking at the overall bigger picture.
Rookie WR Johnny Wilson is That Good
Yes, Johnny Wilson is that good .
One could argue that the Eagles' 2024 sixth-round pick wide receiver entered training camp as a longshot to land a roster spot since he was up against experienced veterans Parris Campbell and John Ross.
He also missed a chunk of training camp due to a concussion.
Still, aside from Wilson's massive frame, the Eagles must have really liked what they saw from the rookie wideout through practices for him to earn that final roster spot in the wideout room.
James Bradberry Isn't Going Anywhere, Yet
Veteran defensive back James Bradberry making the roster was a bit of a surprise, but then again, his position switch helped his chances.
The Eagles moved Bradberry to safety this offseason and since they don't have much help at the position with Sydney Brown injured, it just made sense.
2022 UDFA Tristin McCollum, who looked better than Bradberry during the preseason, also made the team.
“Tristan obviously flashed in games and did some really good things in games that we all saw, right?” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “But also, he was consistent in practice and the things that he did in practice. And you know, he has great athletic ability that can help on special teams and we know how he can affect the game on special teams as well.”
It will be interesting to see what the Eagles do there once Brown is healthy again. The Eagles could also be using Bradberry as trade bait.
The Eagles Figured Out a How to Keep Rookie WR Ainias Smith
Rookie wide receiver Ainias Smith had an up-and-down offseason, but the Eagles are not ready to give up on him just yet.
The 2024 fifth-round pick is dealing with an ankle and hamstring injury and was placed on the injured reserve just before the cutdown deadline on Tuesday.
The NFL's new rule says teams can place up to two players on the IR on the day of final roster cuts and they won't lose them for the season as long as they're expected to return.
The Eagles used the other IR spot on tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.
“Well, we had two guys that were injured, two guys that if they came back healthy at some point during the season, we think they can help us,” general manager Howie Roseman said of the decision. “But we got to get them right. They’re hurt. And so those were two guys that we would have to put on the 53 in other years and then put them on IR tomorrow. So certainly felt like the rule in this situation helped us keep two other players that we may not have been able to keep.”
Related: Philadelphia Eagles finalize initial 53-man roster ahead of Week 1 2024 NFL season
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