The Philadelphia Eagles have officially narrowed the final roster down to 53 players. While Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will continue to make moves ahead of Week 1, there are a few areas of concern in Philadelphia.
As currently constructed, there are two significant voids in the team’s roster. Roseman and Philadelphia’s front office surely have a contingency plan in place. Yet as the regular season quickly approaches, those concerns will need to be fixed quickly.
Let’s take a look at three areas of concern for the Eagles following final cuts.
3 Areas of Concern for the Eagles in 2024
What Is the Eagles’ Plan at Backup Center?
Following the retirement of legendary center Jason Kelce, it was clear that 2024 was going to be a transition year at the position in Philadelphia. Yet the Eagles are taking quite a bold approach following the initial cutdown to a 53-man roster.
As of right now, the Eagles have just one center on the roster, third-year offensive lineman Cam Jurgens. Many expected rookie Dylan McMahon or veteran Brett Toth to make the team’s final roster and serve as the backup center. Yet Roseman and the front office decided to move on from both players.
Now the Eagles will be tasked with figuring out a plan behind Jurgens. Considering that Jurgens already missed multiple games last season, he isn’t exactly the ironman that Kelce once was. Therefore, Philadelphia will likely work to bring McMahon, Toth, or Nick Gates back on the team’s practice squad.
While each player on the practice squad is limited to just three gameday elevations, the Eagles could opt to slide Landon Dickerson over to center if Jurgens gets injured. Dickerson played center in college and the Eagles would be able to fill his void at left guard with rookie Trevor Keegan.
Yet the idea of disrupting two positions along the offensive line due to one player being injured isn’t exactly ideal. Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see what Philadelphia’s plan will be at backup center in 2024.
How Will the Eagles Address the Void at TE3?
While some believed E.J. Jenkins did enough to make the final cut as TE3 in Philadelphia, the Eagles waived him on Tuesday. Now the team will likely hope that Jenkins clears waivers, which will allow him to sign with Philadelphia’s practice squad.
Although Jenkins showed promise during the preseason, he may not be ready to contribute just yet. This is why the Eagles could look elsewhere for help at tight end behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.
One target could be a familiar face in former Eagles tight end Jack Stoll. The 26-year-old tight end spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in Philadelphia. Now he was cut by the New York Giants, and a reunion with the Eagles could make sense.
#Chargers have released TE Donald Parham Jr. per @RealFRamirez pic.twitter.com/GkZ7IAd88W
— Chargers Country (@ChargersCountry) August 27, 2024
Yet the concern with Stoll is his limited upside as a pass catcher, which could open the door for another tight end who is familiar with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Donald Parham Jr. was released by the Los Angeles Chargers and enjoyed the best season of his NFL career with Moore as his OC last season.
Regardless of what the Eagles plan to do at TE3, the position needs to be addressed. Given Goedert and Calcaterra’s well-documented injury history, Philadelphia can’t rely on them to stay healthy in 2024.
Are the Young Defensive Linemen Ready To Step Up for the Eagles in 2024?
Prior to the 2023 season, the Eagles dealt with the departure of former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. As the 2024 regular season is set to begin, Philadelphia must deal with the retirement of potential Hall of Fame defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
While the Eagles are ushering in a new era on the defensive front, it’s fair to be concerned about the readiness of Philadelphia’s interior defensive linemen. The average age of the team’s six defensive linemen is just 24.
MORE: 2024 Surprise Cuts: Every NFL Team’s Most Shocking Cut
No player among those six defensive linemen has played more than 562 snaps in a single season in the NFL. To put that workload into perspective, Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler each played over 850 snaps as interior defensive linemen in Vic Fangio’s system last season.
Although Philadelphia’s defensive front is loaded with promising talent, it’s worth wondering if they’re ready to handle such a massive workload. Only time will tell if the Eagles’ youth movement in the trenches will pay off, but the concern is certainly legitimate.