We got a foreshadowing of the unexpected as the cuts kept coming this past Thursday. The Eagles announced their first 12 roster cuts and at least three names raised eyebrows:
• Running back Elijah Holyfield
• Running back Adrian Killins
• Running back Michael Warren
All three were heavily involved in Training Camp and seemed to make the most of their opportunities. All three have been waived, leaving the Eagles with three running backs on the current roster – Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement.
No way this team is planning on carrying only three RBs going into its September 13th opener. So something is up, feel free to speculate…
To cut their roster down to 53 players, the Eagles announced 13 transactions on Thursday. The team has until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to meet the league-mandated roster limit.
Here are the Eagles’ 13 moves from Thursday:
INJURED RESERVE—(The following players will not play for the Eagles this season. They can be waived off injured reserve if they reach an injury settlement with the team.)
OT Andre Dillard: The 2019 first-round pick is set for surgery after tearing his biceps last week during padded practice. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Dillard, who was looking to replace Jason Peters at left tackle. Now, he’ll spend his second NFL season on the sidelined.
WAIVED—
(The following players will be subject to waivers when their transactions become official. If they make it through waivers unclaimed, the Eagles can sign them to the practice squad.)
WR Deontay Burnett: The speedy wide receiver made highlight catch after highlight catch this summer, but still couldn’t stick. Just 22, Burnett should be on an NFL roster. The Eagles would be thrilled to have him on the practice squad.
WR Marcus Green: After returning to the team last month, Green provided some highlight plays out of the slot. He’s likely headed back to the Eagles’ practice squad for a second consecutive campaign.
WR Manasseh Bailey: The small-school prospect never really had a chance at a roster spot. However, he could be a developmental option on the 16-man practice squad.
C Luke Juriga: The Eagles might lose this undrafted center to waivers. A highly sought-after lineman on the undrafted free-agent market, Juriga could draw interest elsewhere. He had a solid training camp.
RB Elijah Holyfield: While the second-year running back made strides during the training camp, the Eagles clearly felt they could get by without his ground-and-pound style. Holyfield is likely to land on the practice squad and could receive a boost to the main roster when the Eagles suffer inevitable injuries in the backfield.
RB Mike Warren: The undrafted rookie came in with high expectations from the draft community but ended up staying at the bottom of the depth chart throughout the summer. He is likely to get practice squad consideration in Philadelphia or elsewhere.
RB Adrian Killins: The speedy back was given a run as a Swiss Army knife during practice. He lined up at running back, wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner. The read on his waiving is that the Eagles view him as a long-term project on the practice squad.
TE Tyrone Swoopes: Brought in to fill the practice reps void left behind by Josh Perkins, Swoopes was always going to face the chopping block. Perhaps he showed enough to make it onto the practice roster.
S Grayland Arnold: The undrafted defensive back seemed like a popular dark horse for the Week 1 roster but it was not to be. He will probably receive interest on the waiver wire, as he still performed well during camp. He also has the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary.
G Julian Good-Jones: The undrafted rookie had his moments as the third-string right guard this offseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him resurface on the practice squad.
WR Travis Fulgham: After arriving during the second week of padded practice, Fulgham made a couple of standout plays in team drills. He has some upside, so the Eagles will probably look to keep around if he passes through waivers.
S Elijah Riley: The undrafted defensive back had some moments to shine this summer. The Eagles should look into bringing him back on the practice squad.
Meanwhile the injuries pile up. Cornerback Avonte Maddox is the latest notable name to be added to the Eagles’ injury list.
Maddox, who is expected to be the team’s No. 2 cornerback, was sidelined on Wednesday with a lower-body injury. The Eagles have listed Maddox as “day-to-day.”
Maddox wasn’t the only notable defensive back on the list. Safety Will Parks (lower body—hamstring) is expected to miss multiple weeks with his own ailment.
Defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (lower body) was another new name on the list. Like Maddox, Ridgeway is listed as a “day-to-day.”
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