The Philadelphia Eagles are one month away from cutting their 90-man roster to 53 on Aug. 30, while the Denver Broncos still have 14 training camp practices and three preseason games before they finalize their own 53-man roster. The machinery of professional football keeps moving. Players wait for the axe.
Who Gets Kept, Who Gets Cut
The Eagles’ coaches have two practice sessions and an early-summer depth chart to work from, and Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena are offering their first 53-man roster projections. That’s the game here: not football in the abstract, but a sorting process where a few names survive and the rest get pushed out.
At quarterback, Kubena projects Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, while Berman projects Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and Cole Payton. Kubena says the Eagles can’t afford to trade McKee unless they acquire another reliable veteran, while Berman says he sees a realistic pathway for Payton to make the roster because he thinks the Eagles will trade Tanner McKee or Andy Dalton. The roster math is blunt. Somebody’s job depends on somebody else being moved.
At running back, Kubena projects Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce, while Berman projects Barkley, Bigsby and Shipley. Kubena says Bigsby’s touchdown run in practice showed he can complement Barkley, and Berman says Shipley will be the No. 3 back and a special teams contributor. Even the backs are being measured against utility, not dignity.
The Depth Chart as a Sorting Machine
At wide receiver, Kubena projects DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, Makai Lemon and Johnny Wilson, while Berman projects Smith, Wicks, Lemon, Brown and Wilson. Kubena says Roseman views the unit as a “basketball squad,” and Berman says the Eagles may go deeper at tight end and on the offensive line instead. That’s roster management as corporate triage: one room gets stacked, another gets squeezed.
At tight end, Kubena projects Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt and Eli Stowers, while Berman projects Goedert, Mundt, Stowers and Cameron Latu. Kubena says Goedert remains the room’s most dangerous target so long as the 31-year-old stays healthy, and Berman says Latu makes sense as a fullback/tight end/special teams hybrid. The language is all about roles, slots, and fit. People become interchangeable parts.
On the offensive line, Kubena projects Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Markel Bell, Fred Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, Myles Hinton and Drew Kendall, while Berman projects Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Markel Bell, Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton and Micah Morris. The line is where the whole operation gets protected, and the roster projections show exactly who the apparatus values most.
The Bosses Keep Their Options Open
On the defensive line, both projections include Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young and Ty Robinson, while Kubena adds Gabe Hall and Berman adds Uar Bernard. Kubena says Bernard is still very raw and that the Eagles will have to waive him, though the team is invested in his development. At edge rusher, both project Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa. Kubena says Greenard’s pectoral strain is not expected to be long term and that his Week 1 start remains a goal. Berman says Brandon Graham is the wild card if he returns for a 17th season.
At linebacker, both project Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr. and Chance Campbell. Kubena says Baun and Campbell will never leave the field if healthy, while Berman says the Eagles could live with four linebackers and use the extra spot elsewhere. At cornerback, Kubena projects Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Mac McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett, while Berman projects Mitchell, DeJean, Woolen, Jonathan Jones and Kelee Ringo. Kubena says Woolen gives the Eagles a definitive CB2, while Berman says Jones gets the nod for experience and versatility.
At safety, Kubena projects Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II and J.T. Gray, while Berman projects Mukuba, Epps, Carter and Cole Wisniewski. Kubena says Epps has a slight edge over Carter for the starting job next to Mukuba, while Berman says Howie Roseman could still seek an upgrade. At specialist, both project Jake Elliott, Braden Mann and Rocco Underwood. Kubena says Underwood is the new kid in town, Elliott is 31, Mann is 28, and Elliott’s 74.1 field goal percentage last season was the second lowest of his career. Berman says Underwood’s spot is not entrenched and that the Eagles could seek an external upgrade.
The Broncos’ side of the ledger is just as managed from above. One prediction piece says they can go 11-6 after going 14-3 and reaching the AFC Championship last year, then lays out a full schedule forecast: Week 1 at the Chiefs, a 21-20 win; Week 2 vs. the Jaguars, a 23-21 loss; Week 3 vs. the Rams, a 24-22 loss; Week 4 at the 49ers, a 23-22 win; Week 5 at the Chargers, a 22-19 win; Week 6 vs. the Seahawks, a 23-20 loss; Week 7 at the Cardinals, a 26-19 win; Week 8 vs. the Chiefs, a 25-28 loss; Week 9 at the Panthers, a 23-18 win; Week 10 bye; Week 11 vs. the Raiders, a 24-16 win; Week 12 at the Steelers, a 24-21 win; Week 13 vs. the Dolphins, a 24-19 win; Week 14 at the Jets, a 27-18 win; Week 15 at the Raiders, a 20-17 win; Week 16 vs. the Bills, a 23-22 loss; Week 17 at the Patriots, a 31-17 win; and Week 18 vs. the Chargers, a 23-20 loss.
That forecast says the Broncos have three prime-time games, plus two standalone games on Black Friday and Christmas Day. It says football is right around the corner. For the people inside these rosters, though, the calendar means something else: more practices, more cuts, more decisions made by people with the power to keep or discard.