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With the 2025 NFL season rapidly approaching, it's clear the Philadelphia Eagles have more good players than they have available spots on their 53-man roster.
While the reigning and defending Super Bowl Champions didn't add much in the way of top-end free agent talent, opting instead to grab multiple veterans on prove-it deals, they did decide to select 10 new players in the 2025 NFL Draft, with a few more interesting prospects like Montrell Johnson coming to town by way of undrafted free agency.
Even in the modern NFL, where teams really have 70 players to work with thanks to the new, expanded practice squad, in order to utilize those additional options, they first have to get their young, interesting players through waivers in order to secure their new contracts, an opportunity that is easier said than done, considering the extra attention placed on the Super Bowl Champions.
Though they may ultimately return to Philadelphia, these three players might have a tough time making the Eagles' initial 53-man roster.
1. Kenyon Green
When the Eagles traded CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans in a pick swap that also featured Kenyon Green, fans became cautiously optimistic about the 24-year-old guard prospect.
Yes, Green has been one of the worst players in the NFL regardless of position during his run with the Texans, earning PFF ratings 30 points below league average, but on paper, a move to Philadelphia could have been just what the doctor ordered to get him back on track. A former first-round pick out of Texas A&M, Green was celebrated for his athleticism and power coming out of College Station; give that massive ball of clay to Jeff Stoutland, and who knows, maybe Philadelphia would find the next Mekhi Becton on a nice, team-friendly deal.
And yet, so far, Green doesn't even look like a quality bench option, where his lack of positional versatility makes him a tough retention when a player like Brett Toth has been earning far more first-team looks in Landon Dickerson's absence.
With four Day 3 draft picks on the offensive line vying for roster spots from the past two years, including some, like Trevor Keegan, who might not make the team, Green really needed to show the Eagles something to earn a roster spot. But after almost immediately losing the right guard competition with Tyler Steen, he's now being lapped by deep reserves like Toth, who simply looks more NFL-ready than Green, who doesn't frankly look like an NFL player at all.
2. Darius Cooper
After Preseason Game 1, it looked like Darius Cooper had a legitimate chance to make the Eagles' initial 53-man roster.
A rookie UDFA who has taught fans in the City of Brotherly Love where Tarleton State is – in Stephenville, Texas – Cooper was drawing comparisons to Deebo Samuel for his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands while deployed out of the slot.
Taking the field against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cooper was the Eagles' go-to guy, leading the team in targets, yards, and touchdowns while leading all players, including Ja'Marr Chase, in yards at 82. While the Eagles didn't necessarily have a WR3 spot open, as Jahan Dotson has earned rave reviews for his route running, Cooper looked like the kind of player who could earn a roster spot, receive some playing time due to injury, and then hold onto the spot for years to come.
… and then some bad luck came Cooper's way.
First, the Eagles seemingly found their new returnman in Ainias Smith, who has impressed in both preseason games in one facet of the game or another, all but locking up his roster spot considering he was a fifth-round pick last spring. Then, the Eagles traded for John Metchie III, who is all but guaranteed a roster spot alongside his college teammate, DeVonta Smith.
Now granted, if Johnny Wilson ends up starting the season on IR, there may be a spot for Cooper, but it's far more likely he ends up being waived and lands on the practice squad to start the season, where he will be just a phone call away from making his debut in Midnight Green, especially after a very quiet Game 2 against the Browns.
3. Eli Ricks
For the past two seasons, Eli Ricks has been one of the Eagles' biggest developmental projects.
Once considered a truly elite prospect coming out of high school, the 5-star recruit out of Rancho Cucamonga never really caught on during his initial run at LSU, transferring to Alabama before going undrafted in 2023. From there, Ricks landed in Philadelphia, where he's been earning reps on special teams and practicing at outside cornerback, even if he's only played 315 snaps over the past two years, including just 14 last fall.
Like Cooper, there was a time when it looked like Ricks had a legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster, especially with no CB2 locked up opposite Quinyon Mitchell, but he, too, may be a victim of the numbers game following Howie Roseman's decision to acquire Jakorian Bennett from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for depth defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV.
Ricks is a special teams player with great size for an outside cornerback, but he isn't particularly fast and really hasn't developed much in Vic Fangio's system, to the point where a rookie like Mac McWilliams is far more likely to make the roster than the third-year pro. Barring a surprise trade or release – which seems unlikely, considering the Eagles need more talent at cornerback, not less – it feels like Ricks' run in South Philadelphia might have finally run out.
