5 Philadelphia Eagles offensive veterans who are in danger of being cut

[time2rock]

5 Philadelphia Eagles offensive veterans who are in danger of being cut

 

by Ben Swanger

 

 

The Philadelphia Eagles youth movement could end the runs of several veterans.

The average age of the Philadelphia Eagles offense, as it stands right now, is 24.5 years old. At the skill positions, the age drops to a mere 23. The youth movement is upon this Eagles franchise and some familiar faces in Philadelphia could be on their way out the door.

The fresh faces on this Philadelphia roster are hungry to make an impact and within crowded position groups like offensive line, wide receivers, and running backs, competition will certainly be steeper than it has been in year’s past.

In mid-May, predicting the depth chart is near impossible, but a few deductions can be made. The Eagles have about eight roster-worthy wide receivers and that number could get cut to five come September. On the offensive line, 12 have logged snaps for Philly and rookie Landon Dickerson makes 13 amidst the competition. Finally, at running back, the room currently houses eight runners, all of whom could end up on a 53-man roster in 2021.

Tough decisions will have to be made and if the Eagles are indeed looking to turn to youth on offense, especially with the playmaker’s, a few veterans will certainly be on the out looking in.

Let’s start by examining the running backs.

 

24

JORDAN HOWARD

 

The Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to kick the tires on Jordan Howard was odd.

Jordan Howard’s 2020 season was a campaign to forget, however, the Philadelphia Eagles must see something in the veteran to keep bringing him back. After an abysmal start to 2020 with the Miami Dolphins, Jordan Howard was released and in swooped the Eagles. He closed last season with Philly and rushed for 27 yards on just seven carries.

In early April, the Eagles announced Howard would be returning to the team on a veteran minimum, 1-year $990,000 contract. The contract isn’t guaranteed and Howard’s path to the 53-man roster has muddied after Kenny Gainwell was drafted and Kerryon Johnson was claimed via waivers.

The signing of Howard was head-scratching to say the least as he averaged a whopping 1.7 yards per rush last season. Howard might still be an effective back in certain short yard situations, however his burst is certainly diminished and he doesn’t bring electric pass-catching ability to the table.

Howard might be an asset within the running back room in training camp as a veteran voice, however if he performs the same way in this upcoming camp as he did in 2020, cutting him might be the easiest decision this staff has to make.

If Howard doesn’t make the Eagles, the sun on his career could be completely set.

 

35

BOSTON SCOTT

 

Boston Scott’s tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles could be coming to an end.

His electrifying plays against NFC East division rivals the past two seasons have certainly been something to write home about, but with the acquisition of two more young backs, Boston Scott has a high hill to climb in order to make this Philadelphia Eagles roster.

Believe it or not, Scott is the same age as Jordan Howard. The young back who worked his way up from the practice squad onto the active roster isn’t the back the Eagles have anymore. Scott is now a veteran and his ceiling on a good team is the third option.

Nick Sirianni loves pass-catching backs and Scott is a solid option to play the role that Nyheim Hines excelled in last season in Indianapolis, however Scott’s main competition is an electric rookie in Kenny Gainwell.

Scott isn’t going to be the bulldozing back Jordan Howard and Kerryon Johnson will compete to be. He isn’t as explosive as Gainwell. And he certainly will not be taking touches away from Miles Sanders. If he is viewed as the fourth option, the Eagles could very well cut ties with Scott in order to continue to develop a younger back as the fourth option like Jason Huntley, Adrian Killins, or Elijah Holyfield.

Other than Sanders’ bell-cow role, not a single running back’s spot on the roster is guaranteed. The competition will be riveting, but if Scott is a camp casualty, it will be interesting to see how he fairs with a new team.

 

69

MATT PRYOR

 

Matt Pryor was a disaster for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.

Cutting ties with offensive lineman Matt Pryor might be an easier decision than letting go of Jordan Howard. In 2020, the Eagles offensive line was in utter shambles and Pryor was one of the main culprits of poor play.

Pryor will turn 27 this upcoming season and his position along the offensive line still isn’t completely defined. Is he best on the inside or the outside? The world may never know. Pryor has played both guard and tackle, however, his performance at both positions is incredibly shaky. He has logged quality snaps, but his inconsistency has and will continue to hold him back from being one of Philly’s top reserve options along the offensive front.

With the addition of Landon Dickerson, the return of the injured veterans, and younger talent to develop like Nate Herbig and Jack Driscoll, Pryor, unless he steals someone’s talent like the Monstars in Space Jam, will be cut by Philly.

The veteran is entering his final year on a four-year contract and if Philly cuts him, the team will save just under $1 million.

Pryor’s performance in this upcoming training camp can’t get worse than his heralded performance at tackle in last year’s camp where he was beaten snap in and snap out by Derek Barnett.

Let’s hit the wide receiver room.

 

19

J.J. ARCEGA-WHITESIDE

 

The release of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside from the Philadelphia Eagles is long overdue.

If J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has proven one thing to the Philadelphia Eagles it is that he is anything but an NFL-caliber wide receiver. Coming out of Stanford, his contested catch ability was held to high esteem and in a perfect world he was going to fill Alshon Jeffery’s shoes. Instead, the only shoes Arcega-Whiteside will be filling definitely will not be cleats once he is released from the Eagles’ roster.

 

After being selected in the second round in the 2019 NFL Draft, the receiver has logged 14 catches in 24 games for 254 yards and a single receiving touchdown. Travis Fulgham exceeded Arcega-Whiteside’s career totals in his first three games with Philly last season.

It’s simple: there is no place for Arcega-Whiteside on the Eagles wide receiver depth chart. The versatility Jalen Reagor, Devonta Smith, and Fulgham bring to the table is a skillset Arcega-Whiteside doesn’t possess. JJAW can’t play the slot and he certainly will not take the top off the defense as the Z. The top three guys, and even Quez Watkins and John Hightower, can play more than one spot in Sirianni’s offense. The one feature the Stanford product was supposed to specialize in hasn’t even been put on display.

Maybe Sirianni’s background in receiver development will benefit JJAW, but the former second-round receiver has a high mountain to climb to fit into the top five or six.

Let’s round this thing out.

 

84

GREG WARD

 

The Philadelphia Eagles breaking up with Greg Ward would be tough to swallow.

The former quarterback turned slot technician, Greg Ward has become one of the most consistent weapons in the Philadelphia Eagles offense the past two seasons. Despite the tape he has logged, Ward will certainly have to earn his roster spot for 2021.

Ward was on the receiving end of Jalen Hurts’ first career passing touchdown, however, there is no guarantee he will catch another. Ward works the slot position craftily, but his lack of versatility and explosiveness might plague him come competition time.

Ward logged a measly 7.9 yards per reception last season. That might not be entirely his fault, though, as the entire Eagles offense was stagnant in 2020. He became a security blanket most of the time and was rarely the receiver being schemed open downfield.

The one thing Ward has displayed throughout his two-year career, though, is reliability. If the ball is put within Ward’s catch radius, he will bring it down. Believe it or not, Ward will come into training camp as the most experienced pass catcher in the Eagles receiver room and that veteran presence might serve him well, but if Sirianni wants to unleash the versatile speedsters, Ward could find himself on the wrong side of the cut line.

https://insidetheiggles.com/2021/05/17/philadelphia-eagles-veterans-danger-cut/6/

[UK_EaglesFan89]

JJAW is a veteran? Hmm...

I think Ward makes the roster because he's a pure slot guy, he's reliable and he's more of a veteran presence.