Philadelphia Eagles: Preparing to Finalize Team, Some Cuts Done

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, coach Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles took the first step in trimming their roster to the NFL mandated 53 players. They released 12 and placed one on injured reserve leaving themselves with some tough decisions to be made today. Moving toward their final roster, no real surprises came with the players released on Friday, but looking ahead there could be some names of value that are on the move today.

The most notable of players waived by the Eagles thus far was cornerback Trevard Lindley who has spent the past few years playing spot time and attempting to earn a more regular role in the Eagles secondary. An injury during Thursday night’s preseason finale didn’t help his case much, but with inconsistent performances he didn’t seem a likely fit to fill one of the open roles.

Other players who were foreseeably shown the door were quarterbacks G.J. Kinne and Dennis Dixon, moving the Eagles to the manageable number of three at the position. The receiver core began to become smaller as well, seeing former Oregon walk-on Will Murphy and Ifeanyi Momah, who had difficulty making the standout plays to catch the coaching staff’s eye, let go. Look for the Eagles to make more moves in this area later today.

Adrian Robinson may have been the surprise of the group let go on Friday. He had only been with Eagles for about a week after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers for Felix Jones. The possibility was present for him to join the linebacking crew and contribute to a mediocre Eagles defense, but it seems that in just a short time he was unable to leave a lasting impression.

As the day progresses and the more difficult decisions begin to be made, don’t be surprised to see some more prominent, returning Eagles on the list. Clay Harbor, Danny Watkins and Casey Matthews are all names that have been floated as possible dismissals from the team. Harbor has had trouble finding his niche with the additions the Eagles made to the tight end group and him splitting some time at the wide receiver position due to injury created openings. Both Matthews and Watkins have been around the nest for a while now, but have yet to really make the impact that most were hoping for. Being thin in certain places may create an opportunity for them to stick around, but chances are they may be on the way out come the end of the day.

Bob Francis is a Philadelphia Eagles contributor for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rfrancisjr, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google