Hand fracture could cost Curtis Marsh a spot on the Eagles' roster

Cornerback Curtis Marsh is one of the few holdovers at cornerback for the Eagles, following Andy Reid's dismissal in January. The third-year cornerback out of Utah State had been competing for a major role in the secondary, but an injury and recent poor performance could have him looking for a new job in a few weeks.

On Saturday, it was reported that Marsh suffered a fracture to his left hand in Week Two of the preseason. According to Corey Seidman of CSN Philly, Marsh was injured in the second half of Friday night's game against the Carolina Panthers. The injury comes just one week after he was routinely torched and embarrassed by Tom Brady and the Patriots. Tommy Lawlor of Iggles Blitz remarked that Marsh didn't play very well against the Patriots in Week One and barely played due to injury on Friday. Our very own Jimmy Kempski ranked Marsh among the bottom five players during training camp on Philly.com.

Initially, the Eagles seemed to do all they could to show that they had faith in Marsh. He was put on the first-team when Cary Williams missed time and he received plenty of reps during training camp. The former college running back was finally getting the reps he needed to continue to learn and adapt to his NFL position. However, with his performance as of late and the hand fracture set to keep him out indefinitely, Marsh's prospects of having a role (let alone make the roster) look shaky at best.

While they don't play the same position, Marsh's offseason has been similar to that of Mike Kafka's last summer. Kafka was expected to be the backup to Michael Vick in 2012 and came into camp looking sharp while receiving heavy reps. Vick was forced to miss time early in the preseason and Kafka looked to be in great position to show off his skills. However, the Northwestern alum suffered a hand injury and was forced to sit out. Nick Foles and Trent Edwards were able to jump ahead of Kafka on the depth chart and eventually earned spots on the active roster, while the longer-tenured player was cut.

This offseason Marsh will be held out from action right as Brandon Hughes and Eddie Whitley are starting to play well. Hughes has been with the team for three years and has shown flashes on special teams and as a backup, while Whitley is a former 49ers' undrafted free agent who is coming off an impress game against the Panthers. With Marsh out, their chances of making the roster increase. The team is likely to keep five cornerbacks and Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams and Brandon Boykin are locks. If Whitley and Hughes excel over the next two weeks, Marsh could find himself being "Kafka'd."