Rapid Reaction: Making sense of the Eagles final cuts

The Eagles announced their 19 cuts on Saturday. Those moves and two injured reserve designations allowed the team to get down to the league-mandated 53-man limit. While some of the moves came as mild surprises, the rest of the exodus was pretty straight forward with camp bodies and under-performing fringe talent.

The team still likely has some more work to do as they navigate the waiver wire Saturday night into Sunday morning. Remember, just because a player has made the initial 53-man roster, it doesn't mean they will be on the team come Week 1. For some of the recently cut players, it actually puts them in a better position than those who will be released for waiver wire pickups just a day later.

Let's take a look at the players that were cut this weekend:

WR Damaris Johnson

Johnson was one of a few players with multiple years of experience on the Eagles roster that was cut on Saturday. He just never seemed to be a player that Chip Kelly wanted around. A mediocre return man with average speed for his size, Johnson just did nothing that was all that special. He was a victim of a lot of mental errors as well, which got him in the dog house. He will get claimed somewhere and has fringe NFL talent, but could be productive with a change of scenery. He is probably the most desirable of the Eagles cuts due to his versatility.

LB Emmanuel Acho

I am sorry ACHOMANIACS, but it looks like your hero is headed to the practice squad again. Acho is very athletic and can tackle, his issue is that he's everywhere and not in the good way. He needs to work on playing with control and show better instincts. I don't think this is the last we've seen of Acho, but it is another bump in the road. On the bright side, the Eagles won the Acho-Dion Lewis trade, Acho played six games with the Eagles last season and Lewis played none for the Browns, who released him on Saturday.

OG Josh Andrews

Andrews was kept around for the preseason finale as injury insurance in case David Molk went down. While he may have never had a shot at the roster, he could be a nice practice squad option. He could turn into Chip Kelly's Dallas Reynolds.

CB Roc Carmichael

Carmichael struggled throughout the preseason and was just not good enough on special teams to stick. He got to play a lot last season to mixed results, so he may get a look elsewhere. He is destined to be a bottom-of-the-roster guy for the rest of his career.

OT Kevin Graf

If there was an ideal practice squad tackle, it'd probably be Graf. He showed promise in the preseason and was an accomplished college player. The Eagles need to figure out if he's just a right side lineman or if he can eventually be a swing guy. He could also be a future guard.

S Keelan Johnson

Johnson was disappointing on-and-off the field this off-season. He got arrested for putting his hands on a cop and missed a week of training camp due to those charges. He showed absolutely nothing in the preseason, which wasn't a step up from his regular season stint last season.

LB Josh Kaddu, DT Wade Keliikipi and WR Will Murphy

The three Oregon camp bodies we have all grown to love or forget about have been cut. I could see how all three end up on the practice squad. Chip Kelly loves familiarity and that is a nice element on the practice squad. Keliikipi needs work but could be next preseason's Brandon Bair.

S Ed Reynolds

The fifth round pick showed an ability to tackle in the preseason but was underwhelming in all other aspects. If you read the site, you know I was not a fan of this pick at all based on his college tape. He clearly needs some practice squad work and maybe he will be able to contribute later in the season, similarly to Keelan Johnson last season. I wouldn't look at this as a waste of a draft pick as much as it speaks to the depth of the team. You also have to appreciate Kelly and Roseman not being afraid to admit a mistake and cut a guy that they acquired with a valued asset.

DT Damion Square

Square is better than a lot of people give him credit for and he will get work elsewhere. He showed the ability to block kicks this preseason and got a lot of playing time last season. It likely came down to Bair, Square and Hart for two spots and Hart and Bair just offered more positional versatility (and they went to Oregon).

RB Matthew Tucker

This is the one cut I find odd. It's not because Tucker is a future star, but because the Eagles opted for three running backs instead of four, despite Tucker playing extremely well. He should get looks elsewhere as a goal line back and I have been impressed by him in both of his preseasons. If he makes it to the practice squad, the Eagles made a great bet and won.

K Alex Henery

You shouldn't start gloating, as we don't know if Cody Parkey is the answer. That said, this cut needed to happen for both parties. Henery needed a change of scenery to repair his confidence and the Eagles needed to believe in their kicker. It was really that simple in my mind.

WR Ifeanyi Momah

The folk hero of so many has faced the chop for a second season. However, this year he showed enough for a practice squad spot. He is making progress and will likely be back for his third Eagles off-season unless he is picked up elsewhere.

RB Henry Josey

The undrafted free agent was a sensation in the preseason but just didn't show the blocking or special teams prowess to warrant a backup spot. I'd be shocked if he didn't get picked up on waivers.

WR Quron Pratt

Another undrafted rookie who played very, very well in the preseason. It hurt him that there were already two rookie draft picks on the roster, but he will get a look at the practice squad. The Eagles seem to like him.

QB G.J. Kinne

Oh practice squad captain, my captain. Kinne just isn't an NFL quarterback but is worthy of a practice squad spot because of his knowledge of the offense and his willingness to do everything!

CB Curtis Marsh

He had a great start to training camp and then just got killed in preseason games. I think he will get a look elsewhere but it doesn't look good when you are getting owned by third-stringers. He is a good guy and I wish him well.

RB Kenjon Barner

A lot has been said about Barner on BGN over the last few days and it seems all those comments really didn't matter. Barner was waived/injured which means he will likely be placed on injured reserve when he got unclaimed on the wire. That means the Eagles won't owe the Panthers anything and will maintain Barner's rights. That was a good look by Roseman.