NFL Roster Cuts 2015: Deadline, rules, waiver wire, practice squad, and more

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't officially announced any 2015 NFL roster cuts yet, but they unofficially have around 57 players left on their roster if reports are to be believed. In any case, the Eagles will need to trim their roster down to 53 players in preparation for the 2015 NFL regular season.

Bleeding Green Nation's cut-down day coverage has already begun (follow along here). Here's some basic information on today's events.

When is the cut deadline?

All 32 NFL teams are required to be at the 53-man limit by today, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 at 4:00 PM EST.

Will that Eagles roster be the one we see next week against the Atlanta Falcons?

For the most part, yes, but not entirely. The Eagles still might continue to tweak the roster after the deadline depending on cuts around the league. The Eagles might claim a player on waivers, like they did with Najee Goode two years ago, and release one of the players that originally made the team in order to make room for him. It also sounds like the Eagles aren't done making trades considering all the rumors they've been involved in.

What about the practice squad?

BGN will have much more detail on the practice squad later, but for now, know that the Eagles can sign up to 10 players to a practice squad that doesn't count against the 53-man roster. These 10 players are typically young NFL players with little experience. In order to get to the practice squad, a player must clear waivers. After he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent, and then can sign with the practice squad.

The practice squad only used to hold eight players in previous years. Last year the NFL and the NFLPA agreed upon a practice squad extension that gives every team two extra spots. The eligibility rules for the two extra spots differ from the normal eligibility rules. READ HERE to see which Eagles player are/aren't eligible.  Note that players on the practice squad can be signed by any other team at any time. The only catch is that the team that signs him will have to keep him on their active roster for at least three weeks.

Teams can start to form their practice squad after 1:00 PM EST Sunday, Sept. 6.

What is the NFL waiver wire and how does it work?

Read a full explanation of the NFL waiver wire here. In short, a cut player with less than four years of service time is placed on waivers. All 31 other teams can place a claim on the player and add him to their 53-man roster. If the player goes unclaimed through waivers, they are free to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent. The waiver wire order is identical to the 2015 NFL Draft order, so the Eagles will have the 20th claim on any cuts that take place. Teams with the worse records own the highest waiver claim priority.

The waiver period for the weekend ends at 12:00 PM EST on Sunday, Sept. 6.

Where can I find full coverage of the Eagles cuts?

All you have to do is click here and check back for updates.