Looking ahead to the Eagles’ roster battles

We’re still a couple months out from the Philadelphia Eagles 2019 training camp.. yes, that was just as depressing to type as it was for you to read. Still, there are some major decisions coming down the pike regarding roster spots and position battles.

On The Kist & Solak Show #94, we take an early look at how we think the roster will shape out. One position of major interest is how the guard situation will look like in the beginning of the season. Football Outsiders highlighted it as the Eagles’ sore spot, and they’re not wrong. The good news is Brandon Brooks recently tweeted out some encouraging signs about his recovery.

If he’s not ready, is the short-term answer Matt Pryor? The 2018 sixth-round selection checks in at a massive 6’7”, 332 pounds but has yet to play a single snap as a professional. Could Ryan Bates take advantage of this opportunity to find his way onto the roster and earn meaningful snaps? Of all the undrafted free agents, his path to the roster seems the cleanest.

Looking at the linebacker position, the addition of veteran Zach Brown muddies the picture for the bottom of the depth chart. While LJ Fort and his $1.9M of guaranteed money seems secure, what about Kamu Grugier-Hill, Paul Worrilow, Nate Gerry and a host of other new additions? From the preseason to the end of the season, Grugier-Hill showed the most promise among the remaining depth pieces.

If I had to pick one in serious risk of being on the bubble, it would be Gerry. Out of the linebackers that took over 100 snaps last year, he struggled the most. It will be an important camp for him and his future with the Eagles.

One massive question surrounds the future of Jordan Mailata. If the Eagles don’t trade Halapoulivaati Vaitai, will they have room on the roster to protect him? Did the Andre Dillard selection cloud his future with the team? The Eagles once cut ties with Alejandro Villanueva, who later became a solid starting offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You would hope the same doesn’t happen to Mailata.

On The Kist & Solak Show #94 we dig into other positional battles like running back, safety, and even get into the tricky compensatory pick formula and how it will impact the Eagles decision making process. You can listen to all of that on the media player below or by clicking here if the player doesn’t load. New to podcasts? Check out our guide on how to listen to BGN! FLY EAGLES FLY!