Eagles 53-man roster projection 4.0: A few changes — and a trade — after another preseason game

It’s just about last call for roster hopefuls as Eagles training camp enters its final week.

The team plays its last preseason game Friday night at home vs. Cincinnati and the initial 53-man roster is due Sunday by 6 p.m.

Only a few practices and one last audition separate those vying for a spot from knowing their fates.

A second preseason game — this one a 24-21 Eagles loss in New England — brought a few changes to our latest 53-man roster projection. Who’s in, and who’s out?

(Note: This is our fourth 53-man roster projection of the summer. Our first way-too-early look at the roster came in June, and we published another after one week of training camp before Volume 3 went live after the first preseason game.)

Traded: Andy Dalton

We’re sticking with the idea that one of the two quarterbacks hunting for the No. 2 job eventually will be traded, but for the first time this summer, Tanner McKee is in and Andy Dalton is out.

McKee outperformed Dalton Saturday night in New England, and while the Eagles certainly value Dalton’s experience and his practice film much more than two shaky, shortened preseason starts, it’s hard to argue that the 38-year-old looks more viable to back up Hurts than McKee does right now.

» READ MORE: Tanner McKee outperforms Andy Dalton in the Eagles’ confounding backup QB competition — will it matter?

That being said, it actually might be Dalton who has more trade value than McKee. Will the Eagles end up flipping Dalton for the same price they paid for him (a seventh-round pick)? Maybe. This time of year, a team looking for a backup may be more likely to want Dalton as an experienced starter who may even mentor a young quarterback than they are to need McKee.

Cole Payton hasn’t wowed, and it remains possible the Eagles keep both Dalton and McKee and cut Payton, their fifth-round pick. But for now, Payton gets the roster spot and doesn’t get exposed to waivers.

Cut: Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, Ja’Quinden Jackson

No changes here, despite Carson Steele going full Saquon Barkley and hurdling defenders on more than one occasion Saturday night. Steele played like a guy pushing for a roster spot, but the Eagles don’t have the luxury of keeping four running backs with the way their roster is shaped.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley and Jordan Mailata want more rushing, less fighting. Both think the Eagles run game can be great.

Cut: Danny Gray, Britain Covey, Quez Watkins, Erik Ezukanma, Samori Toure, Brandon Hayes

Could Elijah Moore get cut and come back on the practice squad with the promise to be elevated on game day? It’s possible. He’s a vested veteran and doesn’t need to pass through waivers (though he’d be free to sign with any team). But Moore has done enough to make the roster and should be rewarded for having a better camp than Hollywood Brown, the guy the Eagles gave $5 million guaranteed.

Perhaps the Eagles use one of the two as a trade chip in the final week of camp, but they may want some extra insurance at the position considering Makai Lemon’s first NFL training camp has been marred by a hamstring injury.

» READ MORE: What trades could Howie Roseman make to alter the Eagles roster in his typically active month of August?

Cut: Cameron Latu, Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, E.J. Jenkins

Cameron Latu is the roster casualty of the Eagles keeping Moore. Latu would need to pass through waivers, but he’s done so before and the Eagles shouldn’t have trouble getting him through to the practice squad and elevating him for Week 1.

Eli Stowers has had a rocky camp, but the second-round pick isn’t going anywhere. His need for more seasoning, though, makes it pretty important to have a strong fourth option in the building. That could work in Latu’s favor come Sunday evening.

» READ MORE: Tight end in the new Eagles offense is a ‘blue collar job’ that will be key to the team’s success in 2026

Cut: Jake Majors, Michael Jordan, John Ojukwu, Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams, Zeke Correll

Willie Lampkin’s spot on the 53-man roster might be a lock at this point. The center/guard had another strong performance Saturday. Micah Morris, meanwhile, has showed some athletic traits that should keep the sixth-round pick on the initial roster.

Jake Majors played the entire game Saturday (63 snaps) and had some good moments. Like Lampkin and Drew Kendall, he has the ability to play center and guard. But Morris beats out the 2025 undrafted free agent who landed on the Eagles’ practice squad after training camp last year.

» READ MORE: Willie Lampkin made his name as a wrestling champion. For his next act, he’s become one of the Eagles’ best camp stories.

Cut: Gabe Hall, Zion Wilson, David Blay

No changes here other than Ty Robinson pulling himself off life support (Vic Fangio’s words) and pretty much locking up his roster spot.

The 2025 fourth-round pick had two sacks Saturday and has had a strong last two weeks after working with the developmental group at the beginning of camp.

Uar Bernard played in his second football game Saturday and notched his first tackle. He’s improved throughout his first football camp, and it remains a risk for the Eagles to expose him to waivers even though he won’t play meaningful snaps this season.

» READ MORE: Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson, whose game was ‘on life support,’ quiets doubters with another strong showing

Cut: Tarron Jackson, Keyshawn James-Newby, Jose Ramirez

The decision on Joshua Weru will be a fascinating one for Howie Roseman next weekend. The former rugby player one-upped his padded football debut last weekend, when he had a quarterback hit, with his first sack during Saturday’s game. He’s a flashy athlete, and there may be enough on tape out there for one of the 31 other NFL teams to make him their own project and sign him to their 53-man roster if the Eagles decide to cut him.

Fangio expressed some concern Jonathan Greenard might not be ready to return from his pectoral injury for Week 1, though that’s still three weeks away.

» READ MORE: The Eagles defense has immense upside, though questions about Jonathan Greenard and Riq Woolen linger | David Murphy

Cut: Chance Campbell, Deontae Lawson, Brandon George

The Eagles have an abundance of talent here. It’s probably a toss-up between off-ball linebacker and interior defensive line in terms of which position group is their best.

The top four are locks, though Fangio likes Chance Campbell a lot. Still, as we’ve written before during this exercise, the need for a fifth linebacker given this roster construction makes it hard to keep the former Titan.

Could Roseman pull off a trade to make room for him? Smael Mondon Jr. has looked capable, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could start on some teams.

» READ MORE: These are the Philly area’s 25 best athletes under 25, from high school phenoms to household names

Cut: Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, Ambry Thomas, Shaun Wade, Tariq Castro-Fields, Isaiah Bolden

Another spot with no changes, though there was more pause before typing Mac McWilliams over Kelee Ringo than last week. Ringo had a decent showing on the road trip to New England, while McWilliams hasn’t had the best couple of weeks.

Ringo’s value on special teams has been well-documented, but is it worth a roster spot? We’ll see.

Cut: Kapena Gushiken, Andre’ Sam, J.T. Gray, Max Pulley

The fourth spot here still feels like a bit of a dart throw. Cole Wisniewski returned to the practice field and saw his first game action. He had a nice tackle on special teams, which he’ll need to make a big part of his game if he’s on the roster.

Kapena Gushiken and Max Pulley have had nice camps, Andre’ Sam has been around the team for the last few seasons, and J.T. Gray is an elite special teamer. You can make a worthy argument for any of them to get the fourth spot.

But it’s possible the Eagles go light here and go with three safeties, especially with Cooper DeJean playing on the back end in the base package. That route probably would be good news for Ringo.

These are the only three specialists on the roster. It’s possible the Eagles punt — excuse the pun — on a bubble decision and cut Rocco Underwood. The team only kept Jake Elliott and Braden Mann on the initial 53-man roster last season before bringing Charley Hughlett back to the active roster a day later during a series of roster moves after initial cuts were made around the league.

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Lane Johnson rejoined training camp this past week after a multi-day absence, but his return brought with it the announcement that 2026 is “probably” going to be his last NFL season. What does the prospect of the All-Pro’s retirement mean in both the short- and long-term? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Ryan Novozinsky take a look at what the Eagles can expect from Johnson in his 14th year as a pro, and who might be waiting in the wings to replace him. Listen here.

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