Eagles roster cuts: James Bradberry survives; Oren Burks, Parris Campbell among those released as Birds trim to 53

Howie Roseman and the Eagles have their initial 53-man roster.

Five weeks of training camp and three preseason games culminated with Tuesday afternoon’s 4 p.m. roster deadline. The team made a first wave of cuts Monday and followed with more roster moves Tuesday.

Here’s a look at a few surprises from the initial roster ...

Here a list of every Eagles player who has been let go by the Birds through Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.

The team released the following players ...

They waived the following players ...

I'm hearing that James Bradberry is likely to survive today’s cuts.

The Eagles spoke to some teams about a possible trade, including the Ravens, who have former Eagles defensive backs coach and Bradberry fan Dennard Wilson, NFL sources said.

But Bradberry’s transition to safety has been slow and he’s not viewed as an outside CB by most anymore.

It might be wishful thinking, and I usually don’t care much about the Eagles’ roster, but I’d love to see James Bradberry remain on the squad after cut-down day Tuesday. I’d like to see him start every game alongside C.J. Gardner-Johnson, find his footing, and play out the two years left on his contract.

It’s an unlikely outcome, considering Bradberry’s pedestrian play this preseason in his effort to convert from cornerback to safety — after eight years in the NFL, and at the age of 31. But I can wish.

The conversion itself carries a touch of irony: Bradberry, a modest two-star recruit out of high school, transferred from Arkansas State to Samford because, in his redshirt freshman year, State tried to convert him from corner to safety. Now, more than a decade later, a successful such conversion would save his job and net him $1.2 million in salary.

It looks like Zech McPhearson won't be back with the Eagles for a fourth season.

The fourth-year defender out of Texas Tech thanked Philly and its fans on social media Monday, ahead of the NFL's deadline for teams to trim their rosters down to 53 players.

McPhearson, a fourth-round pick in 2021, missed all of last season with a torn Achilles he suffered in a preseason game.

The Eagles began the process of whittling their roster down to 53 players after Saturday’s preseason finale vs. the Vikings.

A year ago, the team held two practices ahead of the Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline, which allowed bubble roster players to make a last impression. The Eagles had no such workouts scheduled this year.

The film is in the can, so to speak, and general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni can focus their attention on the last few pieces to their roster puzzle. Roseman could also make moves before cut-down day. He already traded for wide receiver Jahan Dotson on Thursday.

Since Jahan Dotson arrived in Philly last week in a trade with the Washington Commanders, he’s been studying the playbook with the help of receivers coach Aaron Moorehead, including the morning before Saturday's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He had another session with his position coach scheduled for later that night, all in an effort to prepare him to dive into game action with the season beginning in less than two weeks.

“I want to get on the field right away, so I’m going to do everything possible in my power to make sure that I’m ready when that opportunity comes,” Dotson said.

Just a few days into his Eagles career, Dotson said he doesn’t know the exact role that he will play in the offense. Previously in Washington, Dotson offered his offensive coordinators the versatility to line up on the outside of the formation (63.8% of his career pass snaps, according to Pro Football Focus) or in the slot (36.2%, according to PFF). Given that Brown and Smith have taken snaps in the slot and on the outside throughout camp, Dotson’s ability to play in both spots ought to appeal to Moore.

Next up after roster cuts? Actual football games.

The Eagles 2024 season kicks off with a rare Friday night game on Sept. 6 against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil. The game will stream exclusively on Peacock, but Birds fans in Philly can catch the game on NBC10.

While it's technically a home game on the schedule, the Eagles' first game at the Linc will be Week 2 on ESPN's Monday Night Football on Sept. 16. The network's pre- and postgame coverage will feature a familiar face — Jason Kelce.