2 Eagles players on roster bubble who must shine in preseason

With the 2024 NFL season rapidly approaching, the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster is slowly coming into shape.

They’ve added first-run players in free agency, secured plenty of talent in the draft, and have even continued to improve on the margins with interesting additions like John Ross, the formerly retired speedster who could end up playing a real role for the team this fall.

But hey, just because the Eagles have been active in the talent acquisition department doesn’t mean they don’t have some tough decisions to make heading into the fall, as they currently have more talented players than they have roster spots.

Fortunately, with the preseasons still to play, Philly will have a chance to see who can go and who can’t and use that date to decide on some very important bottom-of-the-roster calls, including a pair of depth pieces signed in free agency tied to the City of Brotherly Love.

Two players on the preseason bubble for the Eagles

1. Matt Hennessy

Heading into the summer, Matt Hennessy looked like he would be a legitimate player for the Eagles.

Sure, his path to starting was anything but guaranteed, as Philly had a vested interest in Tyler Steen becoming their long-term starter at the right guard spot, but if he outperformed the second-year swingman out of Alabama, it’s hard to imagine Jeff Stoutland burying the Temple product on the bench unless things are really close.

Fast forward to the end of July, and ultimately, that thought process has been proven true; the Eagles appear open to having a right-proper camp competition at right guard; only, it’s not between Steen and Hennessy for the starting spot but instead Steen versus Mekhi Becton, the 6-foot-7, 363-pound 25-year-old out of Louisville, who initially signed with Philadelphia as a swing tackle on a prove-it deal.

Now sure, technically, Becton has never played guard before, has prototypical size to play tackle in the NFL, and has missed plenty of time as a pro due to injury, but the Eagles have shown a willingness to allow the former Jet to test his mettle at the spot between Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens, even if he could theoretically leave for another team in the spring next year.

Factor in the decision to keep signing veteran offensive linemen to help add competition and depth in free agency, from Max Sharping to former Commanders center Nick Gates, plus the draft additions of Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon and it’s worth wondering if Hennessy will even make the team, let alone be active on game day.

Who knows, maybe Hennessy will shine and become a certified player for the Eagles into the future, looking like a natural playing in his college stadium on the way to a long-term extension. But if some team suffers a big injury at guard or even center, don’t be surprised if Howie Roseman is open to moving the Temple product thanks to the strength of the team’s depth.

2. Avonte Maddox

If there’s one defensive back on the Eagles roster who really needs to shine in the 2024 preseason, it has to be Avonte Maddox.

… what? You thought it was going to be James Bradberry? Well, maybe not necessarily.

You see, Bradbery is on a very expensive contract, and as a result, he’s not a particularly easy player to get rid of, with the Eagles placing $4.3 million in dead cap on their books with no cap savings if he was cut with a post-June 1st designation and the team only saving $1.2 million if they traded him, even if it would still incur a nearly $3.1 million dead cap hit, according to Over The Cap. Even if Bradberry is just an average safety/dime defensive back, keeping Bradberry around makes some financial sense for Philadelphia.

Maddox, by contrast, only has a $1.6 million contract, with roughly half of his money guaranteed; if the Eagles were to release him, it really wouldn’t impact their plans all that much.

Originally drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 2018 alongside his NFL best friend Dallas Goedert, Maddox was released earlier this year in order to get out of his three-year, $22.5 million contract. While he wasn’t in particular demand on the open market and ultimately returned to Philly on a bottom-of-the-barrel contract, Maddox remains one of Philly’s most veteran players and, as a result, could be a valuable performer for the team this fall, especially since he can play both slot cornerback and free safety.

And yet, Cooper DeJean can also play both slot cornerback and free safety, plus outside cornerback and strong safety too, and as a result, it’s worth wondering if Maddox could ultimately see himself becoming expendable if the front office believes they have enough depth around the roster.

If Maddox is willing to play a smaller role, run around on special teams, and maybe play some slot cornerback/subpackage safety in different packages, then his role on the team is more or less set, but considering he has no relationship with Vic Fangio, if the opportunity arises to trade the Pitt product, he might just end up playing for a former coach on the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, or even the Los Angeles Rams, who current employ Sean Desai as a senior advisor.