Philadelphia Eagles: 5 thoughts on a confusing initial 53-man roster
By David Esser
Alshon Jeffery avoids the PUP list.
Probably the most surprising piece of information that we got on Sunday, veteran wide receiver Alshon Jeffery flat out made the 53-man roster, avoiding an assignment to the physically unable to perform list. Jeffery has spent the entirety of the offseason rehabbing from a nasty lisfranc injury, and pretty much every projection had him beginning the season on PUP.
When asked about this, general manager Howie Roseman hyped up Jeffery’s recovery and how he expects the wideout to be ready before Week 7, alluding to the fact that he could be a healthy contributor in 2020. While this all sounds nice on the surface, to me, this screams as someone who is still trying to pull off a last-minute trade.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported as recent as Saturday that the Philadelphia Eagles are still actively shopping Jeffery, and the Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski has remained insistent all offseason long that the veteran WR won’t play a role with the team in 2020.
Jeffery’s frustrations and trade rumors link all the way to the beginning of the 2019 season, and by activating him now, it allows Roseman to deal away the disgruntled receiver sooner rather than later.
A trade is not guaranteed, but making another team absorb that insane cap hit would do wonders for the Eagles and their future money problems. If Roseman were to land a trade, it would likely be to one of these four teams.