Philadelphia Eagles: Pre-preseason 53 man roster prediction

Quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, Nick Mullens

As things presently stand, the Philadelphia Eagles have three quarterbacks on their roster, Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, and Nick Mullens.

Come Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles should have three quarterbacks on their roster, Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, and Nick Mullens; it’s just that simple.

Now granted, could the Eagles opt to roll with just two quarterbacks and allow Flacco and Mullens to duke it out for a spot behind Hurts? Sure. Doing so would allow the team to keep one more intriguing developmental player or retain a special teams ace like, say, Craig James (spoiler alert) while stashing Mullens on the practice squad as a vested pro. But do the Eagles really want to risk losing Mullens for nothing?

While the NFL has extended their 2020 practice squad rules into 2021 and the Eagle could protect Mullens every week of the season if Hurts and Flacco remain healthy, they’d have to expose him to the waiver wire before he can sign to the practice squad, and thus could be signed away by a team like the Indianapolis Colts who need additional reinforcements at the game’s most important position.

Remember, Mullens was an effective option during his time in San Francisco and, at 26-years-old, could be the future at the backup quarterback position on a long-term basis if the Hurts experiment becomes permanent in 2022 and beyond.

For my money, that potential is worth a spot on the active roster.

Running Backs: Miles Sanders, Kerryon Johnson, Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, Jason Huntley

As per usual, Howie Roseman goes heavy on the running back position, and much like in 2017, it makes a world of sense.

With Miles Sanders and Boston Scott (basically) locks to make the team and Kerryon Johnson following close behind thanks to his powerful style and pass blocking abilities, Kenneth Gainwell and Jason Huntley would effectively be competing for the remaining spot on the roster if the Eagles opted to only keep four rushers.

If that was the case, Huntly would probably win the job, as he’s been a revelation during camp and is just one year removed from being a fifth-round pick out of New Mexico.

With that being said, the Eagles didn’t draft Gainwell in the fifth round to subject him to waivers.

Ergo why the Eagles should opt to keep both, redshirt Gainwell when the roster is at full strength, and use Huntley as a return man who can gradually work his way into the offensive rotation if his practice play deserves it.

Boy, talk about having your cake and eating it too.