Philadelphia Eagles: Three predictions for the 53-man roster

2. The Eagles keep 6 WRs…and Deon Cain isn’t one of them

Every year, surprise players stand out in training camp and make fans every season wonder why and how the player in question was not already locked up by another team. For the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles, that player has been wide receiver, Deon Cain.

After receiving rave reviews in training camp, Cain followed with an impressive 8 receptions for 106 yards over three preseason games. That may not sound like much on the surface, but when considering he played limited snaps — as most players do in the preseason — it’s more than a solid body of work. Cain even leads the team in reception yards by 45 yards.

So if Deon Cain has been so impressive, why won’t the Eagles retain him? Especially if they are keeping six receivers?

The reason is twofold:

First, even if Cain made the final roster, he would be the fifth wideout for the Eagles. When speaking of a player so far down the depth chart, the emphasis for Philadelphia has often been put on that player’s ability to play special teams, not just their ability at their offensive/defensive position.

As impressive as Cain has been, there’s been another receiver for Philadelphia who has also proven himself as a special teams ace.

No, not Britain Covey. The prospective ace mentioned is actually former Olympian Devon Allen, who has forced his way back into the conversation.

Despite the team’s need for a legitimate returner, the flashes of greatness Allen has shown as a potentially elite gunner are far too valuable to simply overlook.

So if Devon Allen is the fifth wideout, who’s the sixth?