10 Eagles Who Will Be Cut By Tuesday's Roster Deadline
By Joe Summers
4. Zech McPhearson, CB
The Eagles' biggest problem in the disappointing 2023 season was their secondary. James Bradberry and Darius Slay both took steps backward after stellar 2022 campaigns, and the position remains the single biggest question mark for the organization moving forward.
They ranked just 19th in opponent yards per pass attempt (6.9), surrendering 8.3 yards per attempt in the final three weeks before being carved up in the playoffs against the Buccaneers.
Roseman knows this, so he spent two high draft picks on Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. While Zech McPhearson is a talented corner who could likely contribute in a positive way, Mitchell and DeJean's arrival should push him off the final roster. He didn't play last season after appearing in 33 games over 2021 and 2022. That level of familiarity with the system makes him a desirable practice squad player, and he's not a player who should be coveted across the NFL.
That being said, there's a strong argument to be made in McPhearson's favor. He surrendered just a 50% completion percentage and 71.5 passer rating to opposing QBs in 2022, with similar numbers in 2021. McPhearson has been impressive when on the field, so there's a theoretical path to playing time at some point.
Expect McPhearson to stay on the practice squad and be the first man up should someone go down with an injury.