3 Eagles Who Won't Survive the Season in Philadelphia

2. Oren Burks, Linebacker

A third-round pick in 2018 for the Green Bay Packers, Oren Burks spent the first four years of his career in Green Bay before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. He played out a two-year deal with the Niners before signing with the Eagles on a one-year contract this offseason.

Burks appeared in 59 games for Green Bay with seven starts. He was primarily a special teams ace who had 92 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a half-sack. He had eight starts in two seasons with the 49ers, while playing in 32 games. He was again more vital to their special teams but proved he could perform at a high level on their base defense as well. Burks finished his time with them by recording 84 tackles, one interception, and 1.5 sacks.

Philadelphia added Burks this offseason in an attempt to revamp their linebacker corps. They didn't bring back Zack Cunningham or Shaq Leonard after their struggles down the stretch. Instead, they turned to Devin White, Burks, and Zack Baun in free agency and then selected Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. The son of a former Philly star, Trotter has exceeded expectations in camp as has Patrick Johnson. Thrown in Nakobe Dean, who is fully healthy, and the linebacking corps is finally deep for the Eagles.

There's no reason to think they'll just outright release Burks anytime soon but if he can't crack the lineup and is more of a special teams player again, he could be on the bubble. Injuries elsewhere might lead to a tough decision that could force him out.