How Can Eagles GM Howie Roseman Fix This Mess?
The Philadelphia Eagles have lost back-to-back games and the injuries are starting to pile up as the team sits at 2-2. Now Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has his hands full as he tries to balance out a roster that is dealing with a ton of injuries to key players, although most of them don’t warrant a stint on injured reserve. Here’s my projected plan for how Roseman can fix this mess.
Release QB Andy Dalton
It’s time for Roseman to finally admit the mistake that he should’ve admitted weeks ago. Eagles backup QB Andy Dalton isn’t worthy of a 53-man roster spot and he showed that with his blunder in Week 3. The team no longer has the luxury of carrying four QBs (they never did, if we’re being honest) and now Roseman has to release the “Red Rifle.” Tanner McKee was elevated to QB2 last week and it seems pointless to keep Dalton around as injuries continue to pile up.
Release WR Elijah Moore
Eagles veteran WR Elijah Moore is another player that surprisingly stuck around on the initial 53-man roster following final cuts. Despite being a vested veteran, Roseman thought it was necessary to keep Moore on the active roster. Fast forward to Week 4 and the 26-year-old has only played 16 total snaps on offense, often looking confused while doing so. He hasn’t offered any value on special teams. If Hollywood Brown is returning soon, Moore can go.
Place RB Tank Bigsby on Injured Reserve
According to multiple reports, Eagles backup RB Tank Bigsby suffered an injury that will require core muscle surgery to repair it. Therefore, Bigsby will be placed on injured reserve and free up a valuable roster spot. It’s worth noting that Eagles star RB Saquon Barkley is week-to-week due to a hamstring injury. So the Eagles are likely going to have to make multiple moves at running back this week.
Sign TE Zach Ertz to 53-Man Roster
Veteran TE Zach Ertz has just one practice squad elevation remaining before he has to be signed to the 53-man roster. Yet given the amount of injuries that the team is dealing with, they should just sign Ertz to the active roster now and get it out of the way already. The team is clearly going to keep him around and will need to elevate other players from the practice squad this week that they likely don’t plan on signing to the 53-man roster.
Sign OT John Ojukwu to 53-Man Roster
The Eagles are dealing with a ton of uncertainty along the offensive line. Landon Dickerson is already on injured reserve, Cam Jurgens is dealing with a concussion and Lane Johnson’s status is unclear due to personal reasons. Philadelphia couldn’t even dress 48 players in Week 4 because they didn’t have enough healthy offensive linemen to do so. John Ojukwu showed promise in the summer, stuck around on the practice squad and would give the Eagles a versatile backup on the 53-man roster.
Sign RB Dameon Pierce to 53-Man Roster
As previously mentioned, the Eagles are banged up at running back right now. Veteran RB Dameon Pierce turned heads early in training camp before dealing with an injury. Pierce was legitimately pushing Will Shipley for the RB3 job and now he should get a chance to contribute once again. Since Shipley is the only healthy RB in Philadelphia’s backfield, Pierce seems like the top choice to be signed from the practice squad. He’ll bring needed experience as both a runner and a returner.
Sign QB Andy Dalton to Practice Squad
While Dalton could certainly choose to go elsewhere if he’s released, I believe that the Eagles would have interest in bringing him back on the practice squad. Roseman has held out hope that he’d be able to flip Dalton or McKee for draft capital, yet that clearly hasn’t happened. Given that Philadelphia doesn’t seem quite confident in Cole Payton yet, it would make sense to keep Dalton around as an emergency option if Jalen Hurts or McKee were to get hurt for an extended period of time.
Sign WR Elijah Moore to Practice Squad
While the Eagles currently have seven wide receivers on the 53-man roster, they only have one on the practice squad. If they were to release Moore and promote more help at running back, they’d likely try to add another wide receiver to the practice squad to balance out the 70-man roster. Moore spent time on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad last season and I don’t believe that teams would be lining up to sign him to their 53-man roster. A return to Philadelphia makes sense.
Sign LB Deontae Lawson to Practice Squad
The Eagles signed former Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft. While Lawson showed flashes throughout the summer in Philadelphia, it wasn’t enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster or the practice squad. Curiously, Lawson hasn’t received an opportunity elsewhere, which makes me believe that the Eagles told him to stay close. Philadelphia recently brought Lawson in for a visit and adding him to the practice squad would make sense.
Elevate C/G Jake Majors From Practice Squad
Eagles starting LG Cam Jurgens is reportedly in concussion protocol. If Jurgens is unable to play in Week 5, Willie Lampkin or Micah Morris would likely start at LG. If that’s the case, Philadelphia will need more depth along the interior of the offensive line and Jake Majors should get called up. Majors had an inconsistent performance in the summer, yet he showed enough promise during preseason games to stick around on the team’s practice squad.
Elevate RB Carson Steele From Practice Squad
Eagles RB Carson Steele was one of the summer standouts in Philadelphia. Steele caught the eye of Eagles’ fans with his performance during preseason action, which had many calling for him to make the team’s 53-man roster. Steele was eventually waived but signed to Philadelphia’s practice squad. Now he could get a chance to make his regular season debut with the Eagles given all of the injuries in the team’s backfield. Steele would likely be RB3 behind Shipley and Pierce, if he’s elevated for Week 5.