Eagles roster projection 3.0: Two cut, three to go by Tuesday

Following Friday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets, the Eagles held training camp practice No. 11 on Sunday. The padded session was intense and featured multiple scuffles and fights.

Over the next two weeks, the Eagles will travel to Cleveland and Miami, and hold joint practices with the Browns and Dolphins. The upcoming four joint sessions and final two preseason games should offer the coaching staff and front office an up-close look at the entire roster as players battle for a spot on the 53-man roster.

» READ MORE: Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith makes a memorable return to practice

“I thought the starters did a great job,” coach Nick Sirianni said Sunday. “The twos [second-teamers], I thought did a nice job as well to end out the first half. The threes ... there were corrections we have to make from all over the tape. It’s a great example of you play how you practice. There were some things that we have been trying to clean up in practice that leaked over to the game. There were some good individual performances, but it needs to be better as an entire group and more with those [third-string] players, and more fundamentally sound football IQ, all those different things.

“There are some things to clean up, but the great thing about when you clean something up [is] you’re not just talking to the threes, you’re talking to the entire group.”

Through Sirianni’s messaging, it’s clear top spots are already locked up while the first-team offense and defense continue to fine tune their game. However, the back-end roster spots are still up for grabs.

NFL teams are allowed to carry 90 players on their active roster for the start of camp. Roster cutdown dates follow each week of the preseason. The Eagles must reduce their roster to 85 players by Tuesday; 80 players by Aug. 23; and the final cut to a 53-man active roster by Aug. 30. On Sunday morning, the Eagles cut offensive lineman William Dunkle and linebacker Ali Fayad, bringing the roster down to 88 players.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, Eagles beat reporter Josh Tolentino will provide updates on his 53-man roster projections.

Here’s version 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0:

Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew

By definition and statistics, Hurts was perfect during his lone series versus the Jets. He completed 6-of-6 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown. His first throw to wide receiver Quez Watkins was a designed play, but it also required Hurts to roll to his right and throw on the run. Despite the extra movements, Hurts still hit Watkins with precision and zip, lacing his throw right along the sideline. If the team decides to be cautious regarding playing time with starters, Hurts might not see any action in the remaining preseason games. On multiple occasions, Sirianni has pointed out the increased value in holding joint practices, and that upcoming work might be sufficient enough for the starting quarterback.

Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Jason Huntley

Huntley has taken advantage of his increase in reps. He also looked solid in the preseason opener, both as a rusher and as a returner. It’ll be interesting to see how Sanders and Gainwell perform in the joint practices against the Browns and Dolphins. Sirianni heavily favored the passing game against the Jets, although he could reveal more during the upcoming practices.

A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, Jalen Reagor, Britain Covey

Despite spraining a thumb, Covey was back on the practice field Sunday. That’s an encouraging sign for the undrafted receiver out of Utah. Covey didn’t explode for any huge plays, but he was technically sound, especially in returning punts. Covey’s first look to always to run upfield upon fielding kicks is a refreshing sight compared to Reagor, who tends to run side-to-side, which limits his explosive ability. Hurts didn’t target Brown once against the Jets, but the duo insists that was pre-planned. Greg Ward is well respected around the building, but the former college quarterback has missed two weeks of practice with a toe injury.

Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Jack Stoll

After he made a position switch from receiver to tight end, JJ Arcega-Whiteside has had a quiet summer. The former second-round pick dropped his only target during Friday’s game. The team lacks quality depth at the position, but with Goedert, Brown and Smith expected to handle a majority of the looks in the passing game, another plus-receiving tight end behind Goedert isn’t necessarily a requirement. If the team prefers experience, Richard Rodgers could also clinch a spot over Arcega-Whiteside. Calcaterra, a sixth-round draft pick, has been held out with a hamstring injury, while Tyree Jackson remains on the PUP list.

Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Sua Opeta, Andre Dillard, Jack Driscoll

Jurgens will handle the remainder of first-team reps at center – at least during the preseason. The team is hopeful Kelce will return from elbow surgery by the season opener Sept. 11 at Detroit. Jurgens has performed admirably in Kelce’s place, while the starting o-line looked excellent in the preseason opener. Dillard worked diligently at improving his body composition, and he’s often been the victor during individual drills in camp, albeit against second-teamers. Dillard was involved in multiple fights during Sunday’s practice, and he was escorted off the field following a second dustup with linebacker Patrick Johnson.

Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Derek Barnett, Tarron Jackson, Marlon Tuipulotu

It’s easy to understand why the Eagles traded up to select Davis with their top pick. Even in his first preseason game, Davis consistently garnered the attention of multiple blockers. Opposing defensive coordinators are going to have trouble game planning for him, and they’ll need to decide whether to double Davis, which should open up rushing gaps for other players. Following a frustrating rookie campaign, Tuipulotu arrived to camp in fantastic shape, and his efforts come through on the tape.

Haason Reddick, T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Nakobe Dean, Davion Taylor, Kyron Johnson, Shaun Bradley

Zero changes here. White marked his arrival in front of Eagles fans with a strong performance in the opener. He picked off Jets quarterback Zach Wilson when he precisely jumped a stick route. The former Chargers linebacker has flashed plenty throughout camp; on Sunday, he forced another turnover when he punched the football out of Gainwell’s hands.

Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josiah Scott, Josh Jobe

Slay, Bradberry, and Maddox truly possess the potential to be one of the best trios in the NFL. Bradberry brings a physical presence that can frustrate receivers at the line of scrimmage. He tends to hold his own, even after losing an initial step. During Sunday’s practice, Smith juked past Bradberry, but the defensive back recovered nicely and broke up a pass.

Marcus Epps, Anthony Harris, Jaquiski Tartt, Andre Chachere

No changes here, although undrafted safety Reed Blankenship could make some noise over the final two weeks. He maximized all of his reps against the Jets, and always seemed to be around the football. Blankenship finished with a game-high seven tackles.

Jake Elliott, Arryn Siposs, Rick Lovato

Sirianni favored risk over reward on fourth downs – rather than trotting out Elliott for field goal attempts. The Eagles finished 4-of-5 on fourth down, while Elliott hit all three of his extra-point kicks. Siposs had five punts totaling 229 yards with a 45.8 yard average, and two landed inside the 20.