Eagles Cut Tracker: Team Releases Leading Rusher

Greg Ward

Getty Greg Ward caught a touchdown pass for the Eagles. He can also play some quarterback.

The cuts are starting to trickle in for the Philadelphia Eagles as they look to trim their roster from 90 down to 53. There haven’t been any head-scratching moves so far, but there were a few mild surprises. The roster cutdown deadline is Saturday at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, the Eagles released running back Josh Adams. The Bucks County native was the team’s leading rusher in 2018, racking up 511 yards and three touchdowns. This year, the backfield was too crowded. He should quickly find work elsewhere.

In addition to Adams, the most notable cuts: Cody Kessler, Josh Hawkins, Alex Singleton, Marken Michel, Orlando Scandrick and Kevin Wilkins.

The Eagles placed tight end Richard Rodgers on injured reserve while waiving Aziz Shittu.

Here is the most recent update on the cutdown from the team:

Released the following players:

DE Kasim Edebali

DE Eli Harold

LB Hayes Pullard

CB Orlando Scandrick

TE Will Tye

Waived the following players:

RB Josh Adams

WR Carlton Agudosi

S Trae Elston

C Anthony Fabiano

S Deiondre’ Hall

CB Ajene Harris

CB Josh Hawkins

QB Cody Kessler

T Riley Mayfield

CB Jeremiah McKinnon

WR Marken Michel

RB Donnel Pumphrey

G Keegan Render

CB Sojourn Shelton

LB Alex Singleton

WR DeAndre Thompkins

S Jason Thompson

DT Kevin Wilkins

LB Chris Worley

The Eagles sat out 43 players during their preseason finale against the New York Jets, with many of those players predicted to be safe. Not so fast. The team has cut ties with one of them. Orlando Scandrick, the long-time Cowboys cornerback, was released. Keep checking Heavy.com for the latest on cuts, trades and signings. The Eagles open the regular season on Sept. 8 against the Washington Redskins.


Orlando Scandrick, Jeremiah McKinnon Cut

The first two victims falling on the ax Friday afternoon were Orlando Scandrick and Jeremiah McKinnon. Scandrick was a mild surprise since the team didn’t suit him for Thursday’s preseason finale, indicating usually the player is safe. Scandrick is a known commodity in the NFL going into his 11th season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Eagles intend to bring him back in Week 2.

Meanwhile, McKinnon’s departure was pretty much predetermined after a lousy third preseason game against Baltimore. The young corner got abused by the Ravens’ Michael Floyd multiple times, including on a touchdown. McKinnon played the most snaps out of anybody in the Eagles secondary and didn’t take advantage.


Kevin Wilkins Gets His Walking Papers

Bye, bye Kevin Wilkins. This one was only surprising in that he played so well against the Jets. He was a force in stopping the run, consistently moving up inside the box and clogging running lanes. Wilkins was one of the feel-good stories out of training camp as an undrafted rookie out of nearby Rutgers. Unfortunately, he waited too long to turn on the engine. The Eagles might try and sneak him onto the practice squad.

The Eagles also cut three more players, none of them shocking to anyone that has been paying attention. Wide receiver Carlton Agudosi (Rutgers), offensive tackle Riley Mayfield (North Texas) and Anthony Fabiano (undrafted).

Agudosi had a nice training camp, thanks to his lanky 6-foot-6 frame as a red-zone target but never caught on enough in the preseason. Mayfield was just signed last week after getting cut by Tampa Bay, while Fabiano — the former Baltimore Raven — looked completely lost last night against the Jets.


Possible Trade Brewing in Eagles Backfield?

The guess is the Eagles only keep four running backs, something alluded to here in our projected 53-man roster. They have enough firepower with Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement.

With trade rumors swirling around Jadeveon Clowney, it seems reasonable to think that GM Howie Roseman has been working the phone before cutting any running backs. Remember, Josh Adams and Wendall Smallwood both have received considerable burn in regular-season games — and they have both looked like NFL-caliber ball-carriers.

Adams rushed for 511 yards and three touchdowns last season, often in a starting role. Smallwood has been a fixture in the Eagles backfield going back to the Super Bowl year. He has 850 yards on 211 touches in three seasons with the Eagles. He isn’t flashy, but he is consistent. These two are the definition of trade bait.

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