Phour for Phour: The Bubbles Will Burst

Welcome back, Patch readers!

This week we'll make out predictions regarding who the Eagles should keep, and who gets a pink slip.  Whose bubble will burst?

Place your bets!

Who Makes the Cut?

As of this moment of this writing, the Philadelphia Eagles roster stands at 81 players, after cutting WR Gerald Jones, OT Spencer Johnson, DB Jamar Wall, and TE Martell Webb.

The fourth and final preseason game is coming up this week, and as history tells us, the starters won't see any playing time.  Instead, the backups and bubble players will be featured so the coaching staff can get one last extended look at the players before cutting the roster from 80 to 53.

Let's breakdown the team position by position, as we predict who will make the cut.

Quarterback:  Michael Vick, Vince Young, Mike Kafka (Total = 3)

Cuts:  None

No big surprises here.  Though some teams only carry two quarterbacks on their final roster, Andy Reid has never carried less than three.

Running Back:  LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, Dion Lewis, Eldra Buckley (Total = 4)

Cuts:  Graig Cooper

Again, no real surprises.  Solid depth going into the season

Fullback:  Owen Schmitt (Total = 1)

Cuts:  Stanley Haviti

Reid fell in love with Schmitt's hard-nosed style of play last year, to the extent that Pro-Bowl fullback Leonard Weaver was given a pink slip.  Haviti was just a training camp body.

Wide Receiver:  DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Steve Smith, Riley Cooper, Chad Hall (Total = 6)

Cuts:  Sinorice Moss, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rod Harper

Reid typically likes to carry five receivers on the roster, but Hall is versatile and has been solid throughout training camp and the preseason.  Moss showed why he was a bust in New York, and Higgins makes the team as a kick returner.

Tight End:  Brent Celek, Clay Harbor (Total = 2)

Cuts:  Donald Lee

Lee has been solid so far, but he's on the wrong side of 30.  Harbor is young and athletic, so he gets the second spot.

O-Line:  Jason Peters, Todd Herremans, Jamaal Jackson, Danny Watkins, King Dunlap, Mike McGlynn, Reggie Wells, Jason Kelce, Austin Howard, Julian Vandervelde (Total = 10)

Cuts:  Evan Mathis, Dallas Reynolds, A.Q. Shipley, Ryan Harris (IR), Fenuki Tupou

Ryan Harris needing surgery hurts this group, but moving Herremans to Right Tackle is actually an upgrade.  Hopefully McGlynn can be a solid guard.

All around, the group has a solid mix of veterans, rookies, and projects.

D-Line:  Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins, Trevor Laws, Antonio Dixon (Total = 9)

Cuts:  Phil Hunt, Chris Wilson, Anthony Hargrove, Cedric Thornton

Bookend pro-bowlers, solid depth, and versatility mark this year's defensive line.  One big issue will be who gets the axe when Brandon Graham returns from the Physically Unable to Perform list.

LB:  Moise Fokou, Jamar Chaney, Casey Matthews, Akeem Jordan, Keenan Clayton, Greg Lloyd (Total = 6)

Cuts:  Brian Rolle, Rashad Jeanty

This group is rather pathetic.  Fokou can play the run but not the pass, and Matthews couldn't knock over a fainting goat.  Chaney was solid last year and has earned his spot this year.  Clayton and Jordan are special teams guys, and Lloyd looks to have bested fellow rookie Rolle.

DB:  Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Curtis Marsh (Total = 4)

Cuts:  Trevard Lindley, Joselio Hanson, Brandon Hughes, Jorrick Calvin, Isaiah Trufant

There's quite a logjam here, with three pro-bowlers in Samuel, Asomugha, and DRC.  Marsh gets the nod as he's a relatively high draft pick.  Some of the cuts will end up on the practice squad.

Safety:  Nate Allen, Jarrad Page, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Kurt Coleman (Total = 4)

Cuts:  Marlin Jackson, Jamar Adams, Colt Anderson

This one is pretty simple.  Jackson never recovered from tearing both ACL's, and Adams and Anderson have been mediocre.

K:  Alex Henery (Total = 1)

Cuts: none

The rookie has a lot of leg, and Reid had to have faith in him in order to cut David Akers.

P:  Chas Henry

Cuts:  none

Yeah...he's a punter.

LS:  John Dorenbos

Cuts:  none

For whatever reason, long-snappers tend to be a bit quirky.  It's a plus that he can fill in as a third tight end.

KR/PR: Johnnie Lee Higgins

Cuts:  none

He's always been a solid return man, but how often he'll be used is up for debate.  77% of kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks through three preseason games.  Plus, only assassins should have their middle name in common usage.

Higgins will also backup Jackson as punt return man.

Looking Ahead

The Phillies look to get back into the swing of things after having their weekend series against the Marlins interrupted by Hurricane Irene, playing road series' against the Reds and Marlins.

The Birds will wrap up their preseason on the road against the New Yawk J-E-T-S.  Associate Regional Editor David Powell will be sporting his throwback Namath jersey, as he hugs the screen each time he sees Rex Ryan.

The Union square off against Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Here’s your schedule for the upcoming week in Philadelphia sports:

Monday

Phillies at Reds 7:10 p.m. on CSN and ESPN

Tuesday

• Phillies at Reds 7:10 p.m. on PHL17

Wednesday

• Phillies at Reds 7:10 p.m. on CSN

Thursday

Eagles at Jets 7:30 p.m. on 6ABC

Phillies at Reds  12:35 p.m. on CSN

Friday

• Phillies at Marlins 7:10 p.m. on CSN

Saturday

• Phillies at Marlins 7:10 p.m. on CSN
• Union at Real Salt Lake  9 p.m. on TCN

Sunday

• Phillies at Marlins 1:10 p.m. on PHL 17

If you have questions you would like to see answered in next week's Phour for Phour column, email them to slavetologic@gmail.com.