Eagles recent roster shakeup tells us how they really feel about Eli Ricks

And, just like that, it's Week 7. The Philadelphia Eagles, just two weeks ago, were one of two remaining unbeaten teams. The Buffalo Bills were the other. Both are now the owners of two-game losing streaks.

That's how quickly things shift in the NFL. It's been a while since we've seen the Birds, but alas, another test is coming on Sunday.

Philadelphia was featured in the first game of the most recent week's slate. It seems like it was two weeks ago, especially considering all that has happened since then.

Two weeks after waiving Tariq Castro-Fields, he's back. Oh, and did you hear? Za'Darius Smith retired. While arguments can be made that a couple of Eagles are now presented with tremendous opportunities in Smith's absence, it's also true that two offseason areas of need remain unsatisfied as we enter a crucial stretch of Philadelphia's season. One is the edge rushing position. The other is depth at outside cornerback.

Whatever happened to the buzz surrounding Eli Ricks?

At times, it has been tough to gauge how excited the Eagles' coaching staff was about Eli Ricks. He was good enough to keep around, but never seemed to be someone they truly trusted in an important role. He went undrafted during the 2023 NFL Draft and signed with Philadelphia as a rookie free agent. A pick-six during the preseason and some decent play helped win him a roster spot.

Ricks is now a Super Bowl champion. As a rookie, he played in 16 games and had 19 total tackles and three passes defended. Last season, he appeared in seven games, but as players were signed, traded for, and drafted, it always seemed Philadelphia's interest in him waned.

Ricks had his fan club. A large contingent of the fan base pulled for him, often posting on social media that he'd shine if given a chance to do so. Still, it was impossible to ignore that when Philly lost Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and Avonte Maddox this offseason, there wasn't any real mention of Ricks being someone they hoped would climb the depth chart.

Instead, the organization held on to hope that Kelee Ringo would finally seize his opportunity. Adoree' Jackson was added via free agency. Tariq Castro-Fields, Parry Nickerson, and A. J. Woods were signed to futures contracts on February 15.

The decision was made to draft Mac McWilliams this past April. Philadelphia even traded for Jakorian Bennett when Ringo and Jackson's play raised red flags. All this led those who were paying attention to Ricks' journey to accept the truth. It was only a matter of time, and his days were numbered.

We've learned that Jackson and Ringo aren't quite ready for primetime. While it would seem that might have finally given Ricks his opportunity, Howie Roseman and company have determined that they'd rather use a spot on the practice squad to reacquire previously-waived Tariq Castro-Fields.

He was signed this week. Ricks has been released.

We have signed CB Tariq Castro-Fields to the Practice Squad and released CB Eli Ricks. pic.twitter.com/p0kApRmTJU— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2025

So, what have we learned? Most of what we glean centers around several conversations that we have entertained for a while. The fans seemingly loved Ricks more than the coaches and organization did, and the Eagles may have given up on Isaiah Rodgers too early.

The moves, potentially made for financial reasons, have allowed Ricks and Casto-Fields to spend time with the Philadelphia team since the spring, and both receive a week's practice squad salary for the one day of work.

Fast forward to the present. The Eagles still need to find a starting-level cornerback to play opposite Quinyon Mitchell because Castro-Fields certainly isn't the answer—the trade deadline approaches. We'll see if Howie Roseman makes a move, given it's now the middle of October and the defense still needs help at EDGE and cornerback.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles’ roster shuffle offers real insight into Eli Ricks’ standing