The Eagles used a sixth-round pick on McCord, a St. Joseph’s Prep grad who led the nation and set an ACC record in passing yards (4,779) while completing 66% of his passes. Thompson-Robinson has been underwhelming in limited playing time, and it’s hard to imagine he’s not fourth on the chart right now.

But there will be other roster battles among the players signed in free agency, mostly veterans on a low-cost one-year deals. For now, that gives the rest of the rookie class a chance to adjust to the NFL. If they adjust faster, they'll play sooner.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered the offseason with a maintenance-oriented plan to balance a budget that needed to make room for future contract extensions without jettisoning too many key veterans. A reigning Super Bowl champion seeking to elongate its golden era accepted the risk of a conservative free agency cycle,