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,