Eagles make moves; roster down to 75

No big surprises here, but defensive tackle Mike Patterson and offensive tackle Jason Peters won’t be on the Eagles’ 53-man roster to start the season.

Patterson, who continues to recover from January brain surgery, was placed on the non-football illness list. Peters, who twice tore his Achilles tendon in the off-season, was put on the non-football injury list.

Both linemen can’t be activated or practice until Weeks 6-9, when they must either be activated or placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Peters is unlikely to play this season after undergoing two separate surgeries on his Achilles, a surgery that can require at least eight months for a full recovery. Patterson is hoping to play this year, but the Eagles are deep on the defensive line and there’s no telling when he’ll get the medical clearance to get back on the field.

The Eagles also placed reserve offensive guard Mike Gibson on injured reserve with a minor hip flexor injury and cut wideout Jamel Hamler, bringing their roster to the required 75 by Monday's deadline. Final cuts to 53 are due by 9 p.m. Friday.

Right now, the Eagles are replacing Peters with King Dunlap, who beat out newcomer Demetress Bell for the starting left tackle job.

Patterson’s replacement is less certain. The team has shared first-team reps among Derek Landri, Antonio Dixon and first-round pick Fletcher Cox.

Indications out of training camp were that Patterson wouldn’t be ready to start the season, (see story). Patterson still needs to gain medical clearance from Phoenix-based specialist Dr. Robert Spetzler, who performed the lineman’s craniotomy in January.

Spetzler last examined some test results sent to him by the Eagles before the start of training camp and determined that the area of Patterson’s skull that was cut open to remove a tangle of poorly formed blood cells -- an arteriovenous malformation -- hadn’t healed enough for Patterson to resume football activity. The team said Patterson could be sidelined for several months.

In other injury news, safety Nate Allen said he suffered a minor hamstring injury Sunday night during the Flight Night practice and probably wouldn’t miss more than a day or two of practice.

“It’s minor,” Allen said. “I wouldn’t even call it a tweak. Just a spasm. It’s nothing.”

Also, wide receiver Riley Cooper, who’s been rehabbing from surgery on his repaired collarbone, said “he’s getting close” to returning.

Cooper is expected to undergo an X-ray soon to determine how quickly his collarbone is healing. He started doing some strength training Monday for the first time.

E-mail Geoff Mosher at gmosher@comcastsportsnet.com