New this season, NFL teams are now permitted to protect four of their 16 practice squad members from being poached by other clubs on a weekly basis.
The Philadelphia Eagles designated the following four players ahead of Week 1: wide receiver Deontay Burnett, offensive guard Sua Opeta, defensive end Joe Ostman, and cornerback Trevor Williams.
It makes sense that the Eagles protected Burnett because 1) the 22-year-old had a really good camp and 2) he’s likely to be called up later this week. The Eagles currently only have four healthy receivers on the 53-man roster so calling up Burnett would give them five.