The Philadelphia Eagles thought highly enough of 2016 seventh-round pick Alex McCalister to stash him on injured reserve prior to 53-man roster cutdowns.

Of course, a properly timed calf injury played a role in that transaction. Even though McCalister didn't need surgery on the calf muscle, the Eagles gave him the "redshirt" year to bulk up from his 239-pound frame which he entered training camp.

The Eagles will get to see how much weight (muscle) McCalister gained when rookie minicamp opens Friday. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman can't wait to see McCalister's progress, stating "he looked great in the offseason workouts."

Offseason minicamps are set to begin for the Eagles. Make sure to stay in the loop for all Eagles transactions this offseason -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Eagles newsletter now!

McCalister is 6-6 with an immense arm length of 36 inches. In McCalister's last weight update back in September, he was up to 254 pounds from eating Philly cheesesteaks.

The goal for McCalister was to get up to 269 pounds by minicamp. Based on his cheesesteak consumption and intense training over the past eight months, McCalister should reach that goal easily.

“Just having that extra time to gain that weight, dive into the playbook even more,” McCalister said back in September. “By this time next year, I’ll be ready to go.”

McCalister will have to outperform Marcus Smith and Steven Means in order to crack the Eagles defensive end rotation and make the 53-man roster, but he has the ability to thrive in Jim Schwartz's defense.

His journey begins this weekend.

To follow Eagles reporter Jeff Kerr on Twitter: @JeffKerr247