The Eagles claimed three players off of the Waiver wire earlier today that are now officially on the team’s 53-man roster. While the main focus has been the waiving of preseason standouts Paul Turner and C.J Smith..there hasn’t been much focus on the new players signing with the team..here’s everything you need to know about the three newest Eagles.
Terrence Brooks DB:
The former third-round pick very much fits the Eagles “low-risk, high-reward” mold that seems to be embedded within the team. Having dealt with a knee injury during his first two seasons, Brooks struggled to establish himself on the depth chart.
The injury prevented him from being able to really breakout or contribute in other areas. Brooks played in 12 games last season in what became a predominantly special teams role, picking up eight tackles and deflecting a pass..but he played just 67 snaps on defense. As a rookie, he played in 245.
Brooks was expected to breakout this year in a Safety corps that’s still fairly light, but a big preseason performance in his final game was not enough to earn him a spot on the Ravens 53-man roster. Brooks featured heavily in the last two preseason games and looked confident, but the Ravens let him go.
It’s not hard to see why the Eagles like Brooks. In his Senior Year at Florida State, Brooks notched up 56 tackles and 8 tackles for a loss to go with a sack. He’s a hard hitter and someone that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty in the run game. Interestingly, Brooks played as a backup cornerback prior to moving to Free Safety, you’ll see why that’s important later.
Not only that, but both Joe Douglas and Andy Weidl, the two newest front office hirings in the personnel department were working for the Ravens during Brooks’ tenure with the team. With Douglas being heralded as a “future NFL GM”, his input may have been enough to sway the team into pulling the trigger.
Considering how much the Eagles will blitz and how much emphasis is placed on physicality and aggression, the signing of Brooks is a no brainer for the Eagles. At 25 years old, his upside is still high enough for the Eagles to take another low-risk.
It will be interesting to see if he gets any reps at cornerback considering that the Eagles already have four safeties on their roster. The waiving of C.J Smith would suggest that he would latch on to the bottom of the CB depth chart having had previous experience at the position.
At the very least, the Eagles would be getting a hard-hitting special teamer, much like a low-profile but more versatile Ron Brooks with higher upside.
Bryce Treggs WR:
The main shock of today was the waiving of undrafted rookie Paul Turner, the preseason standout for the Eagles. In his place however comes another undrafted rookie, Bryce Treggs. But what are the Eagles getting in another undrafted rookie?
For one, speed. The former Cal receiver posted an impressive 4.39 40-yard dash time, but the eyebrow raising stats don’t end there. As a senior, the 6’0, 185 pound, receiver averaged 21.2 yards per reception en route to a 956 yard season and seven touchdowns. So, if he’s so impressive..why did he go undrafted and why was he cut by the Niners?
To put it frankly, Cal had no shortage of receiving weapons which made it difficult for anyone to really separate themselves. Kenny Lawler caught 13 touchdowns and is currently a free agent while Trevor Davis was able to stick to the Packers after being drafted in the fifth round.
However, he has endured his fair share of injuries. He may not have missed much in the way of games, but the heavy rotation and deep depth allowed a sometimes less than 100% Treggs to shed some of the workload.
At 6’0, he also isn’t the biggest target in the world. Paul Turner was in the same boat here and although he proved to be a safe pair of hands..Treggs has the explosive “home-run” tag that the Eagles have lacked ever since the departure of Jeremy Maclin.
In terms of his short stint with the Niners, he was backing up Bruce Ellington on returns and often lining up as a slot receiver with the backups. Treggs had a promising preseason before straining his MCL, which is never a good sign for a player on the edge of making the roster.
The Niners waived Treggs in the hope that they could sign him to their practice squad, but Chip Kelly’s old employer got the last laugh, picking up his contract.
Having mostly played as an inside receiver, Treggs will look to fill the “deep-threat” void left by Chris Givens. A slightly smaller receiver who has shown a great ability to make congested catches and run precise routes, Treggs offers more in the way of potential than Turner does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhsaPXXco6I
Kamu Grugier-Hill LB:
The Eagles capped their signings with Kamu Grugier-Hill, a sixth round pick of the New England Patriots. The 6’2, 215 pound linebacker brings something this team has a newfound love for, versatility.
Grugier-Hill has experience at both linebacker and safety and can play either role efficiently. He racked up 70 tackles, 16.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks in his senior year at Eastern Illinois before registering a 4.45 40-yard dash time, swaying the New England Patriots.
Often described as having a relentless motor, the hybrid player has the quick hips of a safety partnered with the explosiveness and initiating ability of a linebacker. The one weakness seems to be his overall strength..but it’s something that works out perfectly for the Eagles.
As a hybrid defensive player that has the athleticism of a WR calling plays at inside linebacker seems almost confusing..but it’s exactly what was asked of “KGH” in the Patriots preseason. He showed that he can fill the void and put up some nice numbers, but it wasn’t his natural role..and as a result, he really failed to stand out.
Luckily for the Eagles, that means he was waived. KGH is incredibly athletic and his skills in coverage are eyebrow raising..which is exactly what the Eagles need. With just four linebackers on the roster prior to the signing and one (Mychal Kendricks) who seems to be falling out of favor and is incredibly weak in coverage, the Eagles need someone who can rotate in and help contribute in various assets where Kendricks or veteran Stephen Tulloch can’t.
KGH becomes the fifth linebacker on the Eagles roster and could have a bigger role than either of the aforementioned acquisitions. Depth is light at a position where no starter has played a full 16 game season, but the main strength is the pass rush and ability to stop the run. The Eagles leaked sufficient and consistent passing yards over the middle during preseason, an area where the athletic Grugier-Hill could contribute.
Mandatory Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
