The Eagles may have had a well deserved day off from the rigors of Training Camp today, but it hasn’t stopped the team from making an impactful roster move. According to an official announcement from the Eagles, CB Tay Glover-Wright has been signed to a one-year contract. So who is the latest cornerback to join the nest, and what does this mean for the most exciting battle on the roster?
Roster Move: #Eagles signed CB Tay Glover-Wright to a one-year contract. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/wkGjAabTNV
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 31, 2017
The story so far:
Coming out of Utah State, “TGW” transitioned to cornerback after playing as a wideout for Eastern Arizona Community College. In 2013, Glover-Wright played in 14 games and was a prominent tackler. With 5 tackles for a loss and 10 passes defensed, it was clear he had an array of talent.
Glover-Wright went undrafted in 2014 but was signed by the Falcons, who would waive him during preseason. The Green Bay Packers were the next team to pick him up, stashing the 6’0″, 175 lbs, corner on their practice squad. Though waived the following training camp, it would be the Indianapolis Colts who would give him his next opportunity. The Colts signed TGW during the heart of the season and he went on to appear in 2 games late in the season.
Recording 14 tackles in 4 pre-season games for the Colts, Glover-Wright was ultimately cut prior to the start of last season. After some workouts for the Titans and several other teams last year, Glover-Wright failed to find a new home. Now, he enters one of the most competitive secondary situations in the league, with the odds stacked against him yet again.
Speed:
Surprisingly Glover-Wright has one asset that very few corners on the roster currently do; speed. The corner ran a 4.36 40-yard dash prior to the 2014 NFL Draft and with the Eagles having such an array of speedy deep threats from Torrey Smith, to Shelton Gibson and Bryce Treggs…TGW will be in a perfect opportunity to show how valuable that could be to the Birds.
Special teams contributions:
With his speed in mind, it goes without saying that Glover-Wright could find a way into the Eagles CB picture through special teams. With 19 kickoff returns for 429 yards during his two seasons at Utah State, TGW may be able to help the Eagles (at least in preseason) find a permanent kick returner without putting more tread on the tires of the likes of Darren Sproles.
The ceiling:
The Eagles already have an abundance of cornerbacks on their roster, but it’s worth noting that Randall Goforth tore his ACL just a few days ago. The UDFA out of UCLA was one of the big names of the Eagles undrafted class of 2017, so it’s likely that an extremely cheap option for the Birds was to bring in Tay Glover-Wright. It will be interesting to see how he settles in…but there’s a long way to the top of a cornerback depth chart that’s consistently shuffling.
A side note:
TGW would have also spent an offseason with current Eagles cornerback Patrick Robinson, who spent 2016 with the Colts. Perhaps there’s a connection there that led the Eagles to signing the former undrafted free agent, with Robinson knowing he was still looking for work? It’s hypothetical of course, but certainly worth noting.
Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
