A hectic weekend of twists and turns has finally come to a standstill, for now. The Eagles have officially unveiled their ten-man practice squad after passing on players sat on the waiver wire just a few hours ago. The good news is that the ten-man unit has plenty of familiar faces. In fact, it has nine of them.
C Josh Andrews
TE Billy Brown
LB Nate Gerry
T Dillon Gordon
DT Justin Hamilton
RB Byron Marshall
CB C.J. Smith
QB Nate Sudfeld
WR Bryce Treggs
WR Greg Ward
The Eagles have bought back both Bryce Treggs and Greg Ward, solidifying their wide receiver corps. Treggs was listed as the backup to Nelson Agholor in the slot prior to being waived, while former University of Houston QB Greg Ward successfully made the transition to wideout, impressing the coaching staff over the course of Training Camp and beyond.
Also returning on Offense are the duo of Billy Brown and Byron Marshall. The former Shepherd tight end passed through waivers unclaimed and will now sit as a receiving option who could look to climb the ladder as long-term depth is uncertain.
For Byron Marshall, leading the team in preseason rushing yards and outshining Pumphrey was a huge factor. The former Oregon Duck shined once again, building on his regular season experience last year. With another season to develop, the Eagles may be looking to stash young running backs.
Dillon Gordon was surprisingly waived yesterday after a strong offseason learning behind Jason Peters was capped with an underwhelming preseason. Josh Andrews has the ability to play at center or guard and is entering his third year with the team, most recently returning from a hand injury. The duo will bolster an offensive front that’s light on depth.
Former NDSU cornerback C.J Smith has now had two full offseason’s with the Eagles and after a strong preseason yet again, will be allowed to marinate under Cory Undlin once again. Justin Hamilton had a strong offseason and racked up six tackles in four preseason games to show his worth. To put it simply, the Eagles depth at DT is extremely impressive.
Reassuringly, all of this year’s draft picks are on the team in some vein. Linebacker Nate Gerry has been signed to the practice squad after he was surprisingly waived just one day ago. His development and movement inside will now be able to continue with the Eagles being graced with a six-strong linebacker position.
The lone newcomer to the unit is a developmental quarterback, but it’s not Dane Evans. Nate Sudfeld spent the offseason with the Redskins after being drafted in the sixth round one year ago. The former Indiana QB was on the Redskins roster for the entirety of last season but didn’t see any regular-season snaps.
Sudfeld completed a total of 60.3% of his passes during his time at Indiana for 61 touchdowns and 20 picks. Standing at 6’6 and 240 lbs, it’s safe to say he has the size on his side. 8 career rushing scores and 132 rushing yards also showcase some rare athleticism from a quarterback of his frame.
Of course what’s interesting about this move is that the Eagles face the Redskins just seven days from now. Perhaps there’s more to this signing than meets the eye?
It’s familiar faces for the Eagles, which is a very strong sign that they liked their roster. There aren’t an entirely new group of guys coming in to develop. It’s all about continuity and growth and for the Eagles, their absence of action on the waiver wire simply shows a level of comfort in the talent they had.
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
