It’s been a busy day for the Philadelphia Eagles, who waived CB CJ Smith earlier today and re-signed Victor Salako. For a team already light on cornerback depth, waiving a fringe corner whose development had been noted throughout the offseason seemed confusing, but they may have just signed an upgrade.
Roster Move: #Eagles have signed CB De'Vante Bausby to the practice squad and released WR Greg Ward from the practice squad. pic.twitter.com/8JZJ2WykV8
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 12, 2017
To make way for the new cornerback, the Eagles waived former University of Houston QB Greg Ward. After successfully making the transition to wideout, Ward impressed the coaching staff over the course of Training Camp and beyond. Needs must take priority however and the Eagles could benefit from some CB depth. Enter De’Vante Bausby.
A native of Kansas City, Bausby was picked up by the Chiefs after going undrafted in 2015 before a broken collar bone ended his hopes of catching on to the final roster. He would later sign with the Chicago Bears and go on to play in four games for the team in 2016, amassing 11 tackles before being released back in May. The familiarity with Doug Pederson is clear.
A few months later, Bausby returned to Kansas City for one last bid at making the final roster. Unfortunately a relatively strong preseason wasn’t enough to see him burst the bubble. So what does he bring to the table?
At 6’1, 182 lbs, he’s a long corner who also has tremendous speed, flashing a 4.35 40-yard dash time back at his pro day. Never missing a game during his time at Pittsburg St, Bausby recorded a career-high four interceptions during his final season. During preseason this year however, Bausby was flagged three times and struggled to show any kind of will to partake in stopping the run, often getting scrappy in press coverage.
It remains to be seen whether or not he will earn a call-up to the gameday roster, but it’s also important to note who the Eagles are playing this weekend. The team signed former Redskins QB Nate Sudfeld prior to the season opener so it isn’t hard to believe that the team would bring in the cornerback to pick up some valuable information on what to expect this weekend.
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
