The Eagles have announced a pair of roster moves ahead of this weekend’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Activating former Washington TE Joshua Perkins likely means that the team will be without leading receiving target, Zach Ertz, whose streak of 3 games with 9+ catches will come to an end due to injury. It makes sense to let Ertz, who has 3 touchdowns and 712 receiving yards this year, rest up. The last thing they want to do is rush him into a situation where he doesn’t need to play. The Eagles face three two-win teams in a row before the all-important rivalry game with Dallas, so keeping him out of action and letting him work his way back without pressure makes a lot of sense. The last thing we want to see is DeSean Jackson 2.0…
As for Perkins, he’s a familiar face by now. After scraping onto the 53-man roster last year, Perkins registered 4 catches for 57-yards against the Bucs before notching a ten-yard catch against Indianapolis one week later. Perkins made his presence felt on an offense that at the time, needed receiving depth. Sounds familiar, right?
There were some drops and inconsistencies along the way, but Perkins showed enough to remain on the roster and after a promising preseason, he was kept on the practice squad and will have a shot at the big-time once again this weekend.
The second announcement is that fan-favorite Captain Cre’Von will be returning to the field after missing every game so far this season due to a foot injury sustained in the offseason.
The 24-year old started the Summer with eyes on a potential starting nickel role after closing out the 2018 season in impressive fashion when thrown into the deep end.
Since joining the Eagles during a time of dire need, ‘Captain Cre’Von’ has rapidly become a fan favorite. From being tasked with shutting down Odell Beckham Jr in the final moments of a tense encounter, and starting inside against the unpredictable L.A. Rams offense, to his beautiful interception against the New Orleans Saints, LeBlanc has passed all tests with flying colors.
LeBlanc finished the season with PFF grade of 72.3 and 32nd among cornerbacks. He also gave the defense the scrappy fighter they needed last year and a real diamond in the rough for this defensive scheme.
Despite suffering a heartbreaking offseason injury, the Eagles rewarded LeBlanc for his play by signing him to a one-year contract extension. It remains unclear as to what exactly his role would be, given that Avonte Maddox is currently the team’s starting nickel corner, but it’s nice to have ‘strap’ back in the thick of things.
The defense is the healthiest it’s been in a long time and is playing some great football heading into the month of December. LeBlanc’s return will only help their push for the playoffs.
Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
