After taking an absolute beating in the secondary yesterday, one would assume the Eagles would make a move to add some stability ahead of the coming weeks. If you did, you must be new around here. Instead, the Eagles decided to branch out to Washington’s practice squad and poach an offensive lineman.
Ross Pierschbacher is the man in question. He was selected by Washington in the fifth-round of last year’s NFL Draft. He signed to the practice squad after failing to make the roster and despite being rotated on and off the final 53 on a few occasions, he played in just 3 special teams snaps all year.
What’s interesting though is that the 6’5, 311 lbs, center was actually a center and guard at Alabama, where he of course worked very closely with Jalen Hurts. He was an All-SEC player in each of his last three seasons.
This isn’t the first time that the Eagles have actively sought out a player from the Washington practice squad weeks before a game (Hey Nate Sudfeld), but this one could carry some extra weight.
Jason Kelce has been the lone constant on the Eagles offensive line this year, but is nearing the end of one of the most iconic careers in franchise history. We don’t really know how many more years the incredibly athletic lineman will be around, and a move to bring in a familiar face for Jalen Hurts could be perfect for an offseason of working together. If he does split reps with Carson Wentz as expected, there’s a good chance the duo will get a lot of reps together and re-light that fire.
For now, it’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles handle their flurry of injuries and the placement of Pierschbacher on the roster, but it’s a fun move nonetheless.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
