Obi Melifonwu wasn’t the only addition to the Eagles roster on Thursday afternoon. The team announced that former Chargers receiver Andre Patton has also been signed.
This hardly comes as a surprise. The Eagles have a deep wide receiver group, but as things stand, it’s looking pretty barren due to minor injuries.
Jalen Reagor – lower body – limited
Greg Ward – Non COVID illness – limited
Travis Fulgham – lower body – day-to-day
Quez Watkins – lower body – day-to-day
With at least two of those receivers playing in the slot and another two with the ability to play both inside and outside, it means plenty of exposure for players like John Hightower and J.J Arcega-Whiteside, but until those players get back on the field, there are going to be huge gaps to fill.
Enter Andre Patton, who has played his NFL football with the Chargers. He did overlap with Nick Sirianni for one season, joining the team in 2017 and spending time on their practice squad. He went undrafted that year after playing for Rutgers. In his senior year, he led the team in yards from scrimmage with 761 through the air and a further and 677 on the ground, accounting for 22 total touchdowns. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he stands at 6’2, 200 lbs.
Patton featured in 13 games during the 2019 season, but despite playing in 48% of snaps, only hauled in 6 catches for 56 yards. In 2020, he was unable to make the final roster and after a brief stint with the Cardinals, has been unable to find a home.
Nick Sirianni might have seen something he liked in Patton, at least enough to give him an opportunity while the crop of injured receivers lick their wounds and get ready for a Summer of competition. It will be interesting to see where the Eagles line him up over the coming days and whether or not he can take the fight to those on the edge of making the final-53.
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
