The Philadelphia Eagles made a minor roster move on Monday, waiving injured S Obi Melifonwu, and bringing back a familiar face in his place – Blake Countess.
This will be the fourth time that Countess has suited up in midnight green since being drafted in the 6th round by the team in 2015. The Rams quickly picked him up after he failed to make the Eagles roster as a rookie, and he went on to spend three years there. He led the team in special teams tackles in back-to-back years and even started to return kickoffs, averaging 24.6 yards per return. During his time with the Rams, he racked up 54 tackles, three passes defended, two picks, and one sack in 37 games.
He rejoined the Eagles for a brief spell in 2019 before ending up spending a portion of that year with the Jets. There’s something about Philadelphia that keeps him coming back though, as Countess would again sign with the Eagles in 2020, appearing in 2 games and registering a pair of tackles.
The front office is clearly very fond of the fifth-year pro, who offers some clear special teams upside at the very minimum. He played in a few special teams snaps in New York, but has managed to feature on the unit for every team he’s played for, one way or another, offering a versatile skillset that Michael Clay will want to tap into.
We know that Jonathan Gannon is a DB guru and while this may feel like a depth signing, Countess has proven himself on several occasions and the Eagles don’t have a ton of serviceable players behind the starting duo of Anthony Harris and a currently injured Rodney McLeod.
It will be fun to see if Countess can make up enough ground over the next few weeks to make the final cut.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
