The Eagles made a shocking move on Monday evening, releasing 23-year-old Nate Herbig.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo, the team tried to trade Herbig during the NFL Draft, but nobody was willing to take the bait. The Eagles tendered him last week and a few heartbeats later, he’s released. This does make the Cam Jurgens pick seem a little more understandable.
Herbig was originally an undrafted free agent out of Stanford and has shown a great deal of promise playing under Jeff Stoutland. He started in five games last season due to injuries along the offensive line, appearing in all 16. He was more than just serviceable, too. Grading out at 68.1 according to PFF, Herbig nullified the absence of Brandon Brooks and helped the Eagles explode into rushing dominance thanks to his agility and raw power. He has 17 starts over the past two seasons and has blossomed into a fringe-starter in Philadelphia.
It’s easy to see why his agent would want Herbig out of Philly. At only 23-years-old, he’s ascended from a UDFA project to someone who could be battling for a starting role in most spots across the league.
With Isaac Seumalo’s deal also up soon, this has probably forced Howie’s hand into extending the Oregon State product. Herbig was Next-of-kin across the interior offensive line, but with Kelce’s replacement drafted, and Landon Dickerson pencilled in on the right hand side, it’s left Herbig as a guaranteed backup across the board and his agent clearly had bigger plans for his immediate future.
It sucks to see Herbig released and I’m sure it won’t be long before he catches on somewhere. Best of luck, and thanks for everything, Nate!
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
