Two official roster changes have been announced by the Philadelphia Eagles in advance of their Week 16 Christmas game against the New York Giants. A synopsis
The Eagles were down to two healthy off-ball linebackers: Shaq Leonard and Ben VanSumeren, with Zach Cunningham ruled out and Nicholas Morrow doubtful to play. The Eagles will now have at least three players at that position thanks to the elevation of Smith, and possibly a fourth if Morrow can suit up after missing all of practice this week.
It’s clear that Leonard, BVS, and Smith make up a very small group. It’s not surprising that Leonard was cut by the Indianapolis Colts because he has appeared cooked. BVS, a rookie free agent who was not selected in the draft, has not yet participated in an NFL defensive play. Smith, a Penn State product and a projected fourth-round pick in 2022, saw only 52 defensive snaps in his first season with the Carolina Panthers.
When they were pretty banged up at safety earlier in the season, the Eagles elevated McCollum. The Eagles now have more depth at safety and an additional special teams player thanks to this elevation. Additionally, since Sydney Brown, Reed Blankenship, and Kevin Byard are all expected to see a lot of snaps—as they did last week—having more safety depth could be beneficial.
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