Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro talk about the Eagles secondary and a couple young guys who might be ready to start in 2024.
Even though free agency doesn’t start for another month and a half, the Eagles have already signed 21 players to reserve or future contracts since the conclusion of their campaign.
In essence, these are players that were signed but weren’t on 53-man rosters at the end of the regular season. On the opening day of the new league year, when rosters can contain up to 90 players, these contracts come into force.
Fourteen of the 21 players were on the Eagles practice squad at the end of the season. Josiah Scott (DB) and Greg Ward Jr. (WR) are the two practice squad players from the end of the season that were not signed.
Take a look at each of the 21 players:
The Eagles’ practice squad of 14 players:
DT Thomas Booker: After signing on August 31, the 6-foot-3, 301-pound defensive tackle spent the entire season on the Eagles practice squad. After being selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Stanford, Booker was assigned to them for the 2023 training camp. Booker made one start in ten games during his debut season with the Texans. In 206 defensive snaps overall, he recorded 15 tackles, half a sack, and five quarterback pressures. In his rookie season with the Eagles, he did not play in any games.
T. Le’Raven Clark: A 30-year-old seasoned veteran, Clark has made 18 starts in his 64 NFL games of experience. Additionally, he participated in four games in 2021 and started the regular-season finale against the Cowboys at right tackle. Clark was back on the Eagles practice squad following the 2021 season when he was added to the Titans active roster in late September. With the Titans in 2022, he played in 13 games and started two of them. Following the campaign, Clark signed a contract with the Steelers, but he was cut during the final cuts and ended up playing all of 2023 on the practice squad with the Eagles. Texas Tech product Clark (6-5, 311) was previously selected in the third round.
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DT Noah Elliss: An undrafted free agent out of Idaho, Elliss, weighing 346 pounds, was signed by the Eagles in 2022. However, he missed his rookie season due to a non-football injury. Elliss is the brother of linebacker Christian Elliss. In2023, he returned to training camp, but he was placed on inactive reserve after being waived or hurt. Elliss returned to the Eagles practice squad in October and remained there for the duration of the season. He has not yet witnessed any NFL regular season action.
DB Mekhi Garner: In 2023, after going undrafted out of LSU, Garner (6-2, 212) was signed by the Eagles. During the three regular season games and the Tampa playoff game, he was given an upgraded status. Despite being a cornerback, he did see limited time at safety early in the season as the Eagles were healing from injuries. Garner played 45 special team snaps and 27 defensive snaps during those three regular season games. He had a special teams tackle and played eighteen special teams snaps in the playoff game.
DB Mario Goodrich: The 2022 UDFA was the backup nickel cornerback on the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster. He was given the opportunity to play in Week 2 after Avonte Maddox was injured. After the injury, he played for 39 snaps. However, the Eagles truly didn’t stop looking for alternatives, and in October they cut him go. Goodrich was allowed to return to the practice squad after clearing waivers. In 2023, the Clemson 2022 UDFA participated in four games and started one.
WR Griffin Hebert: Herbert, who goes as AY-bear, was signed by the Eagles on December 28. He was categorized as a receiver, which was unusual because he had previously been listed as a tight end while playing for Louisiana Tech and the Seahawks. Herbert (6-1, 231) attended the Seahawks’ training camp this past summer after being selected undrafted out of LA Tech.
DE Tarron Jackson: Jackson (6-2, 254), a sixth-round selection by the Eagles in 2021 out of Coastal Carolina, has played for the team the previous three seasons, though he was limited to the practice squad for the entirety of 2023. In his first 17 NFL games as a rookie, he appeared in just 4 during his second season in 2022. Jackson has only played 27 total defensive snaps since his freshman year, when he recorded 17 tackles, two TFLs, and a sack.
DB Tristin McCollum: McCollum signed a futures contract with the Eagles in January 2023 after spending his rookie season on the Texans’ practice squad after being selected undrafted out of Sam Houston State in 2022. He spent the whole season on the practice squad, but for the final three regular season games and the playoff match in Tampa, he was upgraded. McCollum recorded six tackles and 29 defensive snaps in his three games during the regular season. Zyon McCollum, the cornerback with the Buccaneers, is his twin brother.
WR Joseph Ngata: Following a strong training camp in 2023, the Clemson UDFA spent his entire rookie campaign on the Eagles practice squad. Ngata, a big-bodied receiver at 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, learned a lot from A.J. Brown and Julio Jones during his debut season in the NFL.
RB Lew Nichols: Drafted by the Packers in the seventh round (with pick No. 235) this year, Nichols was waived by Green Bay on September 7 and went on to the Eagles practice squad on October 16, where he spent the remainder of the season. Nichols was drafted out of Central Michigan. With 1,848 running yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021, he concluded his career as the sixth-best rusher in Central Michigan history.
LB Brandon Smith: The Penn State product was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the previous season and made one start in his twelve games as a rookie. Before going on inactive retirement last December, he played 193 special teams snaps and just 53 defensive snaps in his previous season with Carolina. At final cuts, the Panthers waived him, and in October, he joined on with the Eagles practice squad. He participated on special teams during this season’s Giants opener and Cardinals game after being elevated.
OL Lecitus Smith: The Cardinals selected Smith in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of Virginia Tech. Smith is another draft choice. He started two games and participated in ten as a rookie right guard. Smith completed the 2023 season on the practice squad after spending a week with the Texans’ team. He didn’t travel to Philadelphia until November 14 of that same year. Smith started 38 of the 45 games he participated in at Virginia Tech.
TE Noah Togiai: Since the Birds signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2020, the 26-year-old Togiai has spent many spells with the Eagles. Pronounced “tong-EE-eye,” Togiai rejoined the Eagles’ practice squad on November 14. Togiai has participated in eight games throughout his NFL career: four with the Colts and four with the Eagles.
T Brett Toth: Originally signed by the Eagles in 2019, Toth is an Army first lieutenant who was granted a waiver to defer service. The Cardinals claimed Toth that first season after they waived him during final cuts that year, and he has since moved about a little, spending many spells in Philadelphia. Toth has appeared in 20 games overall with two starts, and in practice, he has played center, guard, and even tackle for the Eagles. Toth had trouble snapping the ball when he first learned how to play center last summer.
The recent arrivals:
WR Shaquan Davis: The Eagles have added Davis (6-5, 217) to their roster of 90 players. Davis is another larger receiver. After signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State the previous season, Davis was cut on January 15 after spending the majority of his rookie campaign on the New Orleans practice squad. The Eagles signed Davis to a futures contract a few days later. From 2019 to 22, Davis caught 116 passes for 2,452 yards and 25 touchdowns while attending South Carolina State. Following five receptions for 95 yards and three touchdowns against Deion Sanders’ Jackson State team, he was named the 2021 Celebration Bowl Offensive MVP.
WR Jacob Harris: The Rams selected Harris (6-5, 211) in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Despite playing in 18 NFL games, the 26-year-old has only seen 30 offensive snaps in his career and has only had one reception for 6 yards. He signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars for 2023 after spending 2022 with the Rams, however he only appeared in two games. Harris averaged 20.1 yards per grab while attending Central Florida, and nine of his 49 receptions resulted in touchdowns. A few years ago, his combination of size and speed made him an early Day 3 pick.
DB Tiawan Mullen: The undrafted Indiana native joined the Eagles’ practice squad in September and had several appearances there before being waived in October. Mullen spent his rookie training camp with the Chargers. Before agreeing to this futures deal, he hadn’t been a member of the team since October 24. Mullen (5-8, 181) is the cousin of Lamar Jackson, the probable MVP of the league, and the brother of Ravens cornerback Trayvon Mullen.
TE E.J. Jenkins: Jenkins began his NFL career as an undrafted rookie with the Jets. He was cut during final cuts and spent a few weeks in November practicing with the Eagles before being cut. After that, he spent a brief time with the Raiders, but he hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet. Jenkins (6-6, 245) attended FCS Saint Francis for his first year of college before moving on to South Carolina and Georgia Tech. He has 17 catches for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns as a senior at GT.
Terrell Lewis, LB:Lewis stands out among the newcomers as the most intriguing. The Rams selected the Alabama product with the 84th overall pick (third round) in the 2020 NFL Draft. In 30 games (7 starts) between 2020 and 2022, Lewis recorded 40 tackles, 6 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 32 quarterback pressures. After being discarded by the Rams in December 2022, he played for the Bears and Saints. Lewis played 26 games for Alabama (2016–19), recording 8 sacks, 14 TFLs, and 58 tackles.
According to SI.com, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah stated the following about Lewis in 2020:
“You notice the bursts. He really does have a remarkable ability to change directions. You may see a bit of Danielle Hunter in him when you observe him. There are some parallels there, in my opinion. There is a lot to gain. But he occasionally vanishes, and regrettably, he hasn’t been able to maintain his health. As a player, he simply needs to keep improving.”
G Jason Poe: In 2022, Poe (6-1, 300) was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Mercer. Poe began his career as a fullback at Hutchinson Community College and later played at Lenoir-Rhyne. Even though Poe is now 25 years old, he still qualifies as a project player because of his excellent athleticism in the 2022 pre-draft process. He’s played for the New York Jets and San Francisco Giants practice squads.
Austin Watkins, wide receiver:Watkins is another potent receiver, in case you’re picking up on a theme here. In 2021, the 49ers signed the 6-3, 210-pound player as a UDFA. He caught 98 passes for 1,642 yards (16.7) and 9 touchdowns while attending UAB from 2018 to 20. He’s the cousin of Sammy Watkins. He has previously played for the 49ers, Bucs, and Browns.
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