![]() He had no sacks, interceptions or forced fumbles, and started just 10 games. ![]() While the team made the playoffs, Chung did not garner good reviews. The move reunited him with Kelly, who was offensive coordinator at Oregon while Chung was playing defense there. Patrick Chung, S, New England Patriots, Released in 2014Ĭhung came to the Eagles before the 2013 season as a free agent after spending the first four seasons of his career in New England. But then again, were he still here, he may still be lining up at defensive end. It would have been nice to have a player of Villanueva’s quality here to step in for an injured Peters and suspended Johnson. The Eagles were even in a perfect position to allow that development with the corner spots presently manned by Jason Peters and Lane Johnson. Given his history as a positional vagabond, it’s not hard to realise why Villanueva took awhile to develop. From Week 11 on through the playoffs, Pro Football Focus graded him football’s best left tackle. While 2015 ended on, and the 2016 season began to, poor reviews, Villanueva ended the year on a hot streak as part of the line responsible for the Steelers’ success. He began 2016 as the starting left tackle, and played every game there. ![]() He spent 2014 on the practice squad changing positions again, but started 10 games at tackle in 2015. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin took note of him among the opposition in a preseason game however, and when the Eagles released Villanueva, their in-state competition pounced. It was as a defensive end the Eagles envisioned Villanueva. Villanueva was a memorable presence in Eagles camp: a 6-foot-9 tackle fresh from three tours of duty in Afghanistan who spent his senior year at Army converted from offensive tackle to wide receiver. There was some talk Jackson could return to Philadelphia this offseason, but instead he signed with Tampa Bay.Īlejandro Villanueva, T, Pittsburgh Steelers, Released in 2014 He has three 100-yard games against the Eagles and two 80-yard touchdowns. He is 4-1 against the Eagles since his departure, missing one contest with injury. ![]() He topped 1,000 yards twice and particularly revelled in playing the team that turned its back on him. Immediately signing in the division with Washington, he has remained football’s most dangerous deep threat with 22 catches of 40-plus yards over the last three seasons. He was then summarily dismissed in a “football decision.” Jackson finished with career highs in receptions (82), yards (1,332) and touchdowns (nine). He made Pro Bowls in 2009, 20, his best season and Kelly’s first in Philadelphia. Jackson was drafted in the second round by the Eagles in 2008, and wasted no time becoming their most electrifying weapon. He retired this spring.ĭeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Released in 2014 Mathis signed another one-year deal with the Cardinals before 2016, but hurt his ankle and was placed on IR after Week 5. Meanwhile, the Eagles were never prepared to replace the player Pro Football Focus called the best guard in the league from 2011-2013, and the loss of Mathis saw a dropoff in the play of the entire interior line in 2015. Mathis didn’t get his raise, signing a one-year deal for less money with the Broncos, but he did get a Super Bowl ring as a starter in front of Peyton Manning. Then head coach Chip Kelly publicly declared the team had shopped Mathis and found no takers, and when Mathis skipped voluntary OTA workouts as a holdout, the Eagles released him despite Mathis’ insistence he was set to attend the mandatory camps soon to begin. A late bloomer, he made the Pro Bowl in 20 with the Eagles, and became a 33-year-old lineman who wanted a raise to match the quality of his play. Mathis was a fan favorite who was released after a contract dispute went bad. The first two names on this list are going to hurt. We’ll see one very clear example of that event.Įvan Mathis, G, Retired, Released in 2015 And sometimes the Eagles can just hold a limited number of players at a roster spot they’re already supremely stocked in. Sometimes they just didn’t perform in Philadelphia at the level they will elsewhere, and indeed, more than one of the players we’re about to run through were cut by teams besides the Eagles before making their mark on the league. Sometimes a player exits because the dollar signs don’t match up. It isn’t always catastrophic personnel evaluation that sees an NFL starter left off the 53-man roster. Inevitably, some good players slip through the cracks. Others will find their NFL fortune elsewhere. Each year, tens of players leave Philadelphia before the preseason closes, for a variety of reasons. (The first open practice is two days later, July 29, take note.) While there will be competition for starting spots, there will also be fierce competition much lower on the depth chart for roster spots. Eagles training camp’s first full team practice is set for a month from Tuesday.
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