Eagles sign 9 players, including Devon Allen, Davion Taylor to futures deals
The Eagles on Wednesday signed nine of their practice squad players from the 2022 season, including two former draft picks, to reserve/future deals.
Headlining the list of the nine players are former draft picks LB Davion Taylor and DE Tarron Jackson, as well as Olympian Devon Allen.
Heres the full list from Wednesday, via the NFLs transaction sheet: WR Devon Allen, WR Tyrie Cleveland, DB Mario Goodrich, DE Tarron Jackson, OT Fred Johnson, OT Roderick Johnson, DE Matt Leo, OG Sua Opeta, LB Davion Taylor
Basically, these future deals are a way to bring back practice squad players after their contracts run out at the end of the season. These players will get a shot to return in OTAs and likely training camp.
Taylor, 24, is probably the most notable player on the list because of his draft status. The Eagles used a third-round pick on Taylor in 2020, drafting him out of Colorado. When they used that No. 103 overall pick on Taylor, they knew he was raw but the Eagles gambled on his athletic upside. Taylor has failed to become a consistent contributor.
In his first two NFL seasons, Taylor played in 21 games with 7 starts. Six of those starts came in 2021 and he began to show promise before an injury shut him down that season. Taylor actually made the Eagles initial 53-man roster but was released the next day when the Eagles claimed QB Ian Book. Taylor spent the entire 2022 season on the practice squad. He wasnt elevated once.
Jackson, 24, was a sixth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina in the 2021 draft. After playing in all 17 games with the Eagles as a rookie, Jackson made the initial 53-man roster and played in the first four games of the 2022 season, totaling 27 defensive snaps and 13 on special teams. But he was released in late October to make room for Robert Quinn after the Eagles made that trade with Chicago. Jackson was signed to the practice squad shortly after and remained there the rest of the season.
Allen, 28, is obviously known as an Olympic hurdler who had some bright moments in training camp. He spent the entire season on the practice squad.
Opeta, 26, has been with the Eagles since he went undrafted out of Weber State in 2019. He is a Jeff Stoutland project, who has played in 25 games with 3 starts for the Eagles in his career. In 2022, he played in seven games and spent most of the season on the active roster. He was released on Jan. 6 as the Eagles made room for a couple players returning from IR. Opeta finished the year on the practice squad.
Cleveland, 25, didnt join the practice squad until Jan. 17 but has some NFL experience. The former Florida receiver was a seventh-round pick back in 2020 and has played in 23 NFL games, all with the Broncos. He has 8 catches for 91 yards.
These nine players join a few others the Eagles had already signed to futures deals since the end of the regular season: OL Julian Good-Jones, DB Tristin McCollum, RB Kennedy Brooks, OT Jarrid Williams.
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