Eagles make a flurry of roster moves following preseason game vs. Cleveland Browns

After carrying over their good injury luck from last season into the start of training camp, the Eagles saw six players leave Thursday’s 18-18 preseason tie against the Cleveland Browns with injuries, including two who were waived with injury designations on Saturday.

Third-year cornerback Zech McPhearson (torn Achilles, out for the season) and fourth-year receiver Tyrie Cleveland (concussion and neck sprain, out indefinitely) were placed on waivers. However, if they go unclaimed, as anticipated, they will revert to injured reserve and remain with the Eagles to receive treatment and continue to get paid.

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McPhearson, the Eagles’ 2021 fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall) out of Texas Tech, was in contention to make the initial 53-man roster in a depth cornerback and special teams role, specifically at nickel corner behind Avonte Maddox. Cleveland, whom the Eagles signed in January to their practice squad, led the team with five receptions for 68 yards in the first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Both players had to be carted off the field Thursday night.

Second-year defensive tackle Noah Elliss, who did not exit Thursday’s game, was also waived with an injury designation and will revert to injured reserve if he goes unclaimed.

In addition to waiving McPhearson, Cleveland, and Elliss with injury designations, the Eagles cut punter Ty Zentner and cornerback Greedy Williams. Zentner’s release indicated that the job is third-year punter Arryn Siposs’ to lose. Williams’ release, coupled with McPhearson’s injury, is starting to clear up a crowded cornerbacks room, where rookie depth players such as Kelee Ringo, a fourth-rounder out of Georgia, and undrafted free agent Eli Ricks (Alabama) are competing for roster spots.

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By waiving five players, the Eagles were able to sign five more on Saturday. The Eagles added defensive tackles Robert Cooper, Marvin Wilson, and Caleb Sanders, in addition to linebackers Tyreek Maddox-Williams and Quinton Bell.

Wilson, a third-year player who went undrafted in 2021 and initially signed with the Browns, is a familiar face to the Eagles. He was a member of the Eagles’ practice squad in 2021 and 2022 who appeared in two games over the course of those two seasons, racking up a total of seven tackles.

Maddox-Williams, who was waived by the Los Angeles Chargers on July 29, hails from Philadelphia and played for Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville, N.J. He played his college ball at Rutgers.

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While one starting safety job appears to be locked down by Reed Blankenship, who picked off Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson three times in joint practices on Mondays and Tuesday, the competition continues for the second spot.

In practice on Saturday, sixth-year veteran Justin Evans got a look alongside Blankenship when he took extended reps with the starting defense in team drills. Until then, K’Von Wallace, Terrell Edmunds, and Sydney Brown had shared reps at that spot.

Evans had a strong second preseason showing against the Browns, collecting four tackles (including a tackle for loss) in just 21 defensive snaps against the Browns. Since signing with the Eagles on March 20, Evans said he has grown more confident in new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s scheme.

“The more reps you get, the more comfortable you’re gonna get,” Evans said. “The more time you spend watching film, being around the guys, being in the building, you’re just gonna get more confident, more comfortable. That’s just what it is.”

Blankenship has noticed that Evans is communicating more frequently on the field, indicating that he’s becoming more comfortable with his new teammates. But his play, especially under the lights in preseason games, speaks for itself.

“He’s a physical player,” Blankenship said. “That’s what you want to see in a safety. He’s been flying around making plays, even in games. You saw him in the Ravens game making big hits.”

Before signing with the Eagles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Evans in the second round (No. 50) of the 2017 draft out of Texas A&M. He played two seasons with the Buccaneers in 2017 and 2018, playing 24 games and registering 125 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. Evans was sidelined with an Achilles injury in 2019 and 2020, leading to the Buccaneers waiving him with a failed physical designation in December 2020.

After sitting out 2021, he signed with the New Orleans Saints last season. In 15 games, Evans had 29 tackles, a forced fumble, and two pass breakups.