Eagles sign three former AAF players: quarterback Luis Perez, receivers Greg Ward and Charles Johnson
Ward is familiar to the Eagles -- he was on the practice squad during the team's Super Bowl run. Johnson spent a few seasons in the NFL.
The Eagles seized on the sudden cancellation of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) by signing three players on Tuesday: quarterback Luis Perez and wide receivers Greg Ward and Charles Johnson.
Perez, 24, played for the Birmingham Iron, completing 135 of 258 passes for 1,461 yards and five touchdowns this season, with six interceptions. He spent last summer with the Los Angeles Rams during training camp and the preseason. The Rams signed him after he finished his college career at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he won the Division II national championship.
The Eagles have not signed a quarterback in free agency this offseason. Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld are the only quarterbacks on the roster, but the Eagles are expected to draft or sign one in the coming weeks. They will likely have four quarterbacks in training camp.
Ward, 23, was on the Eagles’ practice squad during their Super Bowl season and spent last summer in Philadelphia, too. He played for the San Antonio Commodores, making 22 catches for 214 yards. The Eagles converted Ward to wide receiver after a prolific college career as a quarterback at Houston.
Johnson, 30, is the most accomplished of the three signings. He had 60 catches for 834 yards and two touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 through ’16 but did not play in the NFL in the last two seasons. He led the Orlando Apollos with 45 catches for 687 yards and five touchdowns.